Although Linus Ostlund didn’t have the success he’d hoped for in Q1 on Friday morning at Höljes, with a collision at the exit of the first corner, the Swede above all had to adapt to an Audi S1 JC Raceteknik that is very different from the Ford Fiesta with which he performed last July in the FIA European Championship.
And yet, despite a Q1 that was truncated from the very first meters of the race and only rewarded with the 15th place, it didn’t take Linus Ostlund long to get the hang of the JC Raceteknik team’s supercar.
Able to set the third-fastest lap in the first free practice session, Ostlund repeated the feat in Free Practice 2. Not bad for a driver whose time behind the wheel of the Audi S1 was limited, to say the least.
“We were able to do a test session a few weeks ago in Höljes circuit with JC Raceteknik,” stresses Linus.
“What’s certain is that the driving style we have to adopt is completely different from the one I was used to with the Ford Fiesta. These two cars are completely different. Whereas the Ford Fiesta was much more of a Rallycross car, and meant you had to be brutal behind the steering wheel, the Audi S1 requires more smoothness to be effective. Nevertheless, it’s not a problem because I know I’m capable of adapting quickly to a new environment”.
Nevertheless, Linus Ostlund’s objectives for this final weekend of the 2023 season remain realistic.
“Even though I have already racked up a few Supercar races, I still tend to feel like a rookie. It’s not like the Supercar Lites where my experience of the car was more important. Driving a Supercar, you have to think about a lot more things. Between the ALS and the starts, there are quite a few very technical points to be absorbed.”
“And then, even though Supercars are much more powerful than a Supercar Lites, you have to be even more precise behind the steering wheel if you want to be really fast. Nevertheless, even if I feel more and more at ease in a Supercar, I mustn’t forget that I’m still only a beginner in this category. To be honest, just reaching the final this weekend would be enough to make me happy”.
