Last year, Kauppinen contested a full season in the top class of the Finnish Rally Championship in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, ultimately finishing as runner-up in the series.
This year, Kauppinen’s main focus will not be on the national championship, and he will not take part in the season-opening round in Mikkeli this weekend.
The 19-year-old will begin his season at the end of January at the Arctic Lapland Rally in Rovaniemi, an event he sensationally won last winter. Alongside him will be a new co-driver, Topi Luhtinen, who last season read pacenotes for Japanese drivers Hikaru Kogure and Yuki Yamamoto in the World Rally Championship as part of Toyota’s challenge programme.
Kauppinen completed an impressive number of rally starts last year, but this season has begun at a calmer pace for him.
“I’m currently completing my military service at the Finnish Defence Forces Sports School, so there will be a short break from driving. However, the plan in Rovaniemi is to defend the win and get a good feeling back behind the wheel,” Kauppinen explained.
The traditional Arctic Lapland Rally will serve as valuable preparation for Rally Sweden, where Kauppinen is targeting a strong result in the WRC2 category in February. He will compete in both Rovaniemi and Umeå in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 run by the Latvian team SRT.
“The goal is to finish at least inside the top five. This season, I want to make full use of the experience we gained last year and take another step forward, both in my career and in my development as a rally driver.
“The outlook is very positive, and I can’t wait for the season to get under way,” Kauppinen said.
Kauppinen’s management company Rautio Motorsport will provide further details about his competition programme later this season.
