Jani Paasonen returns for European-based races in 2020 World RX campaign.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ferratum Team. 

Former WRC driver Jani Paasonen returns to the FIA World Rallycross Championship for all European-based rounds this season with his new team. 

The former works Škoda and Mitsubishi driver has prior experience of racing in the European Rallycross Championship in a variety of Skoda's over the last 15 years and competed in five World RX events with STARD last year. 

Paasonen bought a Ford Fiesta from Austrian based team STARD, and together with his all-new Ferratum Team, they have rebuilt the Fiesta with several new technical innovations. 

"We think we have something new with our Ferratum Team Ford Fiesta which we can bring to the World Championship," said Paasonen. "The engine side is built in Finland, it has some new ideas about how the engine works."

"There are big questions about what the potential and speed is, but we hope and trust that we have a fast car. But, we will finally see what our potential is when we are in the first race and next to other cars on the same start line."

The Finn will compete in selected rounds this season, but aims high with his eyes firmly set on the finals in every race they enter this year.

"Of course the target is to go to the finals in every race this year, collect good points and finish as high as we can in the World Championship," he said. First, we go step-by-step to Holjes, Kouvola, and Riga and we will see where we are."

PHOTO CREDIT: Ferratum Team.

The Ferratum team has been hard at work preparing for the 2020 World RX campaign and plans at least one more test day before the season opener in Holjes next month. 

"We have done a number of test days and still before Sweden will do maybe one day, testing some suspension things, but we are quite happy with the car," he adds.

These test days will prove vital for Paasonen's team as they get up to speed with what is required of them for the World RX championship. "Almost all of the people in our team are new to the World Championship, only the engine data engineer has some experience. But the mechanics and some of the others have not so much experience in rallycross at the highest level. Local-level yes, but not so much at the highest level so it will be big learning for us."

Whilst Jani has high expectations for the season ahead, he is confident that the Ferratum team will remain in the sport beyond 2021 and could expand to a two-car team by next year. 

"It’s nice to come with a new team in the championship and I know, I believe we can continue into 2021 and the future," he adds."We’re planning to maybe build a second car and maybe run a two-car team next year, but we will see."

Written By - Junaid Samodien