From Childhood Fascination to Lifelong Passion: A Fan’s Hope for Formula 1’s Return to South Africa.

David Coulthard lapping the Kyalami Grand Prix circuit in the Red Bull RB7.
PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

It was a sunny summer's afternoon when a little boy, playing with his toy ambulance, and police cars, re-enacted a police chase that he had seen on television, with his sirens blaring, a high-pitched sound off in the distance briefly caught his attention, but he continued playing. As the sound persisted, it piqued his interest, so much so, that he picked up his toy cars, and took slow steps to investigate where this sound was coming from. He isolated the sound to the living room, and with every step, the sound got louder and louder.

Turning the corner, and entering the living room, he looked at his father. No, Dad’s not making that loud noise! He then turned towards the television that his father had been watching. He then saw something that he'd never seen before, unusual-looking cars. Cars that looked nothing like his ambulance and police car. What were these strange-looking cars, he thought, as they swept through corners at incredible speeds? 

So, fascinated by what he had seen, he sat on the ground before his father and began to watch along. Looking at his father with a level of curiosity, as one car caught his attention—a red car. He asked, "Dad, what is that red car?" His father replied, "That’s a Ferrari." It was a name he had never heard before. He bombarded his father with questions—who, what, where, when, why, and how—trying to understand the sport his father enjoyed every weekend.

After the race, he rushed to his room and re-enacted what he had seen on television. His cars once limited to cops and rescue scenarios, now screamed around an imaginary track, much to the annoyance of his family and neighbors.

As the next race weekend approached, his father asked, "Son, would you like to watch the next Formula One race?" He immediately stood up and shouted, "Yes!" It’s safe to say, his flame for Formula 1 was ignited.

Over time, his passion for Formula One grew to a point where missing a single Grand Prix was never an option. Formula One effectively became life for him, but the realization of ever attending a Formula One Grand Prix on South African soil was an ever-distant dream.

Having conducted further research, he learned that, South Africa last hosted a Formula One Grand Prix in 1993 at the Kyalami Grand Prix circuit, but the championship has never returned. So, to follow the sport, he’d have to watch every race on the national television broadcaster, the SABC (free-to-air), but things soon changed in the late 2000s when Formula One moved to pay-TV service, MultiChoice. A year, that proved quite tough for him. How would he be able to watch the sport that he was so passionate about? Could he continue to feed his hunger for F1? These questions were soon answered when the SABC aired delayed broadcasts of the Formula One Grand Prix at 11pm on Sunday evenings, which he stayed up for and enjoyed, but later resorted to watching these Grand Prix with his uncle and dad, as at the time, it was not feasible to subscribe to MultiChoice and stay up late on a school evening. But nothing could break his passion. He searched libraries for books on F1 and even asked neighbors for the latest newspapers to gather as much information as possible.

A collection of the Cape Times season booklets.

One afternoon, he discovered that the Cape Times newspaper published a season guide booklet with handy information on teams and broadcast times. It became somewhat of a hobby, to collect every season’s booklet. But, sadly, after the 2016 season, those booklets were no longer published. And, as time evolved, to continue watching Formula One, his father had to subscribe to DStv. 

His hero is seven-time F1 world champion Michael Schumacher.
PHOTO CREDIT: Scuderia Ferrari 

He could not wait to get home from school to read more about Formula One, and one day, to his surprise, he received a school presentation assignment, titled “My hero?” which, he was so excited about, and instantly knew who he’d use as his hero. A driver, who to him, was an unstoppable force, Michael Schumacher. Finally, he could speak about something, he was so passionate about. His fellow classmates chose footballers, and so on. But, nothing could stop him from presenting about his Ferrari hero. He stood with confidence in front of the classroom, handing out leaflets and images, about F1 and Ferrari. He never felt so confident before and as soon as the presentation started, he was stopped for exceeding his allotted time. A week later, he was informed that he received an A+ for the presentation, one could say that his passion achieved greatness just like his hero.  

One afternoon flicking through the local newspaper, he found an interesting article, that announced that the South African Grand Prix Corporation (Pty) Ltd intended to bid to build a Formula One race circuit near Cape Town's International Airport at an estimated cost of R1 billion ($137.8 million). His excitement soared, and he tracked any updates. 

