After a tough outing at KymiRing—plagued by a lack of engine power and a Q1 incident that could have ended his weekend—Ulrik Linnemann still managed to reach the final, despite his VW Polo being far from its best.
Since then, the Danish driver has taken a long, hard look at his performance and shown humility regarding the error that nearly cost him the weekend.
“I’m really sorry about the incident in Q1. It wasn’t bad luck—it was a misjudgment. I saw a gap and went for it, but I clearly should’ve backed off. I clipped a wheel and broke the steering. And even then, I tried to keep going, which only made things worse,” Linnemann admitted.
Despite the setback, the Dane bounced back in Q2, setting the fastest time in the Open 4WD category.
“On top of that, we didn’t have spare parts with us, so my team and Mads Larsen’s family had to get creative and rebuild a few components to get the car back in shape. Fortunately, the car held up all the way to the final, where a turbo pressure issue ultimately ended our chances. Still, we showed in Finland that we had the pace to contend for victory—even with less power.”
That lack of power, however, is no longer an issue.
“We’ve now gained 80 horsepower compared to what we had at KymiRing. According to the data, we’re a full second faster from 0 to 160 km/h. Even if the start straight in Älvsbyn is shorter and power might not be as decisive as in Finland, I still think it’s always important to have something under the hood,” Ulrik added with a smile.
One thing is certain: his first impression of the Älvsbyn track left a strong mark.
“It’s my first time here, and I was really surprised by the elevation changes. You don’t notice it on TV, but the track climbs and drops a lot. It looks like a proper rallycross circuit, and I can’t wait for the first session.”
“I think this layout suits me. There are sections where you can really attack, and it fits my driving style: flowing corners mixed with areas where you can push harder. I like that kind of rhythm change, so I think I’ll feel comfortable here.”