Touted as one of the natural frontrunners in the Open 2WD category this season, Lucas Gabrielsson did not enjoy the success he had hoped for at the RallyX event in Riga last May. It’s safe to say that the Finnish driver will be seeking revenge at the Kymiring event.

Despite a strong showing in the qualifying rounds — with four top-three finishes out of six runs — Gabrielsson’s weekend took a turn for the worse in the finals, where he was eliminated in consecutive semi-finals.

“Riga was a particularly tough event for us. Preparation time was really short, and we didn’t get the chance to test everything the way we needed to,” he admits candidly.

‘Sure, we had our share of bad luck, but the real issue was my driving. I simply didn’t perform the way I should have. Even though we made a lot of changes to the car over the winter, I think I put too much pressure on myself. The first race of the season is always a bit special. On top of that, I do a lot of the work on the car myself — not all of it, but a significant amount. The off-season was long and intense, and naturally, I wanted to prove that I could compete. But Riga proves that you should never go into a race weekend with that mindset.”

It’s a trap that Gabrielsson is determined not to fall into again, especially in front of his home crowd.

‘This weekend, I’m confident the feeling will be much better, both with the car and with myself. We’ve done a lot of work since Riga, and I think we have a competitive car for the Kymiring circuit. The layout looks very fast. The start line is really long and the gravel sections are quite technical, which should suit my Toyota Starlet well.”

Currently sitting in fifth place overall after Riga, the Finn has already had the chance to validate the technical decisions made over the winter.

‘We switched from a 2.3-litre naturally aspirated engine to a 2-litre turbo, which makes our package more powerful than last year’s. With the turbo engine, I had to completely change my driving style. The power band and gear management are different — we had to rethink everything. It’s a whole new experience for me. It’s not necessarily easier to drive, but it’s a much more exciting challenge.”