Heikkilä's Granada trip left a positive impact

Mikko Heikkilä competed in the Rallye Ciudad de Granada in Spain by invitation from the organizers. Heikkilä was immediately on pace with the first-generation R5 Skoda and MRF’s tires, new to the Finn. The tires left a positive impact on the Finn, as did the event and the spectator’s support.

WRC2-driver Mikko Heikkilä and co-driver Kristian Temonen competed in the Rallye Ciudad de Granada in Spain last weekend. Invited by the event organizers, Heikkilä has become a regular in the event the Finn enjoys. This weekend, Heikkilä tackled the seven stages long rally with a first-generation Skoda Fabia R5. Unfortunately, the Finn’s eventful rally was cut short.

- An amazing trip despite the result. Rallye Ciudad de Granada is a special event for us, and the support of the local spectators is immense and much appreciated. The feeling is positive, no matter the result. A massive thanks to the organizers of Rallye Ciudad de Granada and their cooperation partners for the opportunity to compete in such a well-organized event, Heikkilä thanked.

Heikkilä opened the rally with two stage wins and was leading the event by just over 15 seconds after SS3. The following stage however halted Heikkilä’s event.

- We started aggressively as you should with the older-spec car and we were on pace from the start. On SS4, I took the first part of a two-part corner slightly wide, and turned in on the second corner to find a rock inside in the ferns. The impact separated the wheel hub from the track rod, but there were no other damage, Heikkilä explained.

- The event rules allowed our service crew to arrive to the field next to the stage with their tools, and we changed the broken wheel hub and continued our rally after the next service. The rule is beneficial and would work well in other events as well. We continued our rally, but on the last leg we felt something slipping in the transmission and decided to save the car and stop on stage.

Heikkilä’s career-fourth visit to the mountainous stages of Granada gave the Finn a great opportunity to keep up the competitive touch in preparation for the 2026 season. Meanwhile, the event also allowed Heikkilä to get to grips with the MRF tires, which left a positive impression on the multiple WRC2 podium finisher.

- It felt good to see our pace being up to par. The first generation Skoda Fabia was a nice and easy car to drive. For sure, the development has moved on in the last 10 years, mainly in terms of engine and suspension, yet the R5 is still a really good car to drive. We also took our first touch with the MRF tire, and it really left me with a good impression. The tires worked flawlessly, and the grip was consistent everywhere. It’s a competitive tire for sure. Thank you to MRF for the opportunity, Heikkilä summed up.