Jari Huttunen gives voice

The image of Jari Huttunen which will remain at the end of this 71^e edition is certainly the one taken at the arrival of SS1. Run in the streets of Jyväskylä, this gymkhana represented the Finn's very first time in WRC at the wheel of an elite racing car. Since his world debut in 2015, the child from Kiuruvesi (220 km north of Jyväskylä) has never displayed such a smile in front of the cameras. Maybe he didn't even know it was possible! In 2020, in the fog of Monza, when winning his WRC3 title, he was unable to show his happiness, showering his interlocutor who asked him if he was “ content ". This time, he let his joy burst forth and it was a pleasure to see: “ It was an incredible feeling, he explained in his guttural voice. I'm relieved I didn't hit anything. How nice it is to feel the power when accelerating! »

After this moment of exaltation, the lumberjack that lies dormant in him returned. This did not prevent him from appearing in certain special stages. However, it was not won. Huttunen only had a little over 200 km accumulated in two Finnish races in 2019 with an i20 WRC. “ It will be very difficult, announced Marcus Grönholm who plays the role of mentor for Huttunen. Jari only completed one day of testing with the Puma. How do you want him to compete? » Jari, however, went beyond Marcus's reluctance.

Jari Huttunen: “Hard to go back”

After 170 km of testing in Estonia with the Rally1, the Finn knew where he would have difficulties. The first ES confirmed his fears. “ I brake too early or too late, he detailed. I also need to improve my use of aero. This can only happen by accumulating kilometers. » This is exactly what he set out to do. Instead of trying to clock times beyond his skills, he focused on consistency. “ We were surprised by its performance, reconnaissait Richard Millener, le team manager de M-Sport. This is often the case among young pilots who receive this type of opportunity and who know how to seize it without worrying about pressure or times. Jari succeeded. »

Finally 10^e after a faultless performance, Jari was mixed when it came time to conclude. “ There were good things, he said, but we also experienced a lot of problems. It seems to me that it will be painful to go back. Getting back into Rally2 in Ypres? I'm afraid I'll find it very slow... We'll see. I have no idea if this will ever happen again. I hope so. » Until then, Marcus Grönholm, who also considers that his pilot should give himself a little more, has work to do to find a new opportunity for Jari Huttunen. The ideal would be to take him out of his comfort zone to measure his true potential.

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