Last season, Tuomas and Päivi made an impressive mark in the Finnish Rally Championship’s SM3 class, securing three class victories throughout the season. However, the championship title remained just out of reach as Tuomas skipped the final race of the season due to a new addition to the family.
This year, Tuomas and Päivi Välilä are venturing into new territory in their rally journey. The upcoming Rally Hungary in the FIA European Rally Championship will be their first competition outside Finland’s borders.
“After last year we want to go to next level in our racing path and go to Europe,” Päivi Välilä shared on the European Rally Championship’s website.
It appears that their stint in the ERC will not be limited to just one event.
“Rally Hungary is the first one in the ERC calendar so we want to start there. We are planning to drive in Sweden and Estonia too. We would like to drive the whole series, but for that we would need more supporters,” said Päivi Välilä.
The Rally Hungary will take place on gravel roads. The Väliläs will compete in the ERC4 class driving a Ford Fiesta Rally4 car.
The co-driver mother sets a high goal for their team in their ERC debut. A total of 20 crews have registered for the ERC4 class competition.
“We are a very small team, but we are serious. We want to measure our speed in Europe and a podium place is our goal.”
The Rally Hungary kicks off with a short spectator special stage on Friday evening.
