A complete unknown on the RallyX championship scene, Frederik Martin made a powerful first impression on the track in Riga, clinching his maiden career podium in what was also his debut race at this level of competition.

Lining up in the CrossCar category behind the wheel of a Speedcar Wonder chassis, the young Estonian left nothing to chance in Race 1 in Latvia.

After securing two top-five finishes in the qualifying heats, he ended the intermediate classification in fifth place, even recording the fourth-fastest lap of the entire race. He went on to finish third in the final — an even more impressive feat given that he had never competed in RallyX before.

Martin himself was even surprised by the level of performance he delivered in his first ever rallycross race, with his father, Markko Martin (a five-time WRC winner with 18 podiums ), watching from the sidelines.

“This first podium is clearly a big surprise for me,” Frederik admitted.

“It was a completely unexpected result. Honestly, I never imagined I could finish so high up in my very first RallyX race. I don’t really know what made the difference out there, but I’ve done a lot of driving on tarmac, so I guess the track in Riga suited me perfectly. That was probably a huge advantage.”

Race 2 in Riga didn’t yield the same success. Martin finished 19th in the intermediate standings and was eliminated after Q3.

Still, that didn’t dampen the confidence of the 17-year-old Estonian, who is now firmly on the radar as one of the rising stars to watch in RallyX this season.

“I hope to keep building on this momentum and maybe get closer to a first win. In any case, this podium really boosts my confidence heading into the next rounds. It’s going to help me approach the rest of the season with a lot more calm and focus. I couldn’t have hoped for a better start.”

Ahead of the next round at KymiRing, Martin currently sits eighth in the overall standings.