WRC
Suninen: ERC title ‘really important’ for 2027 WRC return bid
Teemu Suninen believes winning his maiden FIA European Rally Championship title could prove “really important” in his bid to make a full-time return to the World Rally Championship’s top tier in 2027.
The former Hyundai Motorsport and M-Sport Ford driver sealed the European crown with a runner-up finish behind five-time WRC event winner Kris Meeke at JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion last weekend.
It marked Suninen’s first championship title since winning the Fiesta Sport Trophy Finland in 2014 and capped an impressive campaign aboard a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. His second place on the Welsh asphalt followed runner-up finishes at Rally di Roma Capitale and Barum Czech Rally Zlín, as well as victory at Rally Poland.
After sitting out the 2025 season as a driver, Suninen has enjoyed a remarkable return to competition this year.
Alongside his ERC programme, the Finn has contested four WRC2 rounds in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. He finished second at Rally Sweden, Delfi Rally Estonia and Secto Rally Finland, while claiming victory at Vodafone Rally de Portugal.
But the 32-year-old’s ultimate target remains a return to rallying’s highest level in 2027.
A three-time WRC podium finisher, Suninen last competed in the top category with Hyundai Motorsport at the 2023 Central European Rally, where he finished sixth.
“It is a big thing [to win the ERC title],” Suninen said. “As you know, the ERC is mostly on tarmac and, to be honest, all the rounds have been challenging and offered different kinds of roads.
© ERC
“It has been really useful and hopefully we can use these learnings for next year.
“I think it is really important [to secure a drive next year]. A few people were doubting my tarmac skills. I have been driving most of the season on tarmac and we have been able to drive well.
“I think I have been able to improve my tarmac skills and the rallies are challenging the drivers in different ways.
“It [all the work behind the scenes to secure drives] has worked out pretty well. I must say it has been amazing to get this package for this year because we were hoping to do two or three events and we ended up doing 12 or 13 rallies.”
Suninen’s speed also caught the eye of Ceredigion winner Meeke, who believes the Finn still belongs at the highest level of the sport.
“For me, Teemu is going very well and he should be a World Rally Championship-level driver,” Meeke said. “He should be in the world championship.
“He is match fit this year, so it was great to battle with him.”
While Suninen’s plans for 2027 remain undecided, his experience has already attracted manufacturer interest this season.
In July, he was invited by Lancia Corse HF to take part in a gravel development test in Finland with the new Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale, joining Mārtiņš Sesks and the Italian marque’s factory drivers as it prepared for the fast gravel rounds of the WRC.
