WRC2 CHAMPION 2022

Emil Lindholm Emil Lindholm

WRC2 CHAMPION 2022

Emil Lindholm Emil Lindholm

WRC2 CHAMPION 2022

Emil Lindholm Emil Lindholm

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Lindholm: "A Rare Treat in the WRC"

17 July 2024

Hyundai Motorsport N team's Emil Lindholm and Reeta Hämäläinen are ready to return to competing after their summer break. The duo will start this coming weekend in the Latvian WRC rally with CHL Sport Auto's Hyundai i20 N Rally2 car.

The WRC Tet Rally Latvia is included at the WRC level for the first time, featuring stages that are driven only once. Lindholm has competed in Latvia before, in 2020, where he finished sixth in the European Rally Championship.

He has a good understanding of the surface and grip of the Latvian roads, and the pre-event tests have gone well.

“It’s nice to be back driving again. It’s a pity that only one special stage from the 2020 ERC route is included in this weekend’s WRC route. But if you ask me, the next two WRC rallies are the most beautiful and enjoyable WRC events of the year,” Lindholm says.

“Of course, I have some idea of what to expect from the upcoming rally. I have a grasp of the road surface and grip. Our car felt good during the pre-event tests. Teemu (Suninen) shared his experiences from the Polish WRC rally, and we were able to try different setup options ourselves. Although Saturday’s heavy rain slightly hampered our tests, we were able to drive, which is important before such a fast gravel rally,” Lindholm continues.

The WRC Tet Rally Latvia starts on Thursday, and on Friday, Lindholm will also celebrate his 28th birthday.

“There’s nothing cooler than celebrating behind the wheel of a Hyundai rally car,” Lindholm points out.

In the Latvian WRC rally, an unusually high number of special stages are driven only once. The recce days are long, and the roads don’t develop deep ruts during the rally.

“The majority of the special stages are driven only once, except for Sunday when the stages are driven twice. We get to drive on exceptionally well-maintained roads. This is a rare treat in WRC rallies.

“When the speeds are high, the pace notes play a very central role. You need to trust the notes 100 percent. There’s no point in peeking around corners; you need to know exactly what’s coming next.”

“I’ve always liked driving purely based on pace notes, although the experience is intense: there’s no way you can remember how the road continues behind each corner,” Lindholm explains.

The Finnish Hyundai driver’s goal is to have a solid and good competition.

“My primary goal in Latvia is to do my best. I’m not thinking about the result. It’s good that we get to drive on Latvia’s fast roads before Jyväskylä. This weekend’s rally also prepares us for the next round Rally Finland,” Lindholm reminds.

The eighth round of the WRC season starts on Thursday evening from the Latvian capital, Riga, with an 11.13 km special stage at 20:05 Finnish time. The rally continues on Friday with seven stages (132.05 km) and on Saturday with eight stages (104.00 km).

Sunday’s schedule includes four more special stages (64.08 km), with the rally-ending Power Stage, Mazilmāja 2 (13.34 km), starting at 14:15 Finnish time. In total, the competition covers 20 special stages and 300.13 stage kilometers. The service park is located in the coastal city of Liepāja.