Mikko Heikkilä is gearing up for the weekend’s ERC Rally Rally di Roma Capitale, where he will make his debut behind the wheel of Skoda’s newest rally car, the Fabia RS Rally2. Also making his first appearance in Italy, Heikkilä is aiming to get more comfortable with tarmac this weekend.
Mikko Heikkilä, co-driven by Samu Vaaleri, will debut in Italy as the European Rally Championship continues with its sixth round of the season. The tarmac event will take place in the outskirts of the capital city, Rome. Heikkilä is excited about the distinctive Italian roads, with a mission to build up his pace on tarmac as the competition unfolds.
“As we've reviewed the special stages through videos, they seem to be closest in nature to the stages to the Canary Islands. The character of the roads is quite similar, though the surface is different. The stages might be a bit more slippery and bumpy, but they look really enjoyable and drivable. If we could gradually find our rhythm on asphalt, that's exactly what I'd hope for,” Heikkilä reveals.
Whilst debuting in Italy, the Racing Factory driver is also making his first competitive appearance behind the wheel of the newest rally car from Skoda, the Fabia RS Rally2. Heikkilä had his first go with the new-generation Skoda back in Finland, and the Finn is scheduled to drive pre-event tests with the new car on tarmac too.
"Of course a new car is always a bit of a wild card as we haven't had a chance to try it on asphalt yet. But hopefully, it'll fit like a glove. The new car has more torque, and the engine felt really good when we tested it on gravel. I've also heard that the new car performs well on asphalt, although the old one wasn't bad either," Heikkilä showcases.
Pál Bence
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