After a brilliant debut season in the CrossCar Senior category in 2024, in which he secured an impressive fourth place in the overall championship standings, Joonatan Ylilammi is ready to step up a gear. The young Finnish driver is joining forces with Casmat for a full-season campaign in the RallyX Euro League.
Second in the CrossCar Junior Championship in 2023, Ylilammi has wasted no time in establishing himself as one of the most promising talents in international rallycross.
With seven final appearances in ten races, six podiums and two wins, the 16-year-old took everyone by surprise.
Despite competing with an older-generation Speedcar chassis, he emerged as the fourth-fastest driver of the 2024 season in terms of pure speed and average speed.
Now he has a whole new challenge ahead of him.
“I am really excited to be back in RallyX and committing to a full season in the Euro League feels like the right step at this stage of my career. The level of competition continues to rise and the championship is growing in terms of visibility, organisation and the emergence of new talent,” says Ylilammi.
“One of the biggest strengths of RallyX is the professionalism of the organisers – everything runs as it should during a race weekend, allowing the drivers to concentrate on their performance. For me, this is a great opportunity to compete against the best while gaining more experience on a wider variety of tracks. The expansion of RallyX fits perfectly with my goals. Once our budget was secured, it was an easy decision to commit to the Euro League.”
More importantly, by teaming up with Casmat – the manufacturer that helped Elias Svensson to last season’s CrossCar title – Ylilammi knows that he will have a top-class machine at his disposal.
“The main reason for choosing the Casmat chassis is the new regulations. My previous Speedcar was not FIA homologated, so we had no choice but to look for an alternative,” explains the Finnish driver.
“Our decision was based on two main factors. Firstly, Elias Svensson won the 2024 title in a Casmat, proving its competitiveness. Secondly, this partnership with the manufacturer has allowed us to establish a collaboration with JC Raceteknik, which gives us a huge advantage in terms of technical support and development. Of course it’s always a challenge to adapt to a new chassis, but I’m surrounded by the right people and the right resources. I’m convinced that this is the best choice for 2025.”
With five career wins and 14 podiums in RallyX, Ylilammi remains unfazed by the pressure to succeed.
“I don’t feel any pressure. To be honest, I’m just hoping for a bit of luck – that little factor that can make all the difference in a championship as competitive as RallyX. You need a bit of good fortune to win a title, so I’m taking a relaxed approach to 2025,” says Ylilammi with maturity.
“Of course I’ll give it my all and focus on optimising my performance, but I won’t let external expectations get in the way. Last season I proved that I can fight at the top. Now, with a full season programme and a brand new chassis, I’m excited to see what we can achieve. My main goal is to stay consistent, improve throughout the season and be in the right place at the right time to take advantage of every opportunity.”