Knocked out in the semi-finals of the Open 4WD category, Tommi Hallman managed to turn things around in the FC2 final, securing a strong second-place finish between Casper Jansson and Oliver Eriksson.

Fourth in the intermediate standings after placing in the Top 6 in three of the four qualifying sessions, Hallman appeared to have ticked all the boxes to earn his spot in the Open 4WD final.

From Q1 to the end of the event, the Finnish driver never dropped out of the top six in terms of pure speed—solid proof of his form throughout the weekend.

Unfortunately, it was the second corner of the KymiRing circuit that shattered his hopes of advancing.

“It’s a result that reflects how my season has been going—some highs and some lows. This weekend was no different,” Hallman explained.

“In Open 4WD, I got off to a great start in the semi-final, but I made a mistake in the second corner.”

“I was right behind Anton Seppä, but my visibility was too limited to see the row of tires lining the inside of the corner. I found myself in a spot where several cars were already sweeping past on the outside. In that kind of situation, you have to react instantly. I instinctively turned the car, but maybe just a bit too sharply and ended up hitting the tire wall. I had to rejoin from the back of the pack, and although I made it back up to fourth, I definitely needed one more lap to have a real shot at making the final.”

Denied a place in the Open 4WD final, Hallman made the most of his opportunity in FC2, claiming his third podium of the season.

“The FC2 final was incredibly competitive, with overtakes happening all over the place. I finished second, and I truly think we squeezed every ounce of performance out of the car. From behind the wheel, it felt like a fantastic race. There were three of us battling for the win, and even though I’m not sure how close the others were behind, the fight at the front was really intense. We were clearly driving at the absolute limit of what the car could deliver. It was so on edge that I knew it was either going to work—or go completely wrong. I genuinely left it all out there, and I can honestly say I’m really satisfied with the result.”

Interview by Mari Pekkanen