The rally car driven by Emil Lindholm turned sideways onto the road due to the force of the impact.
Emil Lindholm had a lot of bad luck in Sardinia. PDO
Rally driver Emil Lindholm really freaked out last Sunday in Sardinia.
The last special stage of the Rally Terra Sarda was already over, and the drivers left the finish area to Parc fermé. The rally cars drove on the narrow roads of the local village. When Lindholm crossed the intersection, the back of the car shook.
– A motorcycle hit the rear wheel. Our car turned sideways onto the road due to the force of the impact. Yes, it was quite a shock, Lindholm says.
The crash sounded so loud that Lindholm thought it was a bigger car at first. When he saw a motorcycle on the road, the first thing on his mind was where the driver was.
– Thank God it wasn’t worse for him. Somehow he had managed to descend very gracefully, because externally only the knee showed asphalt rash.
Italian L’Unione Sarda magazine said that a 23-year-old motorcyclist had complained of pain in his stomach area. Lindholm heard afterwards from the race organizer that everything was fine with the motorcyclist.
According to estimates, the motorcycle would have been traveling at a speed of about 60 kilometers per hour at the time of the collision. The GPS locator, on the other hand, said that the speed of Lindholm’s car at the intersection was about 20 kilometers per hour.
Since it was a transition, the rally cars drove among normal traffic.
Local police are investigating the accident.
Rejection
Emil Lindholm and kart driver Reeta Hämäläinen are also a familiar sight in World Cup rallies. Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Content Pool
As a result of the crash, Lindholm’s car was left at the scene of the accident.
Thus, Lindholm did not officially arrive to Parc ferméand the Finnish driver’s race result was rejected.
– Fortunately, it was the least of the sorrows.
Lindholm still held the top spot in the entire rally before the last special test. However, the victory got out of hand when Lindholm’s Škoda crashed in the middle of the drive, and the engine could not be started immediately. Lindholm wasted a lot of time in the extra adjustment and finished the last special stage seven minutes behind the leader.
So the season ended with a sporting disappointment. All eyes are already on next season.
– My goal is definitely to drive in the WRC2 class. Fourth place was my best result this season. It says that the pace has been where it should be. I still have faith in the fact that if only everything can be done successfully, I will be able to make a result.