Juha Rytkönen

With that box ticked, the flying Finn stepped up to the headlining Supercar category in 2019 behind the wheel of a Ford Fiesta. Notwithstanding the inevitable period of adaptation, he was once more quickly on the leading pace, and victory in the final round at Honkajoki proved enough to secure a second title in as many years.

Rytkönen continued his progression in 2020, making his international bow in World RX’s double-header at Kouvola in a GRX-SET Hyundai i20. Stunning the series regulars with his turn-of-speed to grab fourth in the intermediate table, he went on to win his semi-final and then chase Johan Kristoffersson – on his way to his third World Championship crown – right to the chequered flag in the final, outpacing the likes of Timmy Hansen and Niclas Grönholm in the process.

The Suonenjoki native looked to have reached the final again the following day, only for a track limits penalty to rule him out – but his results over the course of the weekend were nonetheless sufficient to place him 12^th in the end-of-season classification, despite contesting just a quarter of the campaign. 

Rytkönen made five appearances at the highest level in a Betomik Racing Fiesta in 2021, advancing to the final in Sweden and the semi-final everywhere else en route to ninth in the overall standings.

He rejoined the fray in Euro RX1 at Spa-Francorchamps in 2022, turning heads by snaring the runner-up spoils behind newly-crowned champion Anton Marklund. He then made an even bigger impression during a one-off return to World RX in the series’ 2024 double-header finale in Türkiye, spectacularly defeating multiple world champion Kristoffersson in a straight fight to claim his maiden triumph on the last day of the campaign.

Remaining with French outfit PGRX, in 2025, Rytkönen embarked upon a full season in the top-tier for the first time.