While Espen Isaksætre took advantage of the 2024 season to complete his first full campaign in the RallyX championship, the FIA Euro RX3 European runner-up admits that he hasn’t had an easy time in the CrossCar category.
Indeed, with seventh place as his best result in Race 1 in Kouvola, Espen Isaksætre finished his 2024 season in a modest 22nd place overall.
But the Norwegian has not spared any effort. As proof, Espen managed to finish in the top 8 five times during the qualifying heats. A feat only achieved by 11 drivers in the 2024 season, but it wasn’t enough for the Norwegian.
‘Our season hasn’t been a good one. We’ve had a lot of ups and downs, but more downs than ups,’ smiles Espen.
‘Starting with the Nysum race, we got a new chassis with a brand new engine, and just when things were going perfectly in Race 2 and we were on the verge of qualifying for the semi-finals, we had an engine failure in Q3, which put a definitive end to my hopes,’ continues Espen.
‘Of course, that’s part of motorsport, but I expected better from this 2024 season. Whether in RallyX or in the Norwegian championship, we can clearly say that our year has been far from easy.’
The results may not have lived up to Espen Isaksætre’s hopes, but it would take more than that to discourage the FIA European Championship runner-up.
‘This RallyX series is extremely hard. I’d even say it’s definitely the toughest championship I’ve had to compete in since I started in motorsport. There are so many ultra-fast drivers who can shine every weekend that it’s impossible to predict what’s going to happen in each of the ten rounds of the championship.’
‘We have different winners every time. What’s certain is that if you manage to qualify for a final, you can tell yourself you’ve done a very good job because it’s so difficult to get a place in the top 6. In fact, it’s that level of difficulty that keeps me motivated.’
‘We have different winners every time. What’s certain is that if you manage to qualify for a final, you can tell yourself you’ve done a very good job because it’s so difficult to get a place in the top 6. In fact, it’s that level of difficulty that keeps me motivated.’
Together with his nephew Sebastian Isaksætre, who has made a name for himself in the junior category by finishing 11th overall in his first campaign at this level of the sport, Espen Isaksætre has been keeping a close eye on his protégé’s development and progress.
‘Sebastian has shown that he is able to fight for top 3s and top 4s in the junior category, but even in this category the level is very high and the drivers at the front are extremely competitive. The best example of this is undoubtedly Joonatan Ylillami, who raced in the Juniors last year and who, in his first season in the Seniors, has already shown that he can win races even though he’s only 16 years old.’
‘Like me this year, Sebastian has had an up and down season, but I think his biggest area of improvement is definitely gaining experience in traffic and finding his way around the other drivers. However, these are things that he will improve as time goes on. Let’s not forget that this 2024 season was only his first in RallyX, so it was a simple learning campaign. Moreover, I’m convinced that he’ll be back next year with even better results.’
One thing is for sure: the Isaksætre squad is far from finished with the RallyX championship.
‘I think we’ll follow the same strategy next year and compete in both the RallyX and Norwegian championships. Whether it’s Sebastian or myself, we still need to gain experience and mileage if we want to progress and improve, and RallyX is the ideal platform for us.’
