One of the heroes of the season-opening Rally Serras de Fafe, Felgueiras, Boticas, Vieira do Minho e Cabeceiras de Basto, Heikkilä hasn’t quite been able to follow up on his Portuguese promise aboard his Michelin-equipped Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo.
Thu 06 Jul 2023
Familiar feel fires up ERC's Heikkilä
Mikko Heikkilä reckons the similarity of the roads being used for BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia to those in his native Finland can get him closer to the top in the FIA European Rally Championship.
But the Finnish champion is hoping that his fortunes change when the ERC returns to Sweden for the first time since 2003 this weekend (6 - 8 July).
“I've never driven in Sweden before, but the scenery and road surface seem similar to Finland, and based on the stage videos, the stages appear to be of a similar nature,” the 31-year-old said. “Finnish roads have always suited me well, and naturally, I have the most experience there. The competition will be tough, both from the drivers within the championship and the visiting rivals. The weather forecast predicts rain, which will certainly affect our choice of starting position if we manage to excel in the Qualifying Stage.”
Heikkilä tested for BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia earlier this week. “The car feels good [following Tuesday’s test], and we have a couple of set-up options,” The Racing Factory driver said. “I can say that for the first time this year the test day went really well.”
The Qualifying Stage for BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia, round five of the 2023 FIA European Rally Championship, is due to begin at 14:01 local time.
Finland
Italy
Hungary