Teemu Suninen's successful European Rally Championship campaign has concluded earlier than originally planned following an abrupt withdrawal announcement from his operating team.
Portugal-based outfit The Racing Factory officially announced that they would be unable to contest the upcoming season finale in Portugal due to unexpected financial hurdles.
The team explained that they had been promised financial backing which formed a fundamental part of their budget planning for the season using the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2.
However, after that crucial support was subsequently withdrawn, management confirmed they could no longer sustain the funding required to participate in the final round.
"The team had been promised financial support, which the team had partly relied on when drawing up its budget," the team stated, as reported by RallyJournal.
"After that support was withdrawn, the team said it could no longer fund its participation in the final round," the official statement further elaborated regarding the forced cancellation.
Despite missing the season-ending event, the Finn's season remains a resounding success after he successfully secured the ERC title at the penultimate round held in Ceredigion, Wales, in early September.
Alongside his European exploits, the talented driver also contested the WRC2 category behind the wheel of a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.
He competed in five WRC2 rounds overall, capturing one stellar class victory and three impressive runner-up finishes along the way.
WRC2 regulations permit competitors to enter up to seven rallies, with their six highest-scoring rounds counting towards the championship standings.
Despite contesting only a partial schedule, his consistent pace ultimately propelled him to a strong fourth-place finish overall in the final standings.
Looking ahead to the future, Teemu Suninen has set his sights firmly on stepping up to the WRC's premier category, which is set to undergo a major transformation with the introduction of new generation cars next year.
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