On Tuesday, it was announced that Lindholm and Hämäläinen will rejoin Toksport, driving a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 for the 2024 season. Their campaign will kick off in April at Rally Islas Canarias.
Last season, Lindholm and Hämäläinen competed in a Hyundai Rally2 car, but without major success. Returning to Toksport and Skoda is welcome news for the Finn.
“The WRC season hasn’t been over for long, but it’s been a while since I last drove. It’s great to know we’ll be continuing,” Lindholm told RallyJournal.com.
His Hyundai season didn’t go as planned, and Lindholm carefully chose his words when reflecting on his time with the Korean manufacturer.
“Of course, Hyundai has many positives. I got the chance to test the faster Rally1 car, which was great. But now, switching back to Skoda feels like returning to something familiar,” he said.
“It’s only been 18 months since we last drove with them. Back then, we had good results, so hopefully, my skills haven’t rusted since,” added Lindholm, who won the WRC2 title in 2022.
However, Lindholm admitted outright that his time at Hyundai did not unfold as he had envisioned.
“Things don’t always go as planned. The original idea we had at Hyundai was partly realised, but they have now shifted their focus towards national championships and the ERC, while we want to stay in WRC2,” Lindholm stated.
“If we had a crystal ball, maybe we would have done some things differently. But the future is always hard to predict,” he continued.
Other options were on the table
Lindholm considered other options before choosing Toksport.
“We systematically evaluated what would best support our season, future, and career. We definitely discussed continuing with Hyundai, but as I said, their focus is now on the ERC with Rally2 cars,” he explained.
“It’s no secret that my personal goal was to drive a top-category Rally1 car, but Hyundai already has a full roster of talented drivers, so that door didn’t open for us,” Lindholm added.
Five WRC events confirmed – more possible
Lindholm will compete in at least five WRC rallies this season.
“After Canarias, we’ll head to Sardinia, then Greece, Finland, and Estonia. We’ll reassess our situation around Rally Finland, depending on championship standings and points. Of course, we’d like to do more rallies, but that depends on the budget,” Lindholm said.
The WRC season continues next week in Sweden, but Lindholm won’t be competing there.
“It’s a shame we can’t start the season in Sweden, but on the other hand, Canarias will be an incredible rally. It’s a new event for everyone in the WRC, and we’ll get to race on clean, proper asphalt roads again. As a former circuit racer, that suits me really well,” Lindholm smiled.
