Only third in the intermediate standings after qualifying, Lucas Gabrielsson relied on his outstanding starts to overcome Linus Westman and Jon Ny during Saturday’s Open 2WD final.

Last season’s RallyX runner-up behind Viktor Johansson, the Finnish driver wasted no time stamping his authority on the new campaign. Producing the best launch in a final contested on a wet surface, Gabrielsson emerged as one of the standout performers of the opening weekend.

More than enough to give the Finn the ideal start to his 2026 season.

“I’m definitely not going to complain. If we think back to what happened in Riga last season during the opening round of the championship, where I really struggled in terms of points, starting this new campaign in this way couldn’t have gone any better. Honestly, I’m very proud of this result.”

Particularly competitive in the tricky conditions, Gabrielsson openly admitted that the rain had clearly worked in favour of his package.

“We knew the wet conditions could definitely play into our hands. Personally, I’ve always enjoyed driving in the rain, so it really doesn’t bother me at all.”

Aware that he lacked outright pace compared to Linus Westman on a dry track, the Finn built his strategy primarily around the start and the management of the joker lap.

“We also knew that Linus Westman probably had better pace than us in dry conditions, so our main objective was above all to maximise our launch off the line.”

“Against a driver of Linus’ calibre, we needed to control his race and immediately cover his strategy if he decided to take the joker lap earlier than expected. In the end, everything unfolded exactly as we had planned before the final.”

A perfectly executed strategy that now allows Gabrielsson to approach the remainder of the weekend with confidence.

“Starting the season with a victory is obviously a very important result for us.”

Even so, the Finnish driver knows the conditions could be radically different during the second day of competition.

“For tomorrow, the forecasts are calling for much drier conditions. If that’s the case, we’ll still need to find something to match Westman’s pace.”

Nothing, however, that is likely to reduce the ambitions of the RallyX vice-champion, who intends to keep pushing hard on Sunday.

“No matter what happens, we’re going to push extremely hard tomorrow.”

Beyond the sporting aspect alone, Gabrielsson also pointed to the mental challenge created by the format of this opening day of competition.

“Mentally, this wasn’t necessarily an easy day to manage. We only had a warm-up session before having to wait several hours for the final, so it was important to stay focused without draining too much energy.”

An exercise the Finn nevertheless seems to master with a particularly relaxed approach behind the wheel.

“In reality, everything is mostly decided in your head. The most important thing is to stay calm and not let the pressure overwhelm you. I always try to keep the same approach behind the wheel. I don’t think too much about what I’m doing and instead try to stay inside my own routine.”

A philosophy that appears to be paying off so far.

“That’s probably what allows me to keep my nerves under control and fully enjoy what I love most: driving a race car. Honestly, it was a perfect day and I really hope we can do it all again tomorrow, even if the conditions will naturally be very different.”