- BORN: 29 May 1996
- NATIONALITY: Finland
- HOME TOWN: Kauniainen
- INTERESTS: Any motorsport will do
Niclas Gronholm, son of two-time World Rally Champion Marcus, is a former Finnish Rallycross Champion entering his fourth season of FIA World Rallycross Championship competition.
In 2014, Gronholm finished third in the autocross class of the Finnish Championship and in 2015 he drove an Olsbergs MSE run Ford Fiesta Supercar with which he won the Finnish Championship. In 2016, he contested a full World RX campaign with Olsbergs MSE – picking up a best finish of 11th in Sweden – as well as all rounds of RallyX on Ice in Sweden and the 2016 Finnish Rallycross Championship,
In 2017, Gronholm competed as an independent as part of the GRX (Gronholm RallyX) team managed by his father, securing his first final appearance and a career best result of fifth place in Germany. In 2018, Gronholm remained with GRX and had an incredibly successful year, finishing seventh overall – the most successful of any privateer driver/team. Niclas’s 2019 campaign was his most impressive, recording two wins, scoring the most points per event tally, and finished an impressive fourth despite missing two events due to appendicitis. The Finn will be one of the title favourites, having developed the already impressive Hyundai over the winter, and switching to BOS Suspensions, damper supplier of the current World Rally Championship Toyota team.
Q&A
Who is your biggest rival on the World RX circuit?
Myself
What’s been your career highlight so far?
Finnish Supercar Champion 2015
Who was your biggest inspiration?
My Dad
What advice would you give to young rallycross drivers?
I´m not the one to give advice I'm the one to take them
What’s your favourite World RX track and why?
Höljes because its fast (and the only track I've raced on)
If you weren’t a rallycross driver what would you be?
Don't know, probably at school!
Who is the funniest World RX driver?
Andreas Bakkerud for sure
If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life what would it be?
Pizza
What one item would you take with you if you were stuck on a desert island?
A bottle of water
Which three celebrities would you invite to a dinner party, and why?
Kimi Raikkonen, Martin Schanche and some of my Dad's old teammates
Tell us a secret!
It wouldn't be a secret after that...