The world of motorsport is littered with examples of children taking after their parents and following the family trade.
The Verstappens, the McRaes, the Solbergs – you know the drill.
But where does the lineage end? Not every family spurns superstars from generation to generation.
Certainly in the case of the Airikkalas, the trend looked to have ended.
Famed as much for his left-foot braking driving school (the place to go before DirtFish Rally School was established in 2010) as his exploits behind the wheel, Pentti Airikkala was one of the original ‘Flying Finns’ and enjoyed his day of days at the 1989 RAC – drafted into Mitsubishi’s works fold to steer a Galant VR4 as a present for taking the British Group N title.
Pentti grabbed his one and only WRC at the 1989 RAC
But it had been approaching 22 years since the late Pentti (who died in 2009) last competed at a rally – retiring a Group N Mitsubishi from the 2003 Rally GB.
That all changed however in February, when a new member of the clan made her rallying debut: Pentti’s granddaughter, 18-year-old Flame Airikkala.
“I definitely look up to him,” Flame tells DirtFIsh.
“Sadly I didn’t really know him that well because I was only two when he died, but seeing as nobody else in my family was in rallying, it seems like I’m the only one left!
“It’d be nice to carry on the Airikkala name, but also make a name for myself.”
Flame only knew Pentti (right) for a couple of years before he sadly passed in 2009
Born in the UK with a Finnish father (Niko Airikkala, Pentti’s son) and English mother (Jo-Ann Airikkala, formerly Breckon), there’s plenty of motorsport pedigree in Flame’s blood beyond her grandfather’s.
Her mom used to race in a Ford Fiesta championship that was on the support bill for the renowned British Touring Car Championship.
“It’s quite funny because she went to Pentti’s left-foot braking school before she met my dad,” Flame laughs. “But my dad was never interested in driving, he just knew it wasn’t for him.”
Flame was never pushed into the direction of competition; instead it’s something she’s found on her own.
“I just saw my dad watching Formula 1 on TV when I was about 13, 14 and I was like ‘you know what that’s really cool, like I want to start’,” she remembers.
“So my parents took me to the go-kart track and it kind of just started from there. But they never really pushed me into it. I discovered it on my own, which I think makes it even nicer.
“I definitely have to stop and look back sometimes and think what I’m doing now is what I used to want to do, and it is very crazy to be here now. I’m very privileged to have this opportunity. I’ve definitely had some great experiences.”
Flame's first steps into motorsport were as a racer
Initially, Flame has been known as a racing driver – starting off in the Fiesta Junior Championship in 2023 Fiesta Junior Championship before doing some GB4 testing and Formula Woman races in a Radical last year in Dubai. This year, she’s racing in the Kyojo Cup – an F4 championship in Japan.
Alongside that, she’s studying for her A-levels this summer and then hoping to go to university in the US to study business.
“It’s going to be full on,” she smiles.
But she’s keen to do more rallying when time allows, having entered two single-venue events at Snetterton and Knockhill race circuits in the UK.
“I’d definitely like to do a gravel, like a proper rally. I think that’s something that I’ve got to do this year and just get the first pacenotes done as well because that’s also something really new to me,” Flame says.
“But then last year I kind of had my first taste of it in a Rally3 car in the snow and ice in Finland. And I found that so fun. It took me a year of waiting to get out again.”
Sliding a Ford Fiesta Rally3 gave Flame a taste of rally driving - and she loved it
But is there a preference between racing and rallying?
“People always ask me that,” she admits, “and to be honest I think they’re such different disciplines in their own way that I just can’t compare them. They both bring a different type of joy and passion, so comparing them is quite difficult because I love them both so much.
“Yeah, they’re just so different, but I’d like to continue both – but obviously if an opportunity comes up in one that kind of outweighs the other and you’d be stupid not to take it…” she pauses.
“Yeah, for the future you just never know what’s going to happen.”
However there is one thing she’s keen to do.
“Rallying wise I’d love to compete in the WRC – the junior levels I think provide a great pathway to the top level,” Flame shares. “I mean there’s only a minuscule amount of people that get there, but I’d like to try. Especially as a female there’s like not many females at all representing in the rallying world.
“And racing wise, I always said that I’d love to make a career out of it but that’s also so difficult to say and only a few people get there.”
But Flame Airikkala certainly has the desire and the profile to get there. Rally one is done, but what about Rally1?
As she herself said, for the future you just never know what’s going to happen.
