After a stunning Global RallyCross season Finn Toomas Heikkinen took time out to tell about his stunning year and what it takes to be a winner.

What was the highlight of your season?

TH: “I think Munich was the best race for me, as it was our first win of the year, which was really special, and we just had a really good drive all weekend with no big mistakes. Then of course Charlotte, where we became champions, is a race that I will always remember because it was a special record and a special moment.”

At the start of the season, did you expect to have such a successful year or was it a big surprise?

TH: “I hoped that we could do well: I knew from last year that the speed was there and I knew that the car was absolutely fantastic; really fast – so now it was down to me. But of course I didn’t expect to have the number of wins that we ended up taking, so in that respect it was a surprise, yes. I think we went beyond our expectations, which was nice.”

We see Sebastian Vettel dominating in Formula One and Sébastien Ogier dominating in rallying, with so many wins: does success always lead to more success?

TH: “To some extent, yes, because you know you have the confidence and the ability to do it. But personally I have always taken each race as it comes and gone step by step: at the start of each race it doesn’t matter what you have done before – everyone starts from zero. And actually, it can even lead to a bit more pressure if you concentrate too much on the fact that you have won before, because then everyone expects you to win again, and of course it’s really not easy! So really, it’s not something I thought about a lot. The only thing that makes a difference is when you win, it makes you even hungrier to win again. Winning is such a great feeling that you want to experience it again and again.”

Rallycross is a really spectacular sport, but which do you think was the best race of the year for all the fans?

TH: “I think maybe the last round in Las Vegas. Everyone knows Las Vegas, it’s a really cool place, and they built this race track right in the centre of the town, on the strip. So we got a lot of people and it was a really amazing circuit. Actually, just seeing them even built a circuit like that, in the middle of the town, was pretty amazing. It was a fantastic effort from the organisers, so thank you to them for that.”

Who were your biggest rivals throughout the season?

TH: “The great thing about Rallycross is that it’s such a competitive field and the gaps between the drivers are always very small, so there were many rivals. But in particular my team mate Tanner Foust was always really strong and Ken Block was always right up there too, as well as Travis Pastrana. I have so much respect for those guys: they are great personalities and it’s fantastic that they manage to draw in so many fans: both in person and on all their social media channels.”

So will you be up against them again next year?

TH: “That depends on what they are doing! We’re working on a few projects and hope to have some news in the next few weeks. For now it’s fantastic just to enjoy the moment: this has been an amazing year!”

Photo: Toomas Heikkinen and his Ford Fiesta Mk7 ST pictured at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. © QBA/ERC24