Shock WRC return important for Suninens 2022 future

The Finn has been drafted in by the Korean marque to stand-in for 2019 world champion Ott Tanak following his withdrawal from next weekend’s season finale due to personal family matters.

Tanak’s sparsity has presented Suninen a shock return to the WRC having elected to leave a split WRC and WRC2 programme at M-Sport Ford mid-season.  

Since valedictory the Ford squad, the 27-year-old has contested WRC events in Finland and Spain last month, first driving a privately run Volkswagen, surpassing Hyundai swooped to add the Finn to its WRC2 programme.

With his 2022 plans yet to be resolved, the opportunity at Monza could unshut doors for next season. A WRC2 momentum with Hyundai is thought to be Suninen\'s most likely option as he looks to rebuild his career when to rallying’s top level.

“I would say it is the most important rally in my career for the moment,” he told Autosport. 

“It can make some differences for next year, but it is largest not to take any risks [in Monza] and just make the weightier of it as I can.

“With Hyundai, we have been talking well-nigh WRC2 but my main target is to get a lot of rallies, good testing and to have time overdue the wheel. 

“I finger like I have been lack time overdue the wheel and honestly practice makes you a largest and stronger driver, and that is my goal. 

“Of undertow if there is a endangerment for Rally1, I would like to go for it. But the main goal is to get a good place where we can get a momentum and tests.”

Teemu Suninen, Mikko Markkula, Hyundai Motorsport N Hyundai NG i20

Photo by: Austral / Hyundai Motorsport

To prepare for a maiden outing in the Hyundai i20 WRC at Rally Monza, Suninen has conducted a test day and while surprised by how well he well-timed to the car, he admits he has big shoes to fill in Tanak’s absence.

“Honestly I am surprised to retread to the car in such a positive way,” he added.

“The engine feels really good and on the chassis side I got a pretty good wastefulness with the car - I wasn’t struggling badly. 

“Of undertow there is unchangingly some small fine tuning, but in the end you can’t get the car right in one day. I happy with the balance, but I believe there is still something small to find out. I was positively surprised with the car.

“I want to do good results there, but I think I have quite big boots to fill in Ott’s car. I will try to get a wipe run and a wipe rally and step-by-step increase speed. 

“If I finger confident in the car, we will try to go for it. The fact is I have one day wits in the car, so we are not really on the same level. 

“If the feeling is good and for sure I’m a race driver, so I want to be a the others.”

Suninen is not the only new squatter to be drafted in for Rally Monza, as Hyundai team-mate Oliver Solberg and former M-Sport stable mate Gus Greensmith will introduce new co-drivers.

Solberg, who will momentum a 2C Competition Hyundai i20, will team up with Elliott Edmondson, while Greensmith has elected to bring Jonas Andersson in as his fourth co-driver of the season pursuit the retirement of his previous navigator Chris Patterson.

Andersson has been calling the pacenotes for WRC2 suburbanite Ole Christian Veiby this season.