Interview with Jakub Matulka, one of the most promising drivers from Poland, before his upcoming debut on Lithuanian gravel
Lineup of 9 participants from Poland will arrive in “CBet Rally Rokiškis 2024”. Jakub Matulka, who had never started in Lithuania before, joined to this Polish lineup this time. 24-year-old athlete is already considered one of the most promising rally drivers in his country. During the first three seasons of his career, representative of Gen Z managed to become the champion of national championship, start in several ERC and WRC events. Also, 2 weeks ago he achieved an impressive victory in Rally Košice.
Jakub himself told about his journey in the rallying world and shared his thoughts before the coming event in Lithuania 🙂
How did you get into the world of rallying?
I got into the world of rallying pretty recently. This is my 3rd season and 2nd in 4-wheel drive car. Previously, I was an alpine skier, but I was really interested in motorsports. Then we started with a Peugeot 206 on the circuit near my home, and it went from there 🙂
How did your journey in rallying look until the moment when you started to drive Rally2 car?
In 2022 I was driving a Fiesta R200 in local Polish rallies and some Polish Championship
rounds. Last year I did a full Polish Championship campaign in a Fiesta Rally3 and we won the championship title in class 3. Plus we did a few ERC rounds, we finished second in ERC3 at the end of the season. Before that, some driving in Peugeot 206.
This year you have already started in 6 events with Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo. How is the learning process of this car going so far?
The learning is going okay, we are making good progress. We were on the podium twice, and we won our first rally in the Polish Championship. But my experience in Rally2 car is only on tarmac at this time. Rally Rokiškis will be my first rally on gravel in Škoda. So I think that it will take some time before I can be really competitive in this car.
Last week you won your first ever event in the Polish championship. You received countless congratulations from the local rally community. How do you feel after such a big achievement before the upcoming start in Rokiškis?
Weekend in Košice was really amazing. To get the first win in the Polish Championship
feels amazing. For sure, it gave me some confidence boosts, but Rally Rokiškis will be a big challenge for me. I hope to learn as much as possible from driving in Lithuania.
Rally Rokiškis is going to be your first visit to Lithuania. How did you find out about this rally and what do you expect from it?
Already last year, we wanted to do some of your rallies, but it did not work out. I knew you have some amazing roads and conditions, so it was an easy decision. I expect a really good rally for learning and experience.
This should be the 9th start on gravel in your career, but the first time when you will drive Rally2 car on this surface. What main goals and objectives have you set for the upcoming rally?
Yes, this is going to be my first gravel rally with Škoda, so the main objective is to get to know how the car feels and get as much information as possible. For sure, the main goal is to finish the rally and see how our pace improves. The local guys will be superfast for sure, so I do not set any big targets.
