Emil Lindholm’s already seemingly certain victory turned into a big disappointment.
Emil Lindholm’s 2025 rally season ended in disappointment. PDO
Emil Lindholm had to experience bitter disappointment in the Rally Terra Sarda in Sardinia, Italy.
The victory, which was already in the jumps, turned into a tough one at the last special stage of the race, when Lindholm’s Skoda suffered a technical problem.
The engine of Lindholm’s Skoda Fabia, which was leading the race by 17 seconds before the final special stage, stopped mid-run and refused to start.
Lindholm lost more than seven minutes in the episode. It dropped him from the top to 13th place in the final results. It didn’t warm the heart much.
– The engine didn’t start at first, and when it finally started, it went badly. I got out of the car and checked the engine compartment and everything was fine. When I finally looked under the rear bumper, I noticed that the end of the exhaust pipe was under the car against a small pile of sand and that’s why the engine wouldn’t start. I cleaned the excess sand away by hand and we continued the journey to the EK finish line, Lindholm said in his press release.
Losing a win continues the theme of the season. Bad luck and driving mistakes have gnawed at Lindholm throughout the year.
Sardinia was a bad place for Lindholm this year. In the World Rally Championship held in June, he drove out of the top spot in the WRC2 class on the last day of driving.
– When you don’t take things to succeed, they won’t. Nothing helps but to turn the next page and try again, Lindholm regretted.
In the rally, Lindholm set the bottom times for five out of seven special stages. With the Finn’s misfortune, the victory was inherited Hayden Paddonwhich also had its own problems with the final EK.
– In the same place as Tismale [kuin Lindholmin ongelmapaikka] The drive shaft of Paddon’s car broke and he lost half a minute from his time in the first run. Pretty bad luck overall for us, but we’re used to this, Lindholm lamented.
The 29-year-old Linhdolm drove five World Cup rallies in the WRC2 class in the season that ended. He won the world championship in the class in 2022. However, the debut in the main class is waiting for itself.
With Sardinia’s disappointment, Lindholm says this season is here for him.
– This season was here. A big and warm thank you to all our partners and those who lived with us. Next year is being built, and we will inform you about it when things are ready for further information, says Lindholm.
Lindholm’s victory would have been the third first place driven by Finns on international rally tracks of the weekend. Kalle Rovanperä was number one in the World Rally Championship and Jari-Matti Latvala In the EC competition of the Historic rally series.