Fri 17 Jan 2025

Heikkilä: ERC perfect training for WRC

Mikko Heikkilä has highlighted the crucial role the FIA European Rally Championship continues to perform in providing a launchpad for a career in the FIA World Rally Championship.

Heikkilä, who turns 33 today, has secured a six-event WRC2 campaign in 2025 in a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 run by TGS Motorsport. Ahead of his graduation, the Finn has been looking back on his two-year ERC stint.  


“The level of competition is extremely high,” he said. “There’s practically no pace difference compared to WRC2 in the rallies I’ve driven. For example, Oliver’s (Solberg) performances in the last two Swedish ERC rallies have been similar to WRC2 rallies he’s driven. For sure, he won them both, but so he has in WRC2 as well in a similar manner.   


“Another thing that raises the level of competition in ERC are the local drivers. They are often really fast and give an interesting challenge. There are perhaps more very fast drivers in the ERC, they are just spread more evenly throughout the events and with a mix of different events, different drivers can showcase their unique expertise and skill sets. The top guys are different between the rallies, and the local guest drivers bring another layer of challenge to the mix.”

After a one-off ERC outing on Rally Liepāja in 2020, Heikkilä returned to the Tet-sponsored event two years later and finished third overall. It was the catalyst to a six-round ERC campaign in 2023, which almost began with a victory, only for a damaged tyre on the Rally Serras de Fafe Power Stage dropping him from first to eighth amid agonising scenes.   


He also came close to winning V-Híd Rally Hungary last April at the start of his second season in the championship, a broken wheel robbing him of a seemingly certain victory on the final day.  


“Despite not winning an event unfortunately, we got a chance to compete against some really high-level drivers in a variety of rallies differing from one another in character and conditions,” Heikkilä said. “We even gathered some Tarmac experience as well. Driving against extremely fast drivers that ERC has in every event pushes you to learn to be faster yourself too.”

Asked if he considers the ERC as a good place to prepare for the WRC, Heikkilä said: “Of course I do! That’s how we did it as well. We’ve also seen it in the past many times, some ex-ERC drivers have even risen up to factory drives. There is an interesting mix of different rallies available, and some events have risen to WRC events as well. The experience you gain in ERC is very valuable. The events are always very well organised too.”  


Of his favourite memories of his time in the ERC, Heikkilä said: “We have of course good ones. Thinking about it in hindsight, I can’t forget some misfortunes we had. On the positive side, the atmosphere in ERC is amazing. Drivers socialise with one another and are friends together and the atmosphere feels relaxed. Drivers and organisers alike are very sportsman-like and pleasant to be around, and it’s always nice to arrive at the event. The events are a bit different compared to WRC events, and it feels closer between drivers in the ERC. I really enjoy the concept of ERC, the schedule, coverage, and especially the Qualifying Stage. That’s a brilliant addition to the championship.”

Sweden
Starts: Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 8:00:00 AM
Spain
Starts: Thursday, April 3, 2025 at 7:00:00 AM
Turkey
Starts: Sunday, November 10, 2024 at 8:30:00 AM