Gardemeister targets IRC return

Toni Gardemeister has vowed to return to the Intercontinental Rally Challenge this season following his retirement on the 78th Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo last week.

Gardemeister, from Finland, was in tenth overall when he was forced to withdraw on the final morning due to damage sustained to his Abarth Grande Punto’s engine when he clouted a snow bank on the penultimate stage of leg two.

He said: “It was good to be back and I was happy to be working with the Astra team again. But we had a couple of small problems and my speed was not what I hoped it would be. But that was probably because I have not driven a rally car for some time.”

“I would like to come back and do some more IRC events but I think the earliest possibility will be Sardinia in June because we don’t have the budget for the rounds in South America.”