The moment any athlete becomes world champion is usually the making of them. And so it proved for Enni Mälkönen – but not for the reason she expected.
Proudly standing on top of the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 she and Sami Pajari had just claimed the WRC2 title in, her career had peaked.
But hidden from the world in that moment of euphoria, she knew her reality to be more complicated.
Merely hours later, it emerged that Mälkönen’s world championship journey was at an end – at least for now.
For what was soon revealed to be a full season in a Rally1 Toyota, Pajari wouldn’t be continuing the relationship into the 2025 WRC season.
Mälkönen would have been in a Toyota Rally1 car full-time this year had Pajari not taken a new co-driver
Instead of being propelled into the seat her career had been geared towards, suddenly Mälkönen’s WRC2 title became the making of her in a different way.
Exercising the age-old mantra: it’s not how you are knocked down, but how you get back up.
“Plans changed quickly at the end of the year,” Mälkönen tells DirtFish.
“But as a top athlete, I know that anything can happen, so it’s important to keep my eyes on my dreams and keep moving forward.
“I’ve learned to make the most of every opportunity and stay focused on the future. With that mindset, I turned my focus forward – and here we are, rallying once again!”
Adjusting to her new reality, in a situation totally out of her control, was undeniably as difficult for Mälkönen as it would be for anyone. Resenting rallying would be an understandable reaction.
I will keep working hard towards my dreams, just as I have done so far. As they say, it's not how you fall, it's how you get up againEnni Mälkönen
But the desire to compete burned stronger, and it didn’t take her long to regroup and get back into a rally car with a top driver.
With his long-term partner in-crime (Janne Ferm) retiring from professional co-driving the previous year, Esapekka Lappi was in need of someone new as he stepped back from the WRC into the Finnish Rally Championship.
Mälkönen was the obvious person to call.
“I was really happy when EP called me and presented this project,” she says.
“Rallying is a passion in my heart, and sitting in a rally car always brings a smile to my face. And in Finland, we have the best rally stages in the world – a lot of high speed, which is what I enjoy the most.”
Things have “started very well” for the pair, who were second on their first event (Arctic Lapland Rally) in an older Škoda, and then a dominant first at last month’s Savonlinna Ralli once strapped into the newer Fabia RS Rally2 model.
Mälkönen is loving being back in a car with a professional driver, Lappi, this season
Mälkönen’s target is to win the championship with Lappi and she is “of course” confident that can happen. But more than that, she wants to have fun – and fun is absolutely what she is having.
“While aiming for success, it’s important to be able to enjoy the sport itself,” she says.
“It has been amazing to work with such an experienced and professional driver, and it brings a lot of added value to my own professional skills as well. EP and I are having a great time together.”
Mälkönen hasn’t suddenly let go of her Rally1 dream though – particularly as she has a taste for it, with three runs alongside Pajari last season in Finland, Chile and Central Europe.
But what’s happened in the past is ancient history as far as she’s concerned. In her words, she wants to “turn setbacks into comebacks” and work her way back to where she belongs.
“I look forward with a positive mindset,” she says. “Patience and persistence are important traits for an athlete. I want to turn setbacks into comebacks and challenges into stepping stones.
“A sports career always involves both highs and lows, but the key is being able to learn from these experiences and being brave enough to continue no matter what – and trusting yourself.
“I will keep working hard towards my dreams, just as I have done so far. As they say, it’s not how you fall, it’s how you get up again.”