Then he heard on Good Hope FM (radio station) that Red Bull Racing was bringing a Formula 1 car to Cape Town for a Showrun at Killarney International Raceway. Overwhelmed with excitement, he checked his season guide and saw a scheduling conflict with the Australian Grand Prix. Torn between watching the race and attending the Showrun, he formulated an argument to convince his father that both were possible. Skeptically, his father agreed to the plan. He woke up early to watch the Grand Prix, which Sebastian Vettel won. And, shortly, after 10am, he, his father, and sister set off to the Killarney Raceway, with only one thing on his mind, and that was seeing a Formula One car in the flesh. 

Upon arrival, he was awestruck, seeing the Red Bull posters at every turn. He couldn’t contain his excitement, so much so, that he immediately opened the car door before it stopped. He walked with such a pace that nothing or no one could distract him from seeing the Red Bull RB7. Entering the pit building, he navigated through a crowd of people, made his way to the front railing, and finally laid eyes on a Formula 1 car. He couldn’t believe his eyes, pinching himself. No, this is real, he thought! The team mechanics worked on the car and also engaged with the audience showing off the steering wheel, and talking them through the processes of warming up a Formula 1 car. Overwhelmed, he captured as many photos and videos as possible. It was an afternoon, that left a gigantic smile on his face—his dream of seeing an F1 car in person had come true.

Neel Jani driving the Red Bull Racing RB7 out of the pit garage at Killarney Raceway.

The sound of the V8 engine lingered in his mind for days. He imagined what 20 of these cars would sound like racing in South Africa. Then, news broke that the Cape Town Grand Prix SA (CTGPSA) intended to host Formula One in the city’s Green Point precinct. His excitement was immeasurable, but he also knew it would be a massive undertaking.

For him, living in Cape Town, with the prospects of a Grand Prix just a few minutes drive away, filled him with a glimmer of hope, but as the days and months passed, it became evident that these talks stalled. 

As time evolved, he turned to social media for the latest Formula 1 updates, as it proved to be the quickest medium to gain access to news, teams, and drivers. He began to engage with like-minded F1 fans, and a few years down the line, he met, an icon of Formula 1 in South Africa, Sasha Martinengo, a man who not only hosted Absolute F1 but also anchored the pre-and-post race coverage in South Africa. 

Martinengo’s knowledge of the sport impressed him when on Ballz Visual Radio, presenter Disi Fensham, formulated a question-and-answer session, which he answered with absolute certainty. Not a single answer was incorrect. Something that he thought was so impressive. 

Knowledge is power, and he continued to learn, more and more about Formula One consuming as much content as he could.

Then came the crushing blow: The Kyalami Grand Prix circuit was up for auction. He learned that a property developer intended to purchase the circuit and demolish its history. But, news soon broke that Porsche South Africa’s CEO Toby Venter saved the circuit. Thank You, Toby, he whispered! 

The Kyalami Grand Prix circuit after the 2015 upgrades.

Under new ownership, the Kyalami Grand Prix circuit underwent extensive facility upgrades in May 2015, and upon completion achieved FIA Grade 2 certification. An exciting, moment because South Africa could finally host some international championships, like the FIA World Endurance Championship, and the Intercontinental GT Challenge. 

His excitement was reignited when talks to bring Formula 1 back to South Africa in 2023 surfaced. Glued to social media, in the hope, he’d see any updates, he learned that F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and his delegation visited Kyalami, which to him signaled serious discussions. However, for various reasons, the deal fell through, and once again, the dream was dashed.

In the hope that he’d somehow find out how close South Africa actually came to hosting Formula 1, he discovered a blog post on Slipstream SA, where MSA Chairperson and FIA Senate Member Anton Roux revealed that a deal “was incredibly close. I think everything was agreed.” 

So close, and yet so far. But, hopefully, someday it could be a reality. Becoming more involved with Formula 1, he began to receive the latest news via e-mail, and noticed an interesting subject line ‘the Soweto Grand Prix’. He opened his laptop to learn that there was a new bid. But, upon further investigation, it seemed somewhat distant, because, like the Cape Town Grand Prix bid, roads would have to be upgraded, etc. as it would be a street circuit. 

As Formula One’s popularity began to grow, more and more countries placed bids to host the premier racing series, but none of them were in Africa. So, he hoped that one day, Africa or South Africa, could finally return to the calendar. 

