Emil Lindholm Faces Bitter Disappointment in Sardinia Rally
Emil Lindholm’s season, once buoyed by the prospect of victory in the Rally Terra Sarda in Sardinia, Italy, has concluded on a sour note.
What seemed like an almost certain win took a disastrous turn during the race’s final special stage, as Lindholm’s Skoda experienced an unexpected technical failure. Leading the competition by a commanding 17 seconds, the engine of his Skoda Fabia abruptly cut out mid-stage and refused to restart.
Despite his efforts, Lindholm lost over seven precious minutes, plummeting from the front of the pack to a disheartening 13th place in the final results. It was a bitter pill to swallow for the talented driver.
“The engine didn’t start initially, and when it did, it was running poorly. I jumped out and checked the engine compartment—all seemed fine. It wasn’t until I looked under the rear bumper that I discovered the exhaust pipe was obstructed by a small mound of sand, which was preventing the engine from firing up. I cleared the sand by hand, and we managed to finish the stage,” Lindholm shared in a press release.
This latest setback adds to a challenging season marked by misfortune and driving errors that have plagued him throughout the year. Sardinia has not been a friendly venue for Lindholm; he faced a similar fate at the World Rally Championship in June, where he lost his lead in the WRC2 class on the final day of competition.
“When you don’t get things to click, they won’t happen. The only solution is to turn the page and try again,” he reflected somberly.
Despite his unfortunate circumstances, Lindholm recorded impressive times, achieving top results in five out of seven special stages. The victory, however, ultimately fell to Hayden Paddon, who also had his share of struggles during the final special stage.
“In the same spot where I ran into trouble, Paddon’s drive shaft broke, costing him half a minute. It’s been bad luck for us all, but we’re used to it,” Lindholm lamented.
Over the course of this season, the 29-year-old participated in five World Cup rallies in the WRC2 class. He previously claimed the world championship in this category in 2022 and now looks ahead to his much-anticipated debut in the main league.
With the disappointment in Sardinia marking the end of his season, Lindholm took a moment to express gratitude to his supporters. “This season didn’t go as planned. A huge thank you to all our partners and those who rallied behind us. We’re already looking ahead to next year, and we’ll share updates as plans unfold,” he concluded.
Had Lindholm secured the victory, it would have been a remarkable weekend for Finnish rallying, with Kalle Rovanperä clinching top honors in the World Rally Championship and Jari-Matti Latvala winning in the Historic rally series.