Rytkönen last competed in the world championship in the 2021 season. This year, the Finnish driver raced successfully in the French championship, and at the end of the season, he had the chance to showcase his skills in the World RX finale weekend in Turkey.
Rytkönen’s Saturday race at Istanbul Park saw him eliminated in the semi-finals due to technical issues.
“With only two qualifying heats, there’s no room for mistakes. In the first heat, we had a drive shaft failure, so I lost the front-row spot for the semi-final,” Rytkönen explained.
“I got a good start in the semi, but then dropped to last place. I managed to fight back into the final battle, but it wasn’t quite enough.”
In Sunday’s race, Rytkönen’s pace carried him to an incredible victory. He shot to the lead from the front row and managed to keep newly crowned world champion Johan Kristoffersson behind him. The Finn expertly handled the wet conditions in his Hyundai, not allowing the seven-time world champion to overtake him.
“It was quite an amazing weekend. Saturday didn’t go well at all – I had problems with the car, and I even broke it myself, but today went better. I was really confident in the rain because we had nine races in wet conditions in France, so I knew I could be really strong on the slippery surface”
“Of course, it’s a huge surprise that Johan couldn’t match my pace, and I was able to control the situation completely. I felt no pressure; I could just enjoy it. A big thank you to everyone who made this race weekend possible,” Rytkönen celebrated.
This was only Rytkönen’s ninth start in the World RX. He had previously reached the podium once – in 2020, when he finished second in the Finnish round.
Rytkönen’s plans for next season are still open, but more information will be available later.
The 2025 World Rallycross Championship season will kick off as early as January, with a event on an ice track in Canada, marking the first winter event in the history of the series.
