Teemu Suninen is edging closer to his big dream of racing in the World Rally Championship. The Finn clinched the European Rally title last weekend with a second-place finish on the asphalt of Wales’ Rali Ceredigion, capping off a season that has silenced his doubters.
The ERC calendar featured predominantly tarmac events, and Suninen proved his critics wrong. While his gravel speed was never in question, his only crash came while fighting for the lead in Sweden’s gravel round. Every other rally took place on asphalt, and that’s where he shone. His record speaks volumes: a win in Poland, runner-up finishes in Wales, Czechia, and Italy, plus fourth in Spain.
For Teemu Suninen, success on tarmac carried extra weight. “A year ago, people were maybe doubting my tarmac skills, but I’ve been driving most of the season on tarmac and been able to drive well. When we were pushing in Rali Ceredigion, we were able to remind Kris Meeke a bit that we are here,” he said, referring to their intense battle last weekend.
A Busy Season with Two Different Cars
Suninen also contested four WRC2 rounds this year, delivering consistent results with one class win and three second places. Remarkably, he switched between two cars throughout the season: a Skoda Rally2 in ERC and a Toyota Rally2 in WRC. His adaptability has been key to his success.
“It has worked out pretty well, I must say. I was quite surprised to get this package for this year because, at the beginning of the year, in the best-case scenario we were dreaming of two or three events. Now we have done 12 or 13, maybe,” Suninen explained. His goal for next season is clear: compete in the WRC, where regulations will shift dramatically. Top-class cars will adopt current Rally2 technology, potentially allowing Rally2 entries to fight for leading positions.
“For sure, I’ve been able to improve my tarmac skills because all the rallies challenge the drivers differently. I haven’t driven the Skoda on tarmac before, so that’s one new skill for me,” he added. His performances have impressed even Kris Meeke, a five-time WRC winner. “For me, Teemu is going very well and he should be a World Rally Championship-level driver. He should be in the World Championship,” Meeke stressed.
The ERC season concludes in Portugal on 23–25 October, but Suninen’s trajectory seems set. With backing from a respected veteran like Meeke, his path to the WRC looks more promising than ever.
Baca Juga
Keputusan final WRC 2024 di Arab Saudi ditunda. Toyota dan Hyundai menolak datang karena situasi keamanan, Rally Catalunya jadi kandidat pengganti.
Kris Meeke menilai Teemu Suninen layak kembali ke WRC setelah performa impresifnya di ERC 2026, termasuk duel sengit di Rali Ceredigion yang berakhir dengan gelar juara Eropa untuk Suninen.
Esapekka Lappi kembali ke Hyundai Rally1 di Reli Chili dengan target sederhana: menikmati balapan dan mendukung tim, setelah musim yang sulit.
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