Suzuki Sport Europe’s opportunity for the 17 year old Estonian driver, Karl Kruuda

For many years, Suzuki Sport Europe has supported young talented drivers to gain experience and they became well known international drivers. Such as Urmo Aava, Per-Gunnar Andersson, and Kosti Katajamaki, all of them had great experience in the Suzuki Super1600, and went to reach driver seats in the World Rally Championship.
This year in the Jordan Rally, the young Estonian driver Karl Kruuda will steer the Swift Super1600 against four wheel drive rally cars, as a preparation to collect gravel experience for the forthcoming event - Rally of Turkey.

Karl Kruuda is the nominated driver of the World Rally Team Estonia, managed by Urmo Aava. The great cooperation between Urmo Aava and Suzuki Sport Europe began in 2003, therefore it was a definite choice that Karl Kruuda’s carrier should launch in the seat of a Swift Super1600.
Irrespective of the result in the coming Jordan Rally will be used as warm-up for Rally of Turkey. Karl will start his JWRC season in Suzuki Sport Europe’s Swift Super1600 in the Rally of Turkey.

“I’m really happy that  I made this choice and but  I´m a little bit scared as well because  I watched videos of the Jordan Rally and It seems to be very hard to drive because you don’t have much room to make mistakes. Estonian surfaces are a lot more different and seem to be much easier.
The biggest thrill for me is to drive the Swift Super1600 because I have heard a lot of good things about it and it is a very fast car. I really hope that the professional Suzuki Sport Europe team will help me to learn during the rally about the car and help me to gain more speed.  I hope our cooperation is going to work out and I don’t want to make the team disappointed” – commented Karl.

Yashurio Ishii, Team Manager of Suzuki Sport Europe added: “It is honour for us, that World Rally Team Estonia has chosen us for their young driver. So far we had worked together with 3 Estonian talented drivers in the past years, and I am sure, that Karl will expand his potential, he is only under 18 now.”

 

Drivers Profile

Driver:	Karl Kruuda
Nationality:	Estonian
Date of birth:	31st December 1992
Co-driver:	Martin Jarveoja
Nationality:	Estonian
Date of birth:	18th August 1987