Seven
points. That was all that ultimately separated Isak Sjökvist from FIA RX2e
Championship glory last year, as the Swede was obliged to settle for the
runner-up spoils in the title standings for the second consecutive campaign.
Having since ‘reconciled’ with that disappointment, he has his focus fully
fixed on the biggest prize.
Leaving the
season-opener in Hell, Sjökvist looked to be in pole position in the race to
become the third champion in the fiercely-disputed, single-spec FIA World
Rallycross Championship support series.
The
#YellowSquad star was riding the crest of wave, having just delivered arguably
the performance of his career to-date to claim a maximum points haul courtesy
of a second RX2e victory.
“That was
some extraordinary stuff,” Sjökvist acknowledged. “You know, drivers sometimes
describe that feeling of being right in the zone and it was like that for me throughout
the whole weekend. I felt untouchable, to be honest. To win the first final of
the season was absolutely the icing on the cake.”
Unfortunately,
he was unable to maintain that momentum and would not hit the same heady
heights again in 2023, but he stayed firmly in the fight throughout and entered
the Estering season finale only five points shy of the top of the table,
embroiled in a tense three-way tussle for honours.
By the end
of the heat races in Germany, a revitalised Sjökvist had reduced the deficit to
four points, and he duly dominated the second semi-final ahead of guesting
world championship stars Niclas Grönholm and Klara Andersson. A bold attempt to
relieve Tommi Hallman of the lead at the start of the all-important final, however,
failed to come off, costing him a position to chief title rival Nils Andersson
who would thereafter remain narrowly out of reach.
“I don’t
think I’ve ever felt as mentally exhausted after race weekends as I did last
year, especially after Lydden Hill and Mettet,” the 23-year-old confessed. “I
was surprised by how much power I had whenever I needed to push my mental
boundaries. I would say that mental strength always plays a big role in our
sport, but last season really tested me in many different ways.
“The final
at the Estering is still a bit of a blur, to be honest. At the start, when I
saw my chance to overtake [Tommi] Hallman in the first corner, everything went
in slow-motion. It was much more slippery than in the semi-finals and that meant
the move was not the most effective one I’ve made. The rest of the final was
like a hard workout where you push yourself to the red zone limit. Devastated
was just the beginning of the emotions I felt afterwards.
“Now some
time has passed, I feel I actually did everything I could. For sure, second
place is the first loser, but I see this as the best result possible when you
look at the bigger picture. The season had its ups-and-downs, but I’ve
reconciled with that and I’m excited to do everything I can to achieve an ever
better result in the future.”
Key to
Sjökvist’s ongoing development and progression has been the support of
#YellowSquad – and the exclusive access his partnership with the Hansen
Motorsport junior outfit affords him to some of the legends of the sport. He
credits the team with giving him the confidence to challenge for the coveted
crown.
“Without
this incredible team and its members, last year’s result would have been merely
a dream,” mused the Uppsala native. “What we achieved shows just how talented
and capable this group of people is. They sacrificed all they could and really
showed that everything is possible – you simply need to believe it!”
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