This is what the 19-year-old from Sweden had to say following his Hankook-supplied championship success aboard his IK Sport Racing Opel Corsa Rally4 in Wales.
You’re the Junior ERC champion for 2024. How good does that sound?
“It’s very good. We did a great job over the winter, trying to build confidence and trying to be better at everything and we also won Junior WRC in Sweden. Now we are in Junior WRC for a full season next year and I’m really happy about that. It’s an incredible prize.”
After a challenging debut year in Junior ERC last year, what made the difference in 2024? “The team has delivered always a good performing car, no problem for the whole season and it was a really good season compared to last year. All the luck that we didn’t have last year we had this year, so it was a really good season. We did good preparations for each event, me and Johan [Grönvall, my co-driver] and all the hard work has really paid off.”
What went through your mind when your closest rival, Calle Carlberg, went comfortably fastest on the first full-length stage in Wales, were you worried?
“Maybe I was a little bit confused because I felt I had a good stage, but 10 seconds off was not where we wanted to be so we just tried to take back as much time as possible and we were just 0.2s off the lead when he got the puncture. If he didn’t get the puncture I think we would still have been faster but it’s hard to say.”
Looking back, what was the best moment of your season?
“Maybe Canarias was really good for us, winning nine out of 13 stages. I really liked that one. Rali Ceredigion was also good, not pace-wise but in the mindset it was really good, a good rally for us. We will now go to Silesia in the Fiesta Rally3, the car we will drive in Junior WRC next year because I haven’t driven that car on gravel and Tarmac so we need kilometres.”
Was there ever a moment when you thought maybe you won’t win the title?
“Not really. I was a little bit disappointed after Estonia but I know it was just from that rally. I always felt we had the right pace to win but it’s still a lot more than just the pace on the stages that is needed. But never did I think we was not capable of winning.”
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