Hong Kong 2023 was supposed to represent Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky’s big break, following a stellar campaign in the FIA RX2e Championship in which she had vastly exceeded expectations. It didn’t quite turn out that way, but the flashes of potential were clear to see.
Åhlin-Kottulinsky joined Johan Kristoffersson and Ole Christian Veiby in the Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS line-up as she made her FIA World Rallycross Championship debut in the season finale. The hard facts are that the Swede exited proceedings at the semi-final stage in both rounds in the Asia-Pacific metropolis, but dig a little deeper and a more representative picture begins to emerge.
On a damp track surface in heat one on the first day, Åhlin-Kottulinsky briefly kept pace with six-time world champion Kristoffersson – no mean feat – on her way to posting the fifth-quickest time in the high-calibre field. She outpaced both of her team-mates in the Sunday morning warm-up, and may well have been able to challenge for better overall results had it not been for a series of incidents and misfortunes.
Still, the 31-year-old Karlstad native did enough to convince team principal Tommy Kristoffersson that she is ready for a permanent seat at the highest table – so watch this space...
2023
Stats
World
RX Starts:
2
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Finals
Reached:
0
Best
Result: 9th
Points: 13
Championship
Position:
13th
Finland
Italy
Hungary