This season, Suninen found himself without a seat in the WRC’s top class. Despite the performances he delivered last year, Hyundai decided to move in a different direction.
Instead, the team signed Andreas Mikkelsen, with him, Esapekka Lappi, and rally veteran Dani Sordo rotating in the team’s third car this season.
Meanwhile, Suninen is competing in selected rallies in the WRC2 class with Hyundai’s equipment. Alongside this, he has continued his role as a TV commentator for MTV (TV channel in Finland).
“I’ve been doing a few rallies per season, the ones I haven’t been (driving), so maybe two times, three times on TV because I think I can give quite a lot for TV,” Suninen told RallySport Magazine.
“I have a bit of experience from driving and can really explain the drivers’ side of things for the people. I’ve been enjoying it,” Suninen continued.
Stepping into a TV analyst role without experience isn’t easy.
“I believe the WRC drivers have a lot to give to the TV and to the people who follow rally because we have a lot of stories and experience, so it’s easy to be talking about rally.”
The WRC’s point system was revamped this season. Now, the first provisional points are awarded at the end of Saturday. However, to secure these points, crews must make it to the finish on Sunday. “Super Sunday” then offers a significant additional points haul, and there are still more points available from the Power Stage.
This new system has already demonstrated its worst aspects. For instance, Hyundai’s Ott Tänak retired on Friday at the Safari Rally but still took home 12 championship points thanks to the new system.
“Surprisingly good points considering we retired. That’s the f*ck-up with the new system,” Tänak commented.
Suninen, too, has faced significant challenges with the new system as he tried his best to explain it to the viewers.
“I must say on Sunday I struggled a bit, or actually quite a lot, to keep people on-track about overall results and then Super Sunday and then Power Stage points,” Suninen admitted, referring to Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville, who scored well despite finishing fifth overall, more than ten minutes behind the leader.
Suninen suggests that even the drivers don’t fully understand the new system yet.
“If you really check the stage-end interviews, even the drivers don’t have a full track of how the weekend is going from the points side. Kalle (Rovanperä), he was super happy for winning the rally, then Thierry seems to be a bit disappointed he had a tricky rally but still he was only one point away from Kalle,” Suninen recounted.
“It was tricky but I tried to do my job well,” Suninen reflected.