In 2024, the newly elected coalition government, named ‘the Government of National Unity’, appointed a new Sport, Arts, and Culture Minister. The new Minister, Gayton McKenzie was quick to grab the attention of all motorsport fans when he replied to a question about Formula 1 in South Africa on social media platform X (formally known as Twitter), to which, he replied: "[…] my term will be a failure if I don’t bring one of the biggest sporting tourist events to South Africa which is F1."

During the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, Minister Gayton McKenzie took to X sharing that he had meetings with both Stefano Domencali and FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, saying: "Just completed a very important meeting with Stefano Domenicali, Formula One Group CEO. We are one step closer to bringing it to South Africa."

The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie with Panyaza Lesufi (Premier of Gauteng) with Toby Venter, CEO of Kyalami Grand Prix circuit (outside right) and Willie Venter (left alongside McKenzie).
PHOTO CREDIT: Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit.

With the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture eager to bring Formula One back to South Africa, the now all-grown-up kid’s hopes and beliefs were restored, as more and more people began to talk about the reality of Formula 1 in South Africa. 

A few weeks after the Minister’s social media remarks, a new Formula 1 bid came to the fore, "the Wakanda City Grand Prix”, which stated that “the centerpiece of the future smart city in the Eastern Cape. Styled on the likes of Dubai, Singapore, and Monaco, Wakanda will be developed on an idyllic 20,000-hectare beachfront site near Sunday’s River. The idea is to have Ferrari and Safari-themed parks, Hollywood and Disney-type movie studios, and a marina lagoon resort in typical African style."

To him, the prospect of a new purpose-built circuit in South Africa was such a thrilling idea, but as much as it sounds incredible, could it actually be a reality? He had his doubts!

The Sport, Arts and Culture Minister created so much hype in the country, as he attended various sporting and motorsport events, where he was asked about Formula One returning to South Africa. And, at a spinning event, he spoke to Lallies F1 and said: “I can tell you this, F1 is definitely coming (to South Africa). F1 told us they’re keen to come, they told us what they’ll need to come, and we are going to give them what they need to come.” He went on further to add that “there’s still a big fight at the moment. Is it Cape Town, or is it Joburg? That decision has not been taken.”

With a Minister hungry to bring Formula One back to South Africa, he asked himself the question. Should he believe the Minister? Because making a statement, versus reality is often quite far apart. His response was: ‘Yes because the Minister is a passionate motorsport fan like I am.’

Further bold steps came when the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie announced the formation of a Bid Steering Committee (BSC) to oversee and select a promoter, city, and track for a formal F1 bid.

Amid this, the CEO of the Kyalami Grand Prix circuit, Toby Venter revealed that the 4,522-kilometre circuit will undergo upgrades to achieve FIA Grade 1 certification, allowing it to host F1 races. "By the end of 2025, Kyalami will be F1 certified," Venter said.

Following on from the appointment of the BSC, the Cape Town Grand Prix SA (CTGPSA) announced the revival of their bid to host Formula One in the Green Point Sport Tourism Precinct, in Cape Town. 

Scrolling through social media, he saw that there was a hive of articles, about which South African city should host Formula One, quite an exciting thought. Further news reached him, that Minister McKenzie announced an extension to the submission deadline for the Request for Expression of Interest (RFEQI) for interested parties in South Africa’s Formula 1 Grand Prix bidding process from 31 January 2025 to 18 March 2025. 

A few days later, he learned that the Minister went on the record with Bloomberg.com, stating that South Africa plans to submit its bid in May (2025) to host Formula 1 as early as 2027 and that he has also spoken to potential sponsors to help raise $50 million to fund the bid.

With a Ministerial-backed initiative, a dedicated bid committee, and Kyalami’s FIA certification on the horizon, hope is stronger than ever. Was South Africa finally on the brink of hosting Formula One after over 30 years? For the boy who grew up with a passion for the sport, the dream never faded. And now, more than ever, it feels within reach.

Turkiye serves up thrilling finale with two new winners, whilst Johan Kristoffersson cements his name in history with a seventh title.

