Until now primarily focused on his role as Team Principal in RallyX with his own PACE Motorsport outfit, Jarmo Võsa has taken on an entirely new challenge in 2026. The Estonian is now concentrating his efforts alongside fellow countryman Romet Tsirna, who decided over the winter to leave the CrossCar category behind and focus on the premier Open 4WD class at the wheel of his FC2.
After several seasons spent developing his team within the CrossCar ranks, the Estonian technician decided it was time to steer the project in a new direction. A shift motivated both by the evolution of the discipline and by the desire to take the next sporting step.
“This season marks a real turning point for us. We felt we had reached a certain limit in CrossCar within RallyX. The results were satisfying, but we no longer saw much room for progression in that environment. It therefore seemed logical for us to take the project in a different direction,” explained the PACE Motorsport boss.
Within this new structure, Võsa has now taken on a role much more focused on guiding and developing Romet Tsirna, who is discovering the subtleties of the FC2 this season.
“I travel with Romet to all of the events, both in Europe and in the United States, with the goal of helping him improve and supporting him as much as possible. My role is mainly to assist him on a daily basis, structure his work and help him with his overall approach. I’m also responsible for spotting and performance analysis after the races.”
“It’s an essential aspect, especially in a context where some benchmark drivers, like Kevin and Oliver Eriksson, are extremely busy and don’t always have the time to invest in this type of analysis work. So we rely on our experience to optimise every single detail as much as possible. Even if we are still discovering this car, the analysis methods remain broadly similar to what we used during our CrossCar days.”
For this first campaign in Open 4WD, the main objective remains to gradually build the foundations of the project. After a strong start to the season featuring four PRO AM podium finishes, including a maiden victory at Valkenswaard, Romet Tsirna also managed to qualify for his first two PRO finals at Tierp. Despite the encouraging progress, Võsa prefers to remain cautious.
“For this start of the season, we deliberately chose not to set overly ambitious targets. Our pace has been very encouraging, but we have to remain realistic. Romet has strong experience in circuit racing and rallying, which is clearly a major advantage.”
Aware of his driver’s highly perfectionist personality, Võsa is also making sure Tsirna keeps sight of what truly matters.
“He tends to be very demanding with himself, sometimes even too much. Part of my role is to calm that down and remind him not to put too much pressure on himself. When you overdo things, you usually end up paying for it on track. Right now, he’s approaching things with the right mindset: he’s here to enjoy himself. Of course, he wants to be the fastest, but he remains relaxed, and that’s essential.”
This new structure has also allowed the Estonian to work in a much lighter logistical environment, something he particularly appreciates after several years spent managing a complete racing operation.
“From my side, this new organisation also brings much more peace of mind. In the past, the logistical side could be extremely demanding. I remember one weekend where we had to organise 46 plane tickets. Today, everything is much simpler: we arrive at the circuit, the car is ready, the equipment has been delivered, and we can focus purely on performance. It completely changes the approach.”
The integration within the OMSE structure also appears to perfectly match Võsa’s expectations, allowing him to rediscover an environment similar to the one he previously experienced with PACE Motorsport.
“The team environment perfectly matches what we were looking for. It’s a close-knit structure with a very strong family spirit, similar to what we had at PACE Motorsport. We share the same energy, the same vision, and that makes daily work much easier.”
While several international commitments still need to be confirmed in the coming months, the main focus for the remainder of the season is already very clear.
“As for the rest of the season, a lot will depend on the calendar. We still need to see how the programmes in Europe and the United States fit together, where Romet is due to contest his first race. But the main target remains the RallyX championship.”
Credit: PACE Motorsport // QNIGAN