As the 2026 RallyX season approaches, Peetu Matalamäki has confirmed that he will return for a third consecutive campaign in the CrossCar Junior category.
Having made the switch from karting during the 2023/2024 off-season, the 14-year-old Finn has steadily established himself as one of the key contenders in the Junior ranks.
After finishing 14th overall in the championship in 2024, Matalamäki took a significant step forward last season by securing an impressive fifth place, highlighted by two podium finishes at KymiRing and Älvsbyn. A clear upward trajectory, albeit one that did not come without its challenges for the Speedcar driver.
“My 2025 season was relatively inconsistent. We had strong pace, but we were also affected by a degree of bad luck and a few incidents. Before the round in Denmark, we were still sitting third in the RallyX standings, but technical issues disrupted our weekends in both Denmark and Germany, which was obviously very frustrating,” Matalamäki explained.
Despite that, the young Finn is quick to acknowledge the progress made since stepping into rallycross.
“The 2024 season was our first year in CrossCar. Everything was new for us, and there was a lot to learn. Our progression was mainly driven by car development and time spent on track. We carried out a lot of testing, and the improvements quickly became evident in our performance.”
With a background in karting, Matalamäki has been able to rely on solid fundamentals to ease his transition.
“CrossCar is quite different from karting, but karting gave me strong foundations in both driving technique and race management. At the same time, competing on the international stage in a championship like RallyX has been a real accelerator for my development. The level of competition is extremely high, which pushes me to work harder and constantly look for improvement.”
In that regard, RallyX continues to provide an ideal environment for his progression.
“RallyX is a very high-level championship, with excellent organisation throughout race weekends. These are very enjoyable events to compete in. Even though we are not planning to contest the full season for now, the goal is to approach each round with the aim of achieving the best possible result.”
“We’ve worked on maintaining and developing the car over the winter, and we’ve also completed several testing sessions. We’re heading into the start of the season in good shape. The plan is to compete in the first three RallyX rounds, while also contesting the full Finnish Championship.”
From a performance standpoint, some strengths are already clearly emerging, even if there is still room for improvement.
“We’re generally happy with our pace, and starts are definitely one of our strong points. However, I know there is still significant room for improvement in race conditions, and that will come naturally with experience and more track time.”
Looking beyond the immediate season, the young Finn is already setting his sights on the next step.
“This will be my final season in CrossCar Junior. From next year, we’ll move into rallycross with a new car that is currently being built. We don’t yet have a fully defined long-term plan, but my goal is to continue in motorsport while keeping enjoyment at the heart of everything.”