Competing in the CrossCar Junior category, Joanna Ylilammi will be one of four female drivers entered at Tierp Arena alongside Iida Maria Mannisto, Emily Naessen and Minea Peramaki. It is an opportunity the young Finn fully intends to seize as she looks to build on the progress shown during her first appearance in RallyX in 2025.
After finishing 12th in the overall championship standings last season, Joanna Ylilammi clearly has no intention of stopping there.
The Finnish driver heads into the new campaign with greater experience and a more confident approach. Without trying to rush the process, Ylilammi now hopes to turn the experience gained last year into more consistent results in the Junior category.
“This first season was mainly about learning and enjoying myself while trying to make the most of every moment to improve,” she explained.
It was a learning process built race after race in a championship known for its intensity and the extremely small gaps between competitors.
“The 2025 season taught me a lot. At every race, I learned something new. I still have limited experience in CrossCar Junior, so every start and every race weekend helped me better understand both the discipline and the car.”
Beyond pure driving performance, Ylilammi also believes she has made major progress mentally. After spending her rookie season adapting to the demands of top-level RallyX competition, the Finn admits she now approaches race weekends with much more confidence.
“One of the biggest improvements has been overcoming the stress. Today, I feel much more comfortable, and that allows me to push harder and drive with more confidence.”
While that growing confidence represents an encouraging first step, the Nordic driver remains realistic about the areas where further improvement is still needed if she wants to move closer to the front of the field.
“There’s still a lot of work to do, especially in terms of outright pace. That’s clearly an area where I still need to improve a lot.”
In a championship that requires constant travel across Europe, Ylilammi also enjoys everything that surrounds the competition itself. The paddock atmosphere, discovering new circuits and spending time with fellow drivers are all part of what keeps her motivated.
“What I especially enjoy about this championship is meeting the other drivers, travelling to discover new circuits and, of course, racing. That’s what makes RallyX so special for me.”
Despite her relative lack of experience, the Finnish driver approaches her second season with higher ambitions than during her debut campaign. Without setting unrealistic targets, she wants above all to continue climbing the CrossCar Junior hierarchy.
“This year, I’ll try to achieve the best results possible, even though I know there’s still a lot for me to learn and improve. My main objective is to qualify for the final.”
Over the longer term, Joanna Ylilammi prefers to maintain a simple and progressive approach to her rallycross career.
“My ambition is simply to keep improving and to continue doing this sport for as long as possible.”
Picture: RPF Media