 Juha Rytkonen leads seven-time world champion Johan Kristtoffersson.
PHOTO CREDIT: PGRX

After eight intense rounds, the FIA World Rallycross Championship’s inaugural ‘Battle of Technologies’ drew to a thrilling conclusion at Istanbul Park in Turkiye for the season finale. Champions were crowned, and new winners stepped onto the podium.

Before diving into the weekend's details, in 2024 World Rallycross introduced a new concept called the 'Battle of Technologies' (BoT), where sustainably-fuelled internal-combustion engined cars would compete with fully electric-powered RX1e cars. This concept was first introduced at RallyX Nordic in 2021 in an Open 4WD Category, which proved to be quite exciting.

And, since the introduction of electric powertrains in 2022, World RX ushered in a new era with BoT, allowing teams the opportunity to choose between ICE or electric, some chose electric, which they had run just a season earlier, with a few upgrades of course, and Kristoffersson Motorsport chose ICE, developing an all-new Volkswagen Polo, named the KMS 601 RX. But, how they would fair was anyone’s guess, as electric cars pack an instant push with their immediate torque deployment, which at the start of races is essential to getting off the line cleanly, but as with any car there are strengths, and then there are weaknesses, and to balance the performance, the FIA together with World RX adopted the Equivalence of Technologies (EoT), meaning some cars would carry more weight or less weight to somewhat balance the performance. 

World RX ushered in the new era at the iconic Magic Weekend in Höljes, where six-time champion Johan Kristoffersson opened his account with a double victory kick-starting the BoT era in favor of internal combustion engined cars, but with a dominant drive on home soil, could the KMS-HORSE Powertrain squad continue the momentum throughout the season, as Johan Kristoffersson looks to defend the drivers’ championship.

As the season developed, a strange pattern emerged beginning in Hungary, at Round 2, where Niclas Gronholm claimed the first victory for EV cars, but a day later, it was Kristoffersson back on the top step of the podium, this pattern continued for the next four rounds, with both Kevin and Timmy Hansen claiming a win a-piece in Belgium and Portugal, but as was in Hungary, Kristoffersson claimed an event win at both double-headers, despite the high elevation handicap for ICE cars in Portugal, to firmly establish a healthy 49-points lead heading into the season finale in China. 

However, plans to race in China were scrapped in early October, with a move to Turkiye announced, all eyes turned to the world-class Istanbul Park for the season finale, and boy did it deliver! Having previously hosted World Rallycross in 2014 and 2015, the classic nine-year-old layout returned, a venue and track, at which Timmy Hansen who in 2015, and looked to return to winning ways in 2024, but straight from the off-set, it seemed like the Peugeot 208 RX1e struggled with the slippery nature of the circuit, and the KMS-HORSE Powertrain Polo’s were right on the money from Free Practice on Saturday morning with Kristoffersson and Ole Christian Veiby topping the standings, but could they retain the morning pace for the remainder of the day?

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

The cars began to line up in pre-grid ahead for the first heat race in Turkiye.

It was finally time for the penultimate round of the championship to commence, and boy did it commence, when Niclas Gronholm had a rocket launch, so did the Hansen brothers', whilst the ICE Polo’s had okay'ish launches, and almost immediately got stuck in some traffic, as Gronholm nailed the laps at the front of the field. The seas parted Kristoffersson, as his rivals took the Joker lap ahead, allowing him to somewhat close on the leader, but try as he might despite an early Joker strategy, it was not enough to beat ice-cool Niclas Gronholm who won the heat by 1.75 seconds to Johan, Timmy, Ole Christian Veiby and Kevin Hansen, who sustained a front right puncture after a battle with Veiby.

One heat down, and another about to get underway, it was three versus one, yeah, three internal-combustion engined Supercars taking on Klara Andersson, in her CE Dealerteam fully-electric RX1e car, and from lights out, Andersson nailed the start leading the two PGRX Hyundai i20's, with 2024 European Rallycross Champion Patrick O’Donovan left on the line due to an overheating clutch. 

After the start, it all became a bit dramatic, as PGRX team-mates ruled out any chances of a heat win following heavy contact between the two, whilst Patrick O’Donovan slid through on route to victory ahead of Andersson, Bossard, and Juha Rytkonen. 

