Tommy
Kristoffersson has revealed that he is ‘working really hard’ to bring Mikaela
Åhlin-Kottulinsky into his team’s FIA World Rallycross Championship line-up next
season, arguing that his fellow Swede is ‘absolutely ready’ to step up to the
highest level.
A
multiple event-winner and current title contender alongside Johan Kristoffersson
in off-road series Extreme E, Åhlin-Kottulinsky made her full-time debut in
rallycross in 2023, following sporadic appearances over the years while she
concentrated predominantly on circuit racing – with considerable success.
She
wasted no time at all in replicating that success in the single-spec FIA RX2e
Championship, reaching the rostrum on her debut in Hell with Team E and
finishing as runner-up to guest entrant Kristoffersson at Mettet en route
to third in the overall standings.
The
31-year-old subsequently joined the Kristoffersson Motorsport-run Volkswagen
Dealerteam BAUHAUS outfit for the World RX season finale in Hong Kong earlier
this month, and although it would prove to be a challenging weekend, Team
Principal Tommy Kristoffersson saw enough to be convinced that Åhlin-Kottulinsky
is ready for a seat at the highest table.
“Even
if she wasn’t able to show her true potential in Hong Kong, we know what
Mikaela is capable of,” he explained. “It was a difficult weekend in which she
seemed to find herself repeatedly in the wrong place at the wrong time, but
while the results might not have reflected it, the data showed some real
flashes of speed.
“She
grew up in the sport and has been in and around it for a long time, so she fully
understands how it works, and she has a great attitude and a really positive
outlook and approach. She’s very professional and very smart. She listens, analyses
the data and then goes out and implements what she has learned – and she’s a very
quick learner.
“The
main thing she needs right now is more proper rallycross experience. Most of
her career has been in circuit racing. If she can do some ice-driving over the
winter, that would be a great opportunity for her to have a bit more of a play
and get a better feel for how the car moves around on loose surfaces.
“The
bottom line is that Mikaela is absolutely ready to take the next step and move
up to World RX – I have no doubts at all about that – and I’m pushing to get
her on-board in our team next year. There’s a long way to go yet, but that’s
the target and we’re all working really hard to achieve it.”
Indeed,
while the results sheets might show a pair of semi-final exits for Åhlin-Kottulinsky
in the high-calibre field in Hong Kong, that does not do justice to her
performance on her World RX bow. On a damp circuit in heat one on the opening
day, she kept pace with six-time world championship-winning team-mate Kristoffersson
in the early stages and posted the fifth-fastest time overall.
She
was then the quickest Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS driver in the Sunday
morning warm-up, and was going well in heat three later that day until her race
ended with a spin at the last corner. Nevertheless, as an exercise in gaining
experience, it was mission accomplished – and the Karlstad native is already
keen for more.
“It
obviously wasn’t the result I had been hoping for, with some errors and
technical issues keeping me out of both finals, but there were a lot of lessons
learned and positive experiences to take away as my goal is to be back racing
in World RX sooner rather than later,” asserted Åhlin-Kottulinsky.
“It was awesome to drive in the centre of Hong Kong – it was the
coolest racing venue I’ve ever been to, with so many amazing fans – but it was tough out on the track. I started well on the Saturday but made a small mistake
in heat two and then we didn’t have enough time to get the car back in good
shape for the semi-final.
“It was a rough weekend for me in that respect, but I’m very
grateful for the opportunity and for everybody’s support, and very happy for
the team’s success in the championship. It was fantastic to be able to work so
closely with KMS. I learnt a lot about analysing data and even though I’m a little disappointed with my own result, I will reflect upon this experience
with positive feelings and I hope to be back
soon!”
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