Toksport WRT Škoda’s Emil Lindholm and Gabriel Morales returned to the stages on the final day of Rally Sardinia after retiring on Saturday, with the pair setting the second-fastest times in the WRC2 class.

The final round of the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship season was held on the Italian island of Sardinia. Emil Lindholm, who had retired from the WRC2 class on Saturday, returned to the rally on Sunday and set the second-fastest times in the class throughout the day. In the final classification, the Finnish driver finished 13th after being hit with time penalties.

Punctures, dust and electrical trouble

On Friday, Lindholm was running second in WRC2 until he had to drive for six kilometres through thick dust raised by a competitor on the final stage of the day. On top of that, a slow puncture dropped the Finn from second to fifth place.

The bad luck continued on Saturday, when Lindholm was forced to retire after the second stage of the morning. On the first stage of the day, Lindholm suffered a puncture, and on the second stage the car developed an electrical problem. After the finish of the stage, the electrical system failed completely, forcing him to retire from the rally.

The problem was located and repaired during the evening service, allowing the Toksport WRT crew to return to competition on Sunday.

“The engine control unit was faulty and was replaced with a new one. It was great that we were able to continue, as Sunday was a pretty good day for us and it was enjoyable to drive. A big thank you to our team.”

“Every stage today was challenging and intense, as we saw in the dramatic battle for the world championship. Without the problems, this would have been a good rally for us. Our pace was good enough to fight for the top positions, and that was also our goal here,” Lindholm summed up.

Six rallies, six fights at the front

Lindholm contested six WRC rounds during the season, with his best result being fourth place at the WRC rounds in Japan and Estonia. In every WRC rally he contested, Lindholm fought for the top positions in his class.

“We were in the fight for the podium, and that was what we worked towards this year. Our goal was to have the pace to perform well in every event we contested and on every surface. Since we achieved that, we have to be happy with it.”

Looking ahead to the 2027 season

“Many big and heartfelt thanks to Toksport WRT, all our partners, and everyone who shared this journey with us throughout the season. We don’t yet have next year’s calendar or the final set of regulations, so it’s difficult to agree on anything with anyone at this stage. There is a strong will to continue, and we are working very hard to make that happen,” Lindholm says.