Yury Belevskiy Sets the Pace on Dramatic Opening Day in Finland

The Swiss star came out firing in Q1, lining up on pole and immediately locking horns with Germany’s René Münnich off the line. The pair traded elbows through the opening metres, narrowly avoiding contact before Belevskiy muscled his way into track position at Turn 1. From there he was untouchable, guiding his Audi A1 with clinical precision through the KymiRing’s flowing curves, posting the fastest time of the session.

Q2 brought fresh challenges in the shape of World RX debutant Maiko Tamm. The Estonian youngster stunned with a lightning start, running wheel-to-wheel with Belevskiy down the straight and even daring a bold move around the outside into Turn 1. It ended in heartbreak, with the two making contact and Tamm forced out of contention. Belevskiy, however, shrugged off the drama, maintaining his composure and bagging another heat win. 

Behind the runaway leader, Damian Litwinowicz delivered the kind of steady, measured drives that have made him a perennial podium threat. The Pole kept his nose clean and his lap times consistent across both sessions, ending the day third overall and still firmly in the hunt heading into Sunday.

Swede Martin Enlund also made his mark with a stirring performance. Nicknamed “Sendlund” by fans for his attacking style, he didn’t disappoint. After losing ground at the start to a rapid Tamm, Enlund clawed back time with a relentless charge in the second half of the race. Timing his joker to perfection, he reeled in Tamm and edged ahead in a thrilling merge to snatch the heat win and the second fastest time of the day.

For Finnish hero Mika Liimatainen, Saturday began in despair. Sitting second in the championship, he was left stranded by a last-minute engine failure before Q1, unable to even make the start. His PGRX team launched into an all-out rebuild, completing the job against the clock just in time for Q2. The home crowd erupted as Liimatainen made it to the grid, and he repaid their faith with a storming drive – blasting into the lead, stretching clear of the pack, and securing victory in the session along with the maximum 50 points. Against the odds, he ends the day fourth overall.

Rounding out the top five is youngster Anton Seppä, who impressed on his Euro RX1 debut with composed, confident drives that belied his lack of experience. The Finn’s pace and maturity suggest he’ll be one to watch as the weekend unfolds.

With Belevskiy in control but the chasing pack refusing to give an inch, Sunday’s qualifying sessions and finals are set to ignite. At the KymiRing, nothing is ever certain – and with local pride, championship points, and reputations on the line, the drama is only just beginning.

Click here to see the full provisional Qualifying Classification.

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