Equipped with a brand-new Casmat chassis since the start of the RallyX season, Joonatan Ylilammi hasn’t enjoyed the success he was hoping for since Montalegre. However, Race 2 held at the Valkenswaard circuit two weeks ago showed that the young Finn is steadily working his way back to top form.
After three consecutive rounds without a single final appearance, Ylilammi finally broke through in the Netherlands, clinching a sixth-place finish — his best result of the 2025 season so far.
It’s been a gradual ramp-up, one that Ylilammi had largely anticipated.
“Obviously, this isn’t the start to the season I had dreamed of, but we really didn’t have time to prepare properly ahead of Montalegre,” he explained. “We were still finishing the new chassis, and we couldn’t focus on the suspension setup the way we wanted. That’s why our results weren’t up to our usual standard.”
Despite ranking in the Top 5 of the intermediate standings during Race 1 at Valkenswaard, suspension issues again slowed the Finn’s momentum.
“We had a leak, and that’s what prevented me from defending my chances in the semi-finals. Still, that first race of the weekend already showed me how much more competitive we were compared to Portugal. We’re now fine-tuning the setup and overall balance of the car, and things are looking much better.”
His return to form was confirmed with his first final qualification of the season in Valkenswaard.
“Hopefully we can build on that in Riga. I know the track well, and either way, I’ll have no choice but to give it everything if I want to be in a good position in the championship by the end of the season.”
Fully aware of the work that lies ahead, Ylilammi remains clear-eyed about the challenges.
“In CrossCar, suspension is one of the key areas where you can really make a difference. So we’ll keep pushing on that, and I still need to fully adapt to the Casmat chassis. It’s a big change from the Speedcar I was using until the end of last season. Naturally, it takes a lot of work and time to make a brand-new chassis competitive.”