Hosting RallyTV from ERC Royal Rally in Sweden together with rallydriver Tom Cave
It´s a role I have had a few times before in the FIA World Rally Championship and the FIA World Rallycross Championship and it is very different to what I normally do.
Usually you will find me out on the road all weekend driving from stage to stage in my hire car interviewing the drivers at the end of stages. A few years ago I also started doing this in the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC). My first ERC was Barum Rally in Czech 2024, an experience I wont forget any time soon!
For the 2026 ERC season I have been asked to host 3 (out of 7) rounds for our International LIVE TV broadcast. This means staying primarily in the service park for the duration of the rally AND perhaps the biggest change - being in front of camera. It has taken me some time to feel comfortable with this but I have to say that this is now a role I really enjoy. I think it comes down to experience and also being confident in your knowledge of the sport. It´s fun to talk a lot more about rallying than just the quick fire questions at the end of stages. Dont get me wrong I love that too but it´s nice with a bit of variety. In the ERC host role I also interview the drivers in the media zone, which is quite a different enviroment to the end of stage. It´s more relaxed and there is more time to get in to detail about different things they are talking about.
This is Jasper Vaher. 19 years old, his 6th rally in a 4WD car and he won the qualifying stage and led the rally up until an off on stage 12. Remember this name
Another thing that is very different for me being in this role is getting to see the production up close and behind the scenes. I spent a lot of time sitting in the gallery (a room where the program is directed and controlled during the broadcast. Like a command center). There are at least 9 people sitting in there while we are live and everyone has a different role that is crucial to the production looking and sounding like it should. There are also many other people that are not in the actual gallery like the commentators, people looking after satellite dishes, RF etc etc.
It´s great to sit in the gallery and listening to how this well oiled machine is working. From the director, to EVS, producers, vision mixer, graphics etc. They are also in direct contact with the helicopter and all the ground camera crews that are filming action, stage end etc.
When you sit at home and watch the show on RallyTV it is hard to believe how much is actually going on behind the scenes! I have to also mention Mikko Heikkila who finally got his first International victory after a great drive all weekend! The level was very high, every pushing the limits.
Anyway I really enjoyed this first weekend of hosting in ERC and look forward to the next one which will be Barum Czech Rally in August.
