IRC Hanninen treats racer Heidfeld to high-speed ride

Ex-Formula One racer Nick Heidfeld got a flavour of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge when he went for a high-speed ride with Juho Hänninen at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the United Kingdom on Sunday.

Heidfeld, who finished fourth overall in the Le Mans 24 Hours recently, asked to accompany Hänninen, the 2010 IRC champion, in a ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000 on the motorsport extravaganza’s Forest Rally Stage during a break from his own commitments at the event.

“It’s always enjoyable to talk to a driver from another form of motorsport,” said Finn Hänninen, who recently secured his 10th IRC event victory when he won the Geko Ypres Rally. “Nick seems a very nice guy and I think he enjoyed the ride. The chalk surface at Goodwood is very slippery, so we were sideways everywhere and it was a lot of fun.”