Ending the competition 11th overall and sixth in the WRC2 class, Joona admitted post-rally that the outcome was not what they had hoped for from the snowy tracks of Sweden.
“It was quite variable. It wasn’t what we came here for in terms of results,” Joona stated plainly.
“However, we did manage to get some good stage times. Driving in slush was once a weakness of mine, but now I’m finding my way again, which we learned here. We had issues with the car’s balance throughout the weekend, despite working hard on it. It tended to understeer quite a bit,” Joona reflected.
The Finn wasn’t disappointed with the position as much as the time gaps. No one could catch up with the pace of the Swede Oliver Solberg, but within the battle among the Finns, Joona felt he didn’t perform as well as expected.
“I should have been able to better match the pace of the other Finns. When there are other Finns ahead, you always want to be the first in that group. Everyone was driving hard. Unfortunately, we couldn’t quite get a handle on the understeering at any point,” Joona lamented.
Joona and his co-driver Janni Hussi have clear plans for this season.
“We will be competing in seven WRC2 events,” Joona revealed.
“Of course, the goal is to race in events where we have previously competed and have experience. In addition, probably some tests, and the aim is obviously to get as many kilometres as possible,” Joona continued.
However, Joona didn’t directly reveal where he would be seen next behind the wheel of a rally car.
“The surface might change, or we could be seeing gravel next,” Joona said cryptically.
Can you reveal anything more?
“I never really like to advertise where I’ll be racing next. We aim to be back on the line as soon as possible,” Joona stated.
“Gravel is, of course, always my preferred surface. But I can’t say yet where the next event will be at this stage.”
Joona has clear objectives for this season, although Sweden did not offer much encouragement in that regard.
“Our clear goal is to finish in the top three in the series. This event wasn’t what we were aiming for. You have to be somewhat satisfied, but also quite critical of what you do. I know there was potential to give more, but just didn’t find the confidence in the car. Then it’s not worth forcing it,” Joona reasoned.
Joona’s co-driver Janni Hussi made her WRC debut in Sweden. According to Joona, Hussi deserved “a perfect score and a gold star,” as he had mentioned earlier. The duo has been having fun.
“We always have fun. We focus on giving our all, but it has to be fun and somewhat relaxed. You can’t be tense all the time,” Joona smiled.
