Asunmaa ninth in WRC2 in Secto Rally Finland
04.08.2024
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Finnish rally driver Teemu Asunmaa and co-driver Ville Mannisenmäki have finished ninth in the WRC2 category at the Secto Rally Finland. Representing Skoda Motorsport Finland, the Finns’ rally was ruined by a puncture caused by a ground rock found in the deep ruts of Saarikas 2. The pair lost two minutes changing the wheel on stage, dropping Asunmaa down to P12 by the end of Friday.
-It wasn’t an easy day; we had all sorts of moments. The puncture on Saarikas was one of those, and we lost a lot of time on Laukaa 2. The stage was in a very rough condition by the time we arrived, the deep ruts were full of standing water and mud, Asunmaa told on Friday.
Saturday’s itinerary consisted of six stages including the famous Ouninpohja in its long, nearly 33-kilometre format. Whilst not pushing for positions at this point, Asunmaa’s steady drive saw the Skoda-driver climb up to P9 on the standings.
-Our rally turned a bit into cruising after yesterday’s puncture. We drove carefully on the first pass as the stages were mostly new to us. On the second pass, showers of rain came just in time for us down the order in WRC2. There was supposed to be no rain in Ouninpohja 2, yet a heavy shower started just as we got underway, Asunmaa shook his head at Saturday evening’s service.
On the rally-ending Sunday, Asunmaa’s focus was on finishing avoiding any and all drama with the penultimate round of the Finnish championship in mind.
-We only drove three stages today after SS17 was turned into a liaison. We made a good show on the three remaining stages. Of course, the rally wasn’t according to our expectations, but there was not much we could have done with the puncture as well as considerable time loss due to a mixture of conditions and starting position, Asunmaa lamented after the rally.
The Skoda-driver continues his season in Finland with the second to last round of FRC to be held in Lahti at the end of the month.
-A big thanks to our service and all the cooperation partners who made it possible for us to be here. For sure, we’re aiming to try again next year with hopefully a bit more luck on our side.
Secto Rally Finland results in WRC2 category:
1. Oliver Solberg 2:33:57,4 Skoda Fabia RS Rally2
2. Jari-Matti Latvala +39,0 Toyota GR Yaris Rally2
3. Lauri Joona +1:13,9 Skoda Fabia RS Rally2
4. Mikko Heikkilä +1:16,5 Toyota GR Yaris Rally2
5. Georg Linnamäe +1:51,5 Toyota GR Yaris Rally2
9. Teemu Asunmaa +4:58,5 Skoda Fabia RS Rally2
