Twice securing the top spot in the intermediate classification at the Älvsbyn round, Lucas Gabrielsson was nonetheless unable to capitalize on his pole positions to claim a first victory of the 2025 season in the fiercely competitive Open 2WD class.

A frustrating outcome, especially given the podium finish the day before that had raised high hopes for Race 2.

“It’s obviously disappointing, especially after securing pole position on both days,” Lucas admitted.

“Unfortunately, in both finals, I just couldn’t get off the line properly. The grid was extremely slippery, and I couldn’t find the traction needed to exit the first corner in front.”

Sunday didn’t start off any better, with technical issues hampering his warm-up session.

“I was only able to do the start during the warm-up, and then the car came to a stop just a few meters later. Fortunately, the team managed to fix the problem in time for Q1, and the rest of the day went smoothly—until the final, where things didn’t go as planned.”

Despite this setback, the Swedish round in Älvsbyn still delivered plenty of positives.

“Winning the qualifiers twice against homegrown talents like Öhman, Westman, or Viktor Johansson is definitely something to be proud of. It shows what we’ve been capable of achieving here in Sweden, even if the result doesn’t reflect the full picture.”

Now sitting second in the overall RallyX North standings, just six points behind Viktor Johansson, the Finnish driver turns his focus to Nysum—where he made a strong impression last season behind the wheel of his Toyota Starlet.

“Nysum is a track where I felt right at home last year. I really enjoy driving there, so the goal is clearly to push for the podium—and hopefully the win. As for the final round in Germany, it’ll be completely new to me. A brand-new challenge, especially with the return of many fast drivers from Belgium and the Netherlands. It’s safe to say the championship finale will be incredibly exciting.”