Kauppinen competed in Sierra Morena in a Peugeot 208 Rally4 car alongside his co-driver Topi Luhtinen. The young Finn had already stated before the rally that he was in Spain solely to gain experience on tarmac.
But things did not go quite as planned. Kauppinen’s rally came to an early end with an off on Saturday’s first special stage. Just before that, things had been looking promising, as the Finn had set the third-fastest time in the ERC Junior category on Friday’s opening stage.
Kauppinen had hoped to drive on dry asphalt before the event, but that wish did not come true. He slid into a fence on a damp road, causing significant damage to his car and forcing him to retire.
“The road surface was quite damp and I braked a little too late. The rear end came loose and we hit the wall. It’s a shame, but there’s nothing more to it,” a disappointed Kauppinen reflected on his crash.
Kauppinen’s car appeared to be in rough shape after the off, but the mechanics of the MS Munaretto team managed to repair the car, allowing the Finn to rejoin the rally on Sunday.
“A big thanks to the team for getting us back out there. In the morning, the off was still visible in the performance, but by the end of the day it wasn’t anymore. Overall, today was on the positive side, as we managed to improve our pace as the day went on,” Kauppinen said gratefully.
Kauppinen, 18, eventually finished only 18th overall. However, he will not have much time to dwell on his disappointment, as his season continues already this coming weekend at the Rally Regione Piemonte in Alba, Italy.
“Luckily we got to drive after the off, so I’m definitely feeling better heading into Alba,” Kauppinen said.
“It’s hard to set a result target, but we’re going there in good spirits to get to know the new car, and there’s plenty to learn anyway. If everything goes well, we can fight for positions too,” Kauppinen planned.
