‘Motorsport can be brutal’, says Grönholm after home soil heartbreak

Grönholm entered the weekend sitting just seven points shy of multiple world champion Kristoffersson at the summit of the standings in the dual-surface discipline’s top-flight, as the Finn targets a maiden Drivers’ title this year. 

Revelling in what he described as the ‘rally-style’ nature of the track – a new addition to the World RX calendar – he kept the pressure on with a rapid run through the heat races to secure second in the intermediate ranking, earning him a front row grid slot for the all-important final.

That, however, was where Grönholm’s momentum was brought to a shuddering halt. After out-dragging Kristoffersson to snatch the lead when the lights turned green, the home hero looked to be in prime position to take his second victory of the season, only for a hit from behind from Juha Rytkönen – for which his countryman was subsequently penalised – to damage his CE Dealer Team car and put him out on the spot.

“Motorsport can be brutal, and it was,” rued the 29-year-old Kauniainen native. “We had the speed, the home support and everything to fight for – and then suddenly, it was gone. I got a great initial start in the final from second on the grid and settled into the lead. Contact in Turn One forced me wide, and then further contact put an end to my race, with a broken front-right wheel and the battery shutting off.

“It was a disastrous ending to an otherwise very solid weekend, and there was nothing I could have done differently. That’s racing. It hurts right now, but we’ll regroup and come back stronger.” 

The setback means Grönholm has slipped to 15 points adrift of Kristoffersson in the championship classification, with 56 still to play for in the double-header Istanbul Park finale in Türkiye on 20-21 September, when he will be looking to replace frustration with redemption.

“We saw both sides of sport in Finland – the camaraderie between teams, and the heartbreak of competition,” added Team Principal Jussi Pinomäki, alluding to CE Dealer Team and Volvo CE’s decision to help rival outfit Hansen Motorsport to stay in the fight – a gesture widely praised as a rare display of sportsmanship in such a high-stakes title battle. 

“It was a tough result to take, but the disappointment only fuels our determination. There are still races left, and we’ll be ready to hit back.”

Volvo CE was instrumental, moreover, in the pre-event preparation and on-site maintenance of the rallycross circuit – an endeavour widely hailed as a resounding success. 

“We are extremely proud of the role Volvo CE played in building and maintaining the KymiRing rallycross track,” enthused Arvid Rinaldo, who specialises in Brand & Marketing Communications for the Swedish company. “Delivering a world-class circuit takes precision, teamwork and the right machines – and the response from drivers and fans proves we achieved exactly that.”