Currently Topi is second in the standings, just 20 points behind the leader. ”So it’s pretty clear that there’s only one way to improve!” he points out. ”My goal is to win the drivers’ title this year, which would be a great achievement in just my first year at Marklund Motorsport supported by Volkswagen, driving the Polo RX Supercar. But there’s been so much improvement and development over the year that I think it’s a realistic objective. Obviously if we want to do it we need to be on perfect form in the last part of the season, so that’s what I’m aiming to do, starting in France this weekend.”
Like many Finns, Topi has a summer house to relax in at home, and this is where he has been preparing himself mentally for the demands of the races to come. Having recently won in Belgium, Topi is determined to put in an even stronger performance for the rest of 2014.
”After Canada I took a bit of time off,” explained Topi, with the FIA World Rallycross Championship enjoying a three-week break. ”I wasn’t lucky with the weather though! All of July, right up until mid-August, was really nice in Finland – while I was away. When I got a chance to spend a bit of time, it went a bit cold! But it was still nice to spend some time at home, by the lake. It’s going to be a very intense fight for the title and it’s important to have some time to re-group and focus, and think about the areas where you can improve.”
Topi may have taken a bit of a break but his Marklund team didn’t – and as a result, Topi has an improved Polo for the rest of the season, thanks to some small developments that the team has been working on throughout August. ”It’s just small things, but together they all add up to make a difference,” added Topi. ”The car has actually been improving all year and that is one of the strongest things about our team. Hopefully we’ll be getting some more new things just when I need them most to fight for the title.”
The French round of the championship will actually be a new experience for Topi, but the circuit is fast and in many respects quite similar to the Mettet track in Belgium, where he won. ”That’s one of the many reasons why I’m really looking forward to it,” said the Finn. ”I’ve heard that it’s incredibly popular: people are talking about perhaps 70,000 spectators, and there’s a grandstand that can seat a thousand people on the start-finish straight. I think it will suit my driving style: it’s very fast, not so technical, so you just have to concentrate on being as fast as possible. As for the entry, I’ve seen there are going to be around 40 Supercars. So this is fantastic for the whole sport and of course we’ll be aiming to put on a great show for everyone watching. Rallycross has really stepped up a gear this year, and me and the whole team really have big ambitions to make it something even more spectacular in the future.”
”Anyway – that’s all still to come. For now, we have a championship to try and win this year!”
Round eight of the championship takes place this weekend in Loheac, Brittany, which is close to the city of Rennes. The heats start on Saturday, with the final taking place on Sunday.
