Heikkinen, the 2013 Global RallyCross champion, said it had been a tough event from start to finish but he nevertheless remains firmly in the thick of the title fight in third place with four rounds remaining. ”They were probably the toughest sessions of the season,” said Topi. ”We had problems with traffic and the set-up in the heats but even my speed wasn’t the best I can deliver.

”Even though I got a good start in my semi and came from fifth to third, the handling wasn’t perfect and the Peugeots were really quick – Timmy Hansen did a small mistake on his ’joker’ lap but I couldn’t get past him. I pushed as hard as I could but I ended up in fourth place at the finish, which is a really big disappointment for me. It’s also bad for my championship chances but we won’t give up and me and the whole team will now work really hard to be ready for the next race in Germany.”

Next up for Topi is World RX of Germany from September 20/21.
Provisional World RX drivers’ standings (after round eight of 12):

1 Petter Solberg 185 points
2 Reinis Nitiss 157
3 Toomas Heikkinen 147
4 Andreas Bakkerud 126
5 Anton Marklund 124
6 Timmy Hansen 118