Dream coming true as Heikkila heads for ERC debut a winner
ByERC
Published 12/08/2020 at 10:09 GMT
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Image credit: ERC
Mikko Heikkilä will be a winner when he makes his debut in the FIA European Rally Championship on Rally Liepāja later this week (14-16 August).
Heikkilä was fastest on two out of three stages to beat fellow Finn and ERC newcomer Eerik Pietarinen to victory on last weekend’s Jämsän Äijät Ralli in their homeland, which marked their first event since the COVIID-19 pandemic began.
“Because of the coronavirus we couldn’t do so many events in Finland like we had planned so my sponsors wanted that we go to somewhere else to try other rallies,” Heikkilä explained. “Doing the ERC was my sponsors’ idea but also my dream. At the moment it’s only this rally. Of course, I hope we will drive more but we will see.”
A finish in mind
“I know the rally but only by the videos,” said the 28-year-old Heikkilä, who will be run by Toni Gardemeister’s TGS Worldwide team. “I have seen some onboard footage but not so much. It’s quite difficult to say any position or result but of course I am a rally man and I want to be as fast as possible so I will definitely try. But I would like to see the finish line so I have to keep these two things in my mind.”
Ready for fast opposition
“I only know the Finnish drivers who are doing this rally, Emil Lindholm and Eerik Pietarinen,” said Heikkilä. “They are really fast guys but from watching on television I know the guys in the ERC are so fast and the level is high.”
Making up for lost time
Heikkilä was a regular in two-wheel-drive machinery up until the end of the 2018 season but hopes of regular seat time in a Rally2 car were dashed by a lack of funding. “My first rally in an R5 was in 2018, I drove only one time and last year I drove only one rally with R5 and it was my only rally in the whole year. This year I have done four rallies so I have done only six rallies in R5 because I didn’t have the money to do more rallies.”
Mixed results
While a podium on round two of the Finnish championship, the SM Vaakuna-Ralli Mikkeli in February, was a high point, Heikkilä admits he’s not had a perfect season so far. “The results haven’t been so good because I have had some problems with some mistakes and one tyre problem,” he said. “But I am happy with the stage times, the stage times have been quite okay.”
Win brings confidence
Heikkilä’s Jämsän Äijät Ralli victory means he arrives in Latvia on a high. “It was a good rally for us to test and have good confidence in the car and myself,” he said. “It was with the older Fabia but for Liepāja we drive with the Fabia Evo.”
Finns to the fore
As well as ERC1 Junior ace Emil Lindholm, ERC rookies Eerik Pietarinen and Mikko Heikkilä will fly the Finnish flag in ERC1, while Miika Hokkanen will do likewise in ERC3 and ERC3 Junior on Rally Liepāja. Although Lindholm competes under the Team MRF Tyres banner, the same TGS Worldwide team that runs Heikkilä’s entry also oversees the Fabias of Lindholm and Pietarinen, the ADAC Opel Rallye Cup winner from last season and the winner of WRC2 on Rally Finland in 2018.
Photo:AKK Sports Oy with thanks
“Because of the coronavirus we couldn’t do so many events in Finland like we had planned so my sponsors wanted that we go to somewhere else to try other rallies,” Heikkilä explained. “Doing the ERC was my sponsors’ idea but also my dream. At the moment it’s only this rally. Of course, I hope we will drive more but we will see.”
A finish in mind
“I know the rally but only by the videos,” said the 28-year-old Heikkilä, who will be run by Toni Gardemeister’s TGS Worldwide team. “I have seen some onboard footage but not so much. It’s quite difficult to say any position or result but of course I am a rally man and I want to be as fast as possible so I will definitely try. But I would like to see the finish line so I have to keep these two things in my mind.”
Ready for fast opposition
“I only know the Finnish drivers who are doing this rally, Emil Lindholm and Eerik Pietarinen,” said Heikkilä. “They are really fast guys but from watching on television I know the guys in the ERC are so fast and the level is high.”
Making up for lost time
Heikkilä was a regular in two-wheel-drive machinery up until the end of the 2018 season but hopes of regular seat time in a Rally2 car were dashed by a lack of funding. “My first rally in an R5 was in 2018, I drove only one time and last year I drove only one rally with R5 and it was my only rally in the whole year. This year I have done four rallies so I have done only six rallies in R5 because I didn’t have the money to do more rallies.”
Mixed results
While a podium on round two of the Finnish championship, the SM Vaakuna-Ralli Mikkeli in February, was a high point, Heikkilä admits he’s not had a perfect season so far. “The results haven’t been so good because I have had some problems with some mistakes and one tyre problem,” he said. “But I am happy with the stage times, the stage times have been quite okay.”
Win brings confidence
Heikkilä’s Jämsän Äijät Ralli victory means he arrives in Latvia on a high. “It was a good rally for us to test and have good confidence in the car and myself,” he said. “It was with the older Fabia but for Liepāja we drive with the Fabia Evo.”
Finns to the fore
As well as ERC1 Junior ace Emil Lindholm, ERC rookies Eerik Pietarinen and Mikko Heikkilä will fly the Finnish flag in ERC1, while Miika Hokkanen will do likewise in ERC3 and ERC3 Junior on Rally Liepāja. Although Lindholm competes under the Team MRF Tyres banner, the same TGS Worldwide team that runs Heikkilä’s entry also oversees the Fabias of Lindholm and Pietarinen, the ADAC Opel Rallye Cup winner from last season and the winner of WRC2 on Rally Finland in 2018.
Photo:AKK Sports Oy with thanks
The post Dream coming true as Heikkila heads for ERC debut a winner appeared first on FIA ERC | European Rally Championship.
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