Nuutti Korhonen, 21, is a third-generation rally driver and a familiar sight in Finnish rally competitions. Nuutti has been driving rally cars since 2019, including in the Finnish youth Championship rally series and the amateur rally series. The highlight of his career so far was the F-cup championship in the V1600 class in October.
(Photo above: Nuutti Korhonen and Bigem’s MD Marko Rämänen in Hollola in November 2024.)
The start of a career and a passion for motorsport
Nuutti’s interest in rallying has been passed down through his family. Both his parents, uncle, sister and grandfathers have been in rally races, either as a driver or as a co-driver. Nuutti himself drove karting as a hobby from the age of 8.
Nuutti drove his first rally in 2019 at the amateur race in Joutsenlampi. Shortly afterwards, he also started driving in AKK (National Federation of Finnish Motorsport) races. To date, Nuutti, who represents the Mäntsälä Motor Club, has driven “almost everything” – including the F-cup, the Youth championship rally series and the amateur rally series.
Nuutti describes the F-cup championship in 2024 as the biggest achievement of his career so far. The podium finishes in the Junior rally championship series have also been remembered as career highlights.
Highlights and challenges of the last season
In the season just ended, Nuutti competed mainly driving the Ford Focus, but also drove an Alfa Romeo few races. Both cars have Bigem suspension. The season was full of good memories and experiences. “The Vetomies Rally, held in time with the WRC competition in Jyväskylä, is always the highlight of the season. The atmosphere there is very special and there is a big crowd. I’ve always liked the roads in Central Finland, you can jump there,” says Nuutti.
This year, the extra challenge was the coronavirus that both driver and co-driver received during the reconnaissance. However, the race was pulled to the finish line on the strength of painkillers.
Another big experience was a car crash in Kisko in July, which sent Nuutti to hospital for observation. After the crash, the car had to have its entire bodywork replaced. Otherwise, the season went smoothly and there were very few technical faults.
“With Bigem’s shocks you can jump and drive hard in corners. The drivability is absolutely fantastic.”
– Nuutti Korhonen, V1600-cup champion 2024
Bigem’s role in success
Bigem shock absorbers have played a key role in Nuutti’s success. “With Bigem shocks absorbers, the drivability in the Focus has been fantastic. This season, the shocks underwent some minor adjustments, which means that the car does exactly what I want it to do,” says Nuutti.
Nuutti also appreciates Bigem’s after-sales service. “The service is good and fast, which is really important. In addition, the location is close, so it’s easy to drive to Bigem from Hyvinkää.”
Plans for the future
For the next season, Nuutti has ambitious goals. The plan is to drive the Ford Focus on the F-cup, with the aim of winning a new championship. At the same time, he plans to drive the new Kia Ceed on the SM4 class, learning the car’s handling and increasing the pace.
The long-term dream is to race abroad. “The goal would be to be able to race abroad, and with the Kia that would be possible. Maybe in 2026 we could think about a Nordic championship series”, Nuutti says.
Cooperation with Bigem
The first Bigem shock absorbers for Nuutti were purchased for his first Ford Focus in 2018. “The Bigem is a reasonably priced shock absorber that allows you to jump and drive hard in corners. These features made the Bigem the right choice for us,” says Nuutti.
The collaboration continued in the autumn of 2024, when Bigem produced a set of shock absorbers for Nuutti’s new Kia Ceed. The chassis was dimensioned at Bigem’s workshop in Hollola, after which the shock absorbers were manufactured, tested and installed. The satisfied driver was able to take the car home for the next steps.
We thank Nuutti for the interview and look forward to following future developments in the young rally driver’s career.
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