Heikki Kovalainen and the nephew of his former Formula 1 rival Kimi Räikkönen, Justus Räikkönen, are teaming up to take on next year’s Finnish Rally Championship.
Competing for Secto Labs – a new arm of Secto Automotive which is the title sponsor of Finland’s World Rally Championship round – Kovalainen will drive a Škoda Fabia Rally2 while Räikkönen will test his mettle in the Rally4 class, steering a Peugeot 208.
Kovalainen has made no secret of his desire to compete on home soil in Finland after winning the Japanese Rally Championship this year – and scoring points on his WRC debut, also in Japan.
And he revealed that he has a three-year plan in Finland – year one to finish in the top six of the championship, a top three in year two and a championship title by 2025.
“I’ve had this dream of competing in Finland on totally different types of roads, and I put that message out there a few weeks ago in an interview and then we got together with the Secto guys and the result is we are here,” Kovalainen said.
“I’m really grateful for this opportunity, I’m really looking forward to rallying in Finland, it’s like coming back home in a way. This is where I started when I was a kid and it’s a huge challenge I know that, but I have a lot of passion.
“I’m still fit and well, so I don’t see any reason not to pursue this career a bit further. I’m not Kalle Rovanperä anymore, I’m not young and talented, I’m older and experienced. But we’ll give it a go for sure.”
Kovalainen will team up with a new co-driver next year in Janni Hussi – a Finnish actress who’s only ever started two rallies before alongside 2021 Junior WRC champion Sami Pajari.
She and Kovalainen only actually met in person for the first time at the team’s announcement press conference on Wednesday.
“I love to grow myself and try new things,” Hussi said.
“I got into rallying last spring and once I tried it, the rest was history. I really enjoy it and I want to be better and learn things, so I’m really excited that I have the opportunity to work with Heikki and the Secto team.”
Seventeen-year-old Räikkönen meanwhile will take on just his third season of rallying, but has already shown impressive speed with a record-breaking class win on Rally Finland back in the summer. He became the youngest ever driver to do the event.
“I’ve been rallying for two years in the smaller national classes and have had both success as well as good progress during these years,” Räikkönen said.
“Now it’s time to step up to test my speed in the R4 category.”
Sustainability is at the heart of what this new rally team is trying to achieve.
Secto CEO Matias Henkola explained: “We are entering two cars to the 2023 Finnish Rally Championship and apart from the years in the past, we now also want to be competitive on top of being sustainable.
“We know from our past experiences that our sustainability solutions work, but now it’s time to make the next step.
“Our cars are already using P1 Fuels eFuel combined with fossil-free lubrication and our aim is to add a low fossil tire to the mix during next year.
“In 2023, the development needed is sustainability. If we are not part of the solution, we are a part of the problem.
“If motorsports want to survive in the future it has to reach the same sustainability goals as the rest of the industry.”
Kovalainen said that he is “extremely happy” that he can join a program so focused on making a difference.
“Immediately we were on the same page – what we want to achieve and what Secto as a company want to achieve and what we can do as a rally team for them.
“For the future of rallying and the future of motorsport, sustainability is something that has to be taken into account. To justify motorsport, to justify rallying, you have to be a part of the solution.
“And I’m extremely happy that I can join this kind of program and at the same time fulfil my passion for driving a rally car.”