With some data in the bank, and an opportunity to fine-tune the set-ups, the drivers returned to the 1.351.8-kilometer Istanbul Park track for the heat two races, with the slower seed first, and, as the lights went out Klara Andersson had a very good start, but incredibly, 2024 French Rallycross Champion Steven Bossard took the lead, with PGRX team-mate Juha Rytkonen right on his heels, as Andersson and O’Donovan took their compulsory joker immediately on the first lap. 

As the heat played out, Bossard extended his lead where he’d remain to the checkered flag by a mighty 3.586 seconds to Rytkonen, Andersson, and O’Donovan down in fourth. 

The championship protagonists were up next, and after a bad first heat for Kevin Hansen, heading into the final heat of Round 9, all Johan Kristoffersson required was to finish ahead of Kevin to be crowned the 2024 FIA World Rallycross Champion, but right as the lights went out, Timmy Hansen and younger brother Kevin had really good starts driving alongside each other into turn 1, blocking any path for a potential overtaking maneuver. 

Kevin immediately took his joker lap followed by Kristoffersson and Veiby, as Niclas Gronholm applied a ton of pressure to Timmy Hansen in front, Johan then began to close on Kevin, and with an over-under move, he overtook the young Swede, and began to pull away, as Veiby then had a look as well. And, in an attempt to clear and stay ahead of a charging Kristoffersson, Gronholm jokered to come out ahead, as they began to gain ground on leader Timmy Hansen, but incredibly enough, as the 2019 Champion rejoined from his compulsory joker, Niclas, and Kristoffersson was right behind him and both went in different directions to try and pull off an overtake in turn 6. Kristoffersson on the inside for turn 7 was able to pass Gronholm and then set his sights on Hansen ahead and biding his time, Johan slid through to take the heat win, and with it the 2024 Championship. 

Seven-time World RX Champion Johan Kristoffersson.
PHOTO CREDIT: KMS-HORSE Powertrain

Stepping out of the car after winning the heat, Kristoffersson was stunned that he had already wrapped up the championship telling Bryn Lucas, FIA World Rallycross reporter: "Is it done already? Wow!,” he said. “I didn't know. What a race to secure the championship, unbelievable!"

“First of all, that race was really, really nice. Had some great battles. This last section on this track... or the last section of the tarmac really creates a lot of great overtaking opportunities. And, when I was driving towards the hairpin, I saw the pictures of back in 2014 when Timmy (Hansen) and I, were driving towards that hairpin. So, it was a great heat."

After the two heats, Kristoffersson was not only the World Champion, but also the top qualifier, which would put him on pole position for the first semi-final, with Niclas Gronholm in pole for the second semi-final. 

Due to the slippery nature of the circuit, and the wet Hoosier tyre providing more initial grip, as it is a soft compound, all the drivers in the first semi-final bolted on a set, and like you’d imagine, Timmy Hansen, the sole EV car powered to the front, as Johan Kristoffersson and Steven Bossard tangled causing damage to the KMS 601 RX Polo’s front bumper and the left-hand side door, which swang open. 

Having played his cards smartly, as the race progressed, Ole Christian Veiby was able to clear the cars ahead of him and slot into second overall. And, with team game in mind, just before the checkered flag, Kristoffersson pulled aside to give Veiby the win, and with that pole position for the final. 

All eyes now turned to semi-final 2, could Kevin Hansen claw back vital points to secure second in the drivers championship after Veiby won the previous semi-final. Lights out, and away Klara and Kevin Hansen went, the Hansen Motorsport driver led through turn one, as Andersson and Patrick O’Donovan collided sending the Irishman spinning to the right. 

Opting to joker on lap 1, Andersson and O’Donovan tried to tactically gain some ground, but the pace out front was strong. Kevin Hansen won the semi-final by 1.247 seconds to Niclas Gronholm, with O’Donovan in third, and Klara Andersson’s hopes of progression to the final dashed with a fourth-place finish. 

The tension grew ahead of the all important final, a straight battle between Ole Christian Veiby and Kevin Hansen on the front row, but having struggled with his starts all day, just when he needed it most, the Norwegian produced the best launch all season out-dragging Kevin Hansen to turn one, as Johan Kristoffersson from the second row set his sights on the Peugeot ahead. 

Veiby didn’t put a single wheel out-of-place, as the gap grew and grew to Hansen, as Kristoffersson tried various attempts to overtake the younger of the two Hansen brothers’.and even attempted a dive bomb, but the door was shut, and Johan hit the tyre wall quite hard damaging his front bumper, but he recovered to third and later lost the podium finish after failing to complete the compulsory joker lap. 

