Swedes ready for revenge in Kouvola

Second behind Olli Lahti in the final of the Open 2WD yesterday, Viktor was very pleased to extend his lead over Simon Tiger in the overall standings. Nevertheless, the current championship leader has no intention of giving up against Finnish rivals who are as sharp as ever.

For the third time since 2022, local drivers dominated proceedings in Kouvola, but Viktor Johansson isn’t desperate for a win on Sunday.

“It’s clear that the level of our opponents is different from the opposition we’ve faced since the start of the championship,” says Viktor.

“We didn’t have as many people competing in the category in Denmark and Sweden. So it may have taken us a little time to get up to speed with the Finnish drivers at the start of the weekend, but I felt that in the final we had the speed to beat them. In any case, my performance in terms of pure speed was very good in the final, so that’s more than positive for Race 2.”

One thing’s for sure: Viktor Johansson had to be patient in Race 1. Only sixth in the intermediate classification before Q3, the Swede nevertheless managed to score his third victory of the season in qualifying heats. A performance which enabled him to wrap up third place in the intermediate classification.

“After setting the fifth fastest time in Q1, it wasn’t easy for me, as I had to make do with the fifth slot on the grid in Q2. With the gap between the different cars so small, it’s not so easy to make a difference on the first few meters of the race. Nevertheless, I’m more than satisfied to have taken good points for the championship with this second place in final”

More than the championship, Viktor is above all determined to show the Finnish drivers that he has all the cards in his hand to succeed in putting an end to their hegemony.

“Of course, I’m keeping an eye on the championship standings, but the most important thing for me right now is to show the Finnish drivers that the Swedes can beat them. My plan for Sunday is clear: I want to finish on the top step of the podium. I still have a little room for manoeuvre. Our starts are much better than they were last year, and my speed is good, even if I think Tiger still has a slight advantage in that respect”