After a disappointing outing at the KymiRing, young Swedish driver Filip Martinsson bounced back in spectacular fashion during Race 1 in Älvsbyn, claiming the second RallyX victory of his career.
Ranked third in the intermediate standings thanks to the fastest time in Q3, the three-time Swedish Rallycross champion made no mistakes in the final. Right from the start, he took control of the race in front of Maiko Tamm and Ulrik Linnemann.
Despite pressure from his rivals, Martinsson held his ground all the way to the checkered flag.
This performance catapults him to fourth place in the overall RallyX North standings, narrowing the gap to just two points behind current third-place holder Viktor Vranckx.
“I pushed as hard as I could, but clearing the jump at full speed quickly became risky,” Martinsson explained.
“So I eased off a bit in that section, but my spotter quickly called me out, saying the others were right on my tail. Fortunately, I finally nailed a great start in the final. After the frustration at KymiRing, I couldn’t have asked for a better way to respond. In Finland, we had issues right from Q1, and with how the track evolved, we kept getting stuck in that same loop, always starting in the first heat”
“Today, my spotter did an amazing job and that allowed me to control the race the way I wanted. Now, I’m expecting a completely different race day on Sunday. Rain is in the forecast, and I have to admit that’s not exactly the condition I feel most comfortable in with the Clio.”
In FC2, Casper Jansson added another win to his growing list of achievements, taking victory ahead of Fraser McConnell and Oliver Eriksson. Local hero Linus Westman also made waves by steering his BMW E82 with a two-liter turbo engine to a strong result, beating out Adam Öhman and Lucas Gabrielsson.
Among the day’s biggest upsets were the early exits of Viktor Johansson and Simon Tiger, both eliminated in the semi-finals.
Hampus Hagström makes a statement
After narrowly missing a podium in Riga, 14-year-old Supercar Lites rookie Hampus Hagström made a strong impression in Race 1, clinching the first win of his young career at this level.
Quickest off the line in the final, Hagström led from start to finish, holding off heavy pressure from Julien Meunier. Lukas Andersson added another podium to his tally by securing third place.
With Roberts Vitols eliminated in the semi-finals following a heavy crash in Q3, the championship battle has tightened significantly. Vitols, Meunier, and Andersson are now separated by just five points heading into the second day of competition.
In the CrossCar category, Joonatan Ylilammi claimed his first win of the season ahead of Lucas Orav and Romet Tsirna.
The overall standings remain intensely close, with four drivers – Martin Juga, Romet Tsirna, Vetle Try, and Thomas Eek Murstad – now separated by just ten points.
In the Junior category, Peetu Piira once again demonstrated his class, taking a third consecutive victory ahead of Carl Svedlund. Meanwhile, young female driver Minea Peramaki pulled off a remarkable performance, climbing from 11th in the intermediate standings after qualifying to finish third and take the final podium spot.