Although better known as a co-driver, Halttunen is no stranger to taking the wheel himself. In fact, since Rally Sweden in mid-February, he has already been seen driving on more than one occasion.
Just over a week ago, he took part in the Jyväskylä Winter Rally as a zero car driver in his own Toyota Corolla. However, his run was cut short due to technical issues.
Last weekend, Halttunen participated in the MB Cup on the frozen Jyväsjärvi lake in Jyväskylä.
“The conditions are quite slushy, but what could be more fun than driving a Mercedes on ice?” Halttunen quipped to RallyJournal.com after his stint behind the wheel.
The team competition between Mercedes-Benz cars has become a traditional event, originating seven years ago as a fun gathering among friends. This year in Jyväskylä, a total of 16 teams took part, with several thousand spectators watching the Mercedes action unfold.
“The main thing is to have fun here. But I think we left tarmac settings on our convertible Merc,” Halttunen remarked.
Due to the warm weather earlier in the week, a rutted racing line quickly formed on the track, accumulating slush and water. As a result, the endurance race had to be shortened slightly, but Halttunen and his teammates still achieved their main goal.
“It felt more like a boat than a car. But it’s great fun,” Halttunen grinned.
The paddock had a relaxed atmosphere throughout the race, with friendly banter exchanged between teams. However, it was clear that the event was not just for fun, as any potential rule violations were quickly called into question.
“Someone overtook under yellow flags, and there was some debate about whether there would be a penalty. The opposing team wasn’t too happy if there was. A small protest will probably be filed,” Halttunen said.
During a break, Halttunen’s team decided to install longer suspension on their Mercedes to prevent it from getting stuck so easily—something that had already happened once. After the adjustments, Halttunen took another stint behind the wheel, and the world champion was pleased with the changes.
“They were a hell of a lot better,” he stated.
Halttunen’s team didn’t make it onto the podium, but the winning team did feature a driver familiar from WRC stages.
Roope Korhonen, who finished second in WRC2 at Rally Sweden, secured victory for the MPS RIM33 WRT #69 team with his driving stint. After getting a feel for the track over a couple of laps, Korhonen made decisive overtakes and then unleashed his full pace.
While driving on an empty track, Korhonen even found time to check in with the pit crew.
“Roope just called and said he’s coming in for a driver change,” one of the team members announced, prompting laughter all around.
The victory was well received by Korhonen and his teammates.
“This is the main event of the season,” Korhonen joked.
