As Swedish driver Alex Lindeqvist prepares for a full season in the CrossCar category of the RallyX Euro League, he does so with high ambitions. After suffering a spectacular crash at Kouvola in 2023, the Scandinavian racer admits he has drawn strength from this painful experience.
It was around 15:00 on Sunday, 28 May 2024. With Q3 in full swing, Alexander Lindeqvist found himself at the centre of the most dramatic accident of his young career.
“We had experienced many ups and downs in the early events as it was our first season in the CrossCar Senior category, but the race in Kouvola had allowed us to find our feet as I had managed to set the second fastest time in Q2,” recalls Alexander.
“I remember fighting with Elias Svensson at the start of Q3. I was on the second row of the grid, but a collision in the first corner after the start quickly changed everything.”
“Everyone knows how tricky the first corner at Kouvola can be and that was enough to damage my steering. As I approached the lower part of the track, where you have to deal with a small bump, the steering went completely. When I tried to rotate the CrossCar, the vehicle just went straight into the barrier”
The race was immediately stopped so that the marshals could remove the Swedish driver from his wrecked Speedcar chassis. Lindeqvist admits that he was completely unprepared for what followed.
“It’s clear that this accident has completely ruined my 2023 season,” he says.
“I remember nothing from the moment I hit the barrier. It was a total blackout until I woke up in the hospital and I thought, ‘Damn, what the hell am I doing here? I didn’t even know if I was alive – I just felt completely lost. Honestly, it was terrifying to be in that situation.”
“I ended up with a concussion, fractures in my arm, excruciating back pain and a wrecked car”
Beyond the physical toll, Lindeqvist had to rebuild himself mentally.
“I have to admit that my season was never the same after the crash. I quickly realised that I was no longer able to give my best behind the wheel,” he said.
“I spent a lot of time in hospital after the crash. Even after returning to Sweden I had to undergo further tests on my head and arm. Naturally, I had to put motorsport on hold for a while. I took two months off before trying out a friend’s CrossCar, just to see if I could get over the trauma. I just wanted to make sure that I could still enjoy driving without putting any pressure on myself. It wasn’t an easy period in terms of confidence – I just needed to get back in the car and get back to racing”
Although Lindeqvist managed to finish the 2023 season, competing in events in Grenland and Höljes, he deliberately took a step back from RallyX, opting to focus on the highly competitive Swedish championship for 2024.
“During the off-season we started working on a brand new Speedcar Wonder chassis, while I dedicated as much time as possible to the gym to train and build muscle. This really helped me to regain my confidence.”
“That’s why last year, instead of jumping straight back into RallyX, we decided to stick with the Swedish National Championship – I wasn’t sure how I would feel. But in the middle of the season I started to get great sensations again. As the races progressed, I was able to pick up the pace and finally take my first victory. From that moment on, the joy and confidence returned and we quickly realised that a return to RallyX was inevitable”
Finishing third overall in the Swedish championship – just ten points behind winner Sebastian Enholm (the 2023 RallyX champion) – Alex Lindeqvist will certainly be a driver to watch in the RallyX Euro League in 2025.