“It’s now up to us” – Lindholm on his Hyundai chance

“Obviously, the targets are even higher,” the Finn told DirtFish, one month on from winning the second-biggest prize in the World Rally Championship last year.

“And it just seems like unfortunately it’s not so easy to… there’s still not many places in the top tier and it’s always been like that.

“But especially now in this hybrid era, it’s not easy for young drivers.”

Roll the clock forwards and, arguably, little has changed. As DirtFish rings Emil Lindholm up, he’s in the middle of his testing ahead of next weekend’s Rally Estonia, where he will fight for WRC2 honors once more.

And that means we can’t see the biggest change.

“Blue is my color, definitely!,” Lindholm beams. “Blue is I guess every Finn’s color anyhow.

“I like the team colors, especially the light blue color is, I think, quite cool.”

The green-and-white overalls of Toksport Škoda are now surplus to requirements. Instead, Lindholm’s decked out in the blue and orange of Hyundai Motorsport as the start of the next chapter of his career looms ever closer.

Trading a Fabia RS Rally2 for an i20 N Rally2 is an apples-for-apples switch – that’s not what has the 26-year-old smiling. Rather the chance to upgrade his apple to an orange.

The potential chance to drive a Rally1 car.

With top-line manufacturer seats continuing to be at a premium, and a bottleneck of talent beginning to form in WRC2, Lindholm must have feared his time would never come.

Technically, it still hasn’t.

It’s Teemu Suninen – Hyundai’s other member of its recently relaunched ‘Driver Development Programme’ – who’ll have 500bhp and assistance from an electric motor beneath his right foot next week, but Lindholm wouldn’t be here if he didn’t believe he at least had a shot at the big time.

If nothing else, it’s important for the WRC that the reigning WRC2 champion is closing in on that drive.

“Exactly it is, it is,” Lindholm says.

“That is anyhow the long-term target and I think now we are super lucky to be in a team which has that chance to offer.

“So honestly now it is purely up to us to do our job.”

Believe it or not, Lindholm’s been confirmed as a Hyundai driver for four weeks now, but he’s yet to appear in public representing the brand.

He has already visited the factory in Alzenau – something he describes as “a positive experience” – while this past week has been about acquainting himself with his new wheels.

“I am happy, yes,” Lindholm says, when asked for his impressions of Hyundai’s Rally2 machine.

“I am fairly happy. It is a different car to what I’m used to, that is for sure. Luckily let’s say I’ve had the chance to explore it quite a lot and I’m starting to understand and feel quite comfortable in it.”

That therefore gives him confidence that he can fight for a good result in Estonia, where he’s in the unique position of continuing a WRC2 campaign he began with another team.

“We should be able to fight for a good result,” Lindholm affirms.

“I see no reason why not to be honest. Teemu has performed well in the car in Estonia.

“Last year he was second just ahead of us so I’m sure we should be able to do a reasonably good job.

“I wouldn’t say there’s been specific targets right now,” Lindholm adds, “but surely my own targets are to do as well as possible, and for sure there is a championship still to be won so we are aiming for that.”

But let’s not kid ourselves here. Lindholm’s real target is that Rally1 car – it has to be. Winning the WRC2 title is hardly a bad vehicle for earning himself that shot, though.

Understandably, Lindholm was reluctant to give too much away regarding what he has (or hasn’t) been promised.

He begins: “For the moment it’s all to be confirmed, but I’m quite confident there will be… yeah, more rallies towards the end of the year.”

Reading between the lines, does that mean he hasn’t been guaranteed any Rally1 outings but there’s a potential chance of them?

Lindholm laughs.

“Um… how would I put this? Surely I hope I will get the chance, surely that is one good reason for being here in the first place.

“So yeah… as I said I think it is up to us whether we get the chance now or not.

“I’d just say that it’s a potential chance!”