While young Finnish driver Alex Anttila made a strong impression during the previous round at KymiRing—claiming the top spot in the intermediate classification—it’s fair to say that luck was not on his side, with a DNF in the final race of the weekend.
It’s a scenario he’s already encountered this season, notably in Race 2 at Montalegre and again in Race 1 at Valkenswaard.
Third in the intermediate standings in Portugal, the Edge driver was unable to convert that performance into a first podium of the year, and the same story repeated itself in the Netherlands in April—even though he led his category at the end of qualifying.
Still, despite another frustrating outcome at KymiRing, Anttila heads into this weekend’s fifth round of the seven-event calendar in Älvsbyn with renewed confidence.
Aware of his raw pace, the young Finn knows he’s getting closer to a breakthrough in the highly competitive CrossCar Junior category.
Since the Portuguese round, he has collected the second-highest number of points in the field, trailing only Carl Svedlund.
“I feel confident,” Anttila said ahead of the final stages at KymiRing.
“Yesterday, the track suited me perfectly. We found the right setup, and everything went according to plan,” he added, on the eve of a new opportunity.
Reflecting on his upward trajectory this season, Anttila remains pragmatic:
“In Portugal, I had to adapt to the car with new setups and a lot of unfamiliar elements to manage. In the Netherlands, I began to find my rhythm, and things started to click. Bikernieki was a bit more challenging—the car wasn’t performing as well, and driving on a technical circuit like Riga is always more demanding.
But at KymiRing, I immediately felt at home.”
“Sure, there are still some small details to fine-tune, but overall, everything went as I’d hoped during the qualifying heats. This circuit fits my driving style perfectly. You need to be fast but clean, and that’s exactly the kind of driving I enjoy. I’ve been racing in this championship for three years now and haven’t managed to secure a podium at this level yet, but I’ll do everything I can to change that.”
Although his DNF in the final forces Anttila to postpone his hopes of a first podium, he’ll return to action at Älvsbyn this weekend with his goals firmly in mind.
“My clear objective is to finish the season inside the Top 3 overall. Right now, I’m not in a great position in my national SM championship, so I’m hoping the RallyX series can help turn things around.
In any case, I’ll give it everything I’ve got to make that happen.”
Interview by Mari Pekkanen