Maiko Tamm first Estonian ever to win a European rallycross championship round
Maiko Tamm has become the first Estonian rallycross driver to win an FIA European Rallycross Championship after winning his class at the event at the Kymi Ring in Kausala, southern Finland, on Sunday.
Tamm has mainly this season been competing in the Rally X rallycross series, taking third place overall in the 4WD Open Nordic League class. "Rally X provides a solid foundation for successful performance in the European championships. At the European championships, though, the racing is more professional and cleaner," he noted.
Competing in a Ford Fiesta in the Euro RX1 class on Sunday, Tamm beat out Sweden's Mats Öhman (Volkswagen Polo) and Finland's Mikko Ikonen (Hyundai i20) in the final.
"I would not have dared to hope for a win. Ahead of the round, I thought it would have been good enough if I made the final," he said post-race.
"The competition was tough, the level is high, but I really enjoyed the whole weekend. Thanks also to the team for the excellent work," he continued.
Tamm's weekend at Kymi Ring began with the fastest time in free practice, but in the heats, his results ranged from third to eleventh. "The competitors are at a high level and the result depends on many small details. We tried different setups in the heats; what I am most satisfied with is that the starts went well – that's what the whole team has been working on," he noted.
Following on from the heats, Tamm found himself in seventh place, which put him on the second row on the grid in the semifinal. "I knew I had to keep to the inside line, where the grip is much better. That worked, I rose to the lead and won," he recounted.
Starting from the best grid slot in the final, Tamm dropped to second at the start of the race, but managed to overtake Ikonen, who had taken the lead, to win the race. "I have competed with Ikonen before and knew what to expect. I put pressure on him and when the chance to overtake came, I took it immediately," Tamm summed up.
The World and European rallycross championships will continue on September 20 in Istanbul, Turkey, though despite his win, Tamm said he has no further European championship starts planned for this year,
Rallycross is a form of sprint-style motorsport held on a mixed-surface racing circuit using modified production touring cars or prototype racing cars.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Anders Nõmm
