Suspension failure ended Heikkilä’s tough WRC Estonia

Mikko Heikkilä was forced to retire from the Delfi Rally Estonia before the last stage of the event. A failed shock absorber stopped Heikkilä’s run from the fifth position in the WRC2, ending the difficult rally for the Finn.

Finnish rally driver Mikko Heikkilä and co-driver Kristian Temonen have retired from the Delfi Rally Estonia after the penultimate stage as the remote reservoir of the shock absorber detached after a jump. The TGS Motorsport Skoda driver was running fifth in WRC2 before his retirement.

- It was a normal-sized jump with a nice landing, no troubles there. When the car landed, we heard a snap and I felt the front of the car bouncing everywhere. We investigated and found that the remote reservoir of the shock absorber had disappeared. There wasn’t any clear indication as to why, but we lost it on the stage, Heikkilä said.

- I think we had a clean run quite close to the limit, but the times just weren’t where they were supposed to be. In this situation retiring is not the end of the world – if we would have been fighting for the win then we’d be disappointed, but as there was mainly testing on the table it doesn’t really change the quality of the weekend, Heikkilä recapped.

The expectations from Estonia were high for Heikkilä, but difficulties with the setup of the car, particularly in the ruts, slowed the Skoda driver down.

- We were expecting to be higher up in the order. Driving-wise everything felt OK, and in the in-cars everything looked fine, but we just didn’t have the final pace. In theory there are two options: either the driver of the car. We have been fighting at the front previously, including the first three stages, and now we’re losing time all of a sudden, it does make you feel like the setup is wrong. We’ll have to figure out what we can change for Jyväskylä, Heikkilä commented.

Heikkilä, who won the opening stage of the event, is ready to leave the difficult Delfi Rally Estonia in the rear view mirror and focus on the next event, Secto Rally Finland.

- The main feeling is disappointment, we were expecting more. A big thank you for our partners and fans for this one, now we have to reset and gear up for Secto, Heikkilä stated.

Mikko Heikkilä’s rally season continues with Secto Rally Finland from 30th of July to 2nd of August.