But, after not putting a single foot wrong in the final, Ole Christian Veiby crossed the checkered flag six seconds ahead of the nearest pursuer, Niclas Gronholm to record his maiden World Rallycross victory. 

Round Nine winner Ole Christian Veiby
PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

“The day didn’t begin too well when Kevin [Hansen] and I fought a bit too much in the heats, but I got some help from Johan [Kristoffersson] in the semi-final and nailed the launch in the final,” Ole Christian Veiby said. “I told myself before that race, ‘come on, it’s time now – I need to win this one!’ We've been close [to a win] a couple of times now. We had a good fight with Timmy in Portugal, and it was close, but finally, I’ve achieved it.”

With round nine done and dusted, it was back to the computers to establish what could be done better for the final round of the doubleheader. And, with with the final overnight ideas brought to the circuit, the weather in Turkiye had other ideas. The heavens opened, and the circuit became ever more challening, but much like they started Saturday morning, just 24 hours earlier, the KMS-HORSE Powertrain drivers' topped the morning warm-up in preparation for the heats, semi-final, and final to follow.

It was time for some Heat action, Johan Kristoffersson started from the pole with Kevin Hansen, round nine winner OC Veiby alongside him, then Timmy Hansen and Niclas Gronholm, a battle of 2 ICE powered cars versus 3 electric cars, let the battle begin! 

The Hansen Peugeots had very good launches, but with the inside line, and a good start, Johan Kristoffersson took the lead, as the Hansen brothers covered off Veiby in fourth and Gronholm in fifth, but opting for a tactical advantage, Timmy and OC immediately took their joker lap, and with defensive drive, he was able to slow the Norwegian enough for his younger brother Kevin to take the joker a lap later and leap ahead on track. Back at the front, Kristoffersson was large and in charge gapping the cars behind so much so that he crossed the line 8.409 seconds ahead of Kevin Hansen, Niclas Gronholm, OC Veiby, and Timmy Hansen in a distant fifth with a front left puncture. 

Timmy was not impressed with Veiby’s driving in heat 1, saying: “The first overtake was good. The second overtake until he [OC], pushed me into the tyre wall was good, but then dirty. He is just nervous so he makes many mistakes.”

The rain continued to fall at Istanbul Park ahead of the second heat 1 race, which saw CE Dealer Team’s Klara Andersson have yet another good launch, but PGRX’s Juha Rytkonen’s launch was a lot better, and he immediately took the lead. As the laps ticked by the Finn remained comfortably in control crossing the finish line by 2.777s to Andersson, Patrick O’Donovan, and Steven Bossard, who encountered a wastegate issue with his PGRX Hyundai i20.

Heading into Heat 2, the battle for second in the Drivers’ Championship continued, whilst all the KMS-HORSE Powertrain drivers just required a handful of points, they would though have to wait, with the first race of Heat 2 up first, and with the rain continuing to fall, ice cool Rytkonen had yet another blistering start with team-mate Bossard alongside, but contact between the two sent Juha into the wall at turn 1, and ricocheting into Klara Andersson, who momentarily went airborne and spun. 

And, whilst Steven Bossard scampered off into the distance. With a first lap joker, Patrick O’Donovan began to draw ever closer to the Frenchman, but with a few laps remaining, Bossard began to slow, the cause, a front left puncture. O’Donovan quickly overtook Bossard, and sailed off into the distance by an eyewatering 31 seconds to Klara Andersson who eventually finished in second ahead of Bossard, and Rytkonen [DNF].

The rain continued to fall for the second and final heat race of the season, from pole position Niclas Gronholm had the inside line with Kristoffersson on the outside compared to his rivals.

From the outside, Kevin Hansen and Kristoffersson had very good starts, whilst alongside them on the inside, OC Veiby was turned sideways as a result of contact with Timmy Hansen, as Kristoffersson backed off to perform a brilliant undercut, as Timmy and Ole Christian ran wide with their contact. 

Kevin Hansen led the way from Niclas Gronholm, Johan Kristoffersson, Timmy Hansen, and OC Veiby. On the first lap, Gronholm and Timmy immediately took their joker lap, clearing the way for Kristoffersson to move into second and Veiby third. With more pace and grip, Johan attempted an over-under-over move on Kevin Hansen to try and snatch the lead, but the Peugeot driver kept his cool and shut the door. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

On entry to the dirt section, the KMS-HORSE Powertrain driver again began to push Kevin along, and with more traction, he tried another move sending his Polo sideways around the outside of Kevin into turn 9, the two make contact, and Kristoffersson hit the inside barrier, where he’s race ended prematurely, whilst Kevin Hansen was facing the barrier and needed to engage reverse to recover. Ole Christian Veiby with a wider line avoided all the carnage and took the lead. Right behind him was Gronholm who had already jokered on lap one, and he would have to pull a gap to retain the lead when he jokers. The Norwegian then began to push gapping Gronholm, whilst Timmy Hansen then closed to overtake the Finn, to claim second at the drop of the checkered flag, Gronholm third, Kevin fourth, and Kristoffersson could not finish due to rear right suspension and brake damage.

Victory in the heat sealed the Teams’ Championship for the KMS-HORSE Powertrain squad, with Patrick O’Donovan securing the top qualifier spot ahead of the all-important semi-finals and final.

But as more rain began to fall teams quickly made some final adjustments ahead of the semi-finals, only six drivers will make the final, and three will be eliminated after the semi-finals. 

Lights out, and away they went, and from the second row Niclas Gronholm had a lightning start to lead into turn one ahead of pole-sitter Patrick O’Donovan and Johan Kristofferson, but O’Donovan quickly jokered with Bossard on lap one, clearing the way for OC Veiby to gain third after his bad start. 

Kristoffersson immediately began to attack Gronholm trying all sorts of alternative lines, but a small mistake from Niclas allowed Johan to squeeze through and take the lead. On lap 3, Veiby took his joker, and came out comfortably ahead of O’Donovan and Bossard. Bossard was able to overtake O’Donovan, who ran very wide at turn 4. 

After his joker lap, Veiby closed on Gronholm rapidly and overtook the Finn, as he jokered, moving into second place, whilst Bossard took the attack to Gronholm, but the latter won the exchange, as the PGRX driver stopped on track. 

With just a few corners to go, Kristoffersson played the ultimate team game and pulled aside just before the checkered flag to allow his teammate OC Veiby to take the semi-final win, and with those handy points in the fight for second in the championship, Kristoffersson settling for a second row start with Gronholm in third [final row], and O’Donovan and Bossard going no further. 

The Hansen brothers’ lined-up in the second semi-final on the second row, but Kevin would have to win to avoid losing points to Veiby, and as the lights went out, Klara Andersson had a very good initial launch, but again Juha Rytkonen powered to the lead, as Andersson and Timmy collided at turn 1 allowing Kevin to move into second. 

Both Klara Andersson and Timmy Hansen took their compulsory jokers on lap one, but it was clear to see that the CE Dealer Team driver struggled on the wet gravel sections, and as quick as she made a mistake, Timmy slid through to take third, but ahead of him was Rytkonen pulling away from his younger brother. 

Rytkonen and Kevin Hansen opted for a last lap joker, but that did not pay off for Kevin, as  Timmy was able to take net second, and later moved aside for his younger brother to gain the important championship points, which meant, Rytkonen would start the all-important final from pole position with Kevin on the second row, Timmy on the final row, and unfortunately, Andersson would go no further. 

With the drivers’ and teams’ championship all but secure, the battle for second and third in the drivers’ championship was hot, all Ole Christian Veiby required was to finish two places ahead of Kevin Hansen to claim second overall in the drivers' championship. 

The tension was high, the rainy mood was set, who would win the final round of 2024 ‘Battle of Technologies’, and could the KMS-HORSE Powertrain squad complete the perfect 1-2 in the Drivers’ Championship and Teams’ Championship?

Juha Rytkonen leads to turn one, with OC Veiby still on the start line.
PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

It all comes down to this. A wet track meant there was no other option, but to run the soft compound wet weather tyre. All eyes on the light, could Ole Christian Veiby get the dream start, he had just 24 hours earlier, that was soon answered, as the Norwegian bogged off the line, with Juha Rytkonen bolting off into the lead, and Johan Kristoffersson hot on his heels. Playing it smart in an attempt to gain some positions later on in the final, Kevin Hansen and Veiby immediately took their compulsory jokers.

