ERC
Lindholm back to where it began in ERC
Emil Lindholm is all set to return to the scene of his FIA European Rally Championship debut on next week’s Rally di Roma Capitale.
The Finn’s highly anticipated ERC comeback comes four years, 11 months and 10 days on from his first appearance in the series, which was also on the Italian asphalt event.
Lindholm placed ninth in ERC on his first and only Roma start in 2020
© ERC
Relying once again on Škoda Fabia power, albeit in the latest RS Rally2 rather than the Rally2 Evo he competed with back in 2020, Lindholm has joined the Michelin-equipped J2X Rally Team.
Co-driven by fellow Finn Reeta Hämäläinen, Lindholm will pilot the same chassis Nikolay Gryazin and Konstantin Aleksandrov used to win the ERC season-opening Rally Sierra Morena - Córdoba Patrimonio de la Humanidad for the Czech Republic-based outfit.
Nikolay Gryazin won the ERC season opener for J2X Rally Team
© ERC
The 2022 WRC2 champion said: “We haven’t done so many events this year yet so I’m really happy to go to Rome. My last time was five years ago so it’s not exactly a new event for me, but I guess the roads are quite new for this year.
“It’s really good competition [in the ERC] and Rome, with some of the local drivers, is an opportunity to get more mileage against good competition.”
It’s really good competition [in the ERC] and Rome, with some of the local drivers, is an opportunity to get more mileage against good competition
In terms of a target result, the 28-year-old said: “I always go to a rally to make a result. Realistically speaking we are not expecting to be on the top step of the podium but hopefully we can set some good times and get some experience with the car on Tarmac.”
ERC outing will provide more seat time for Lindholm alongside WRC2 bid
© ERC
Lindholm will start Rally di Roma Capitale less than a week on from his planned EKO Acropolis Rally Greece outing. He’s being tipped as one of the expected frontrunners in WRC2 on the gravel counter.
“It’s not such a big problem [to go from gravel to Tarmac],” Lindholm said. “It takes a few runs to figure out but the way you drive a car is more straightforward on Tarmac and in one way it’s a surface I like. We have half a day of testing to prepare.”
Rally di Roma Capitale takes place from 4 - 6 July and begins with a spectacular super special stage in front of Rome’s iconic Colosseum next Friday evening.