Kristoffersson applied some pressure with mud flinging onto his windscreen, visibility became challenging, but that didn’t stop him from trying to close on the Finn. Timmy Hansen then began to gap Niclas Gronholm and take his joker on lap 2, and with perfect execusion, Timmy emerged behind younger brother to keep Veiby at bay.

Following Niclas, Kevin Hansen spotted a mistake from the CE Dealer Team driver and moved into net third, as Veiby attempted to pass Timmy, but they too drew closer to Gronholm, and then Timmy sents it up the inside making the move stick for fourth-place – OC Veiby tried to follow him through, but as a result of some contact, he got rotated on the barrier at the pinch point dropping him to stone last. 

But, try as he might, he kept pushing and slowly began to gain of Gronholm, but lost too much time as a result of the spin, and ended up behind Gronholm after the Finn’s joker. 

Back at the front, Juha Rytkonen took the checkered flag 3.026 seconds ahead of seven-time World Champion Johan Kristoffersson, with Kevin Hansen in third, and with second in the drivers’ championship secured. Behind the top three were Timmy Hansen in fourth, Niclas Gronholm fifth, and Ole Christian Veiby in sixth-place. 

"Winning a World Rallycross Championship event for the first time is a difficult feeling to describe. It's hard to find the words and I have to admit that I'm the first to be surprised at the idea of having achieved such a performance. On Saturday, in the first race of the weekend, we had a few problems. It was difficult to find my bearings behind the wheel, but Sunday went much better. I felt really comfortable with the car and that allowed me to drive at my own pace," Rytkonen said.

"Inevitably, the wet track conditions also worked in my favour, as the second half of the season in the French championship has mostly been marked by rain. In other words, I had some obvious reference points on how to use the car in limited grip conditions."

"I'd like to thank the PGRX team for the confidence they have shown in me throughout the season. On Sunday I had the speed to go for the win and that's what I did. In the end I don't know what to say except that I'm very happy. Being up against the best drivers in the world could only push me out of my comfort zone. I had to push myself to the limit and I'm really proud to have won ahead of the last two reigning champions, Johan Kristoffersson and Timmy Hansen. To be honest, I hope to be back in the FIA World Championship as soon as possible."

The result not only made it two new World RX winners in as many days – following OC Veiby’s breakthrough win on Saturday – it also marked the first time since 2021 that Kristoffersson ended a weekend without having stood on the top step of the podium.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

The inaugural season of the ‘Battle of Technologies’ successfully concluded in Turkiye, and it is safe to say that sustainably-fuelled internal-combustion cars were the overall winner, but with data now collected after the 2024 championship. Teams and their drivers will go back to the drawing board to find and extract more performance for the 2025 season, which is set to begin with the inaugural ice-racing event at Trois-Rivières in Canada on 23-25 January.

FINAL CLASSIFICATION - WORLD RX OF TURKIYE 

ROUND NINE - FINAL RESULT: 

1. Ole Christian Veiby - KMS - Horse Powertrain (ICE)

2. Niclas Gronholm - CE Dealer Team (EV) + 6.017s

3. Kevin Hansen - Hansen World RX Team (EV) +7.654s

4. Timmy Hansen - Hansen World RX Team (EV) + 10.991s

5. Patrick O’Donovan - Team RX Racing (ICE) + 11.811s

6. Johan Kristoffersson - KMS - Horse Powertrain (ICE) + 6.768s*

* Classified in last position and -1 championship points penalty for not taking joker lap

ROUND TEN - FINAL RESULT

1. Juha Rytkonen - PGRX (ICE) 5 laps

2. Johan Kristoffersson - KMS - Horse Powertrain (ICE) + 3.026s

3. Timmy Hansen - Hansen World RX Team (EV) + 12.428s

4. Kevin Hansen - Hansen World RX Team (EV) +14.465s

5. Niclas Gronholm - CE Dealer Team (EV) + 18.783s

6. Ole Christian Veiby - KMS - Horse Powertrain (ICE) + 19.370s

2024 FIA WORLD RX - FINAL DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS:

1) Johan Kristoffersson (KMS-HORSE Powertrain) - 240 POINTS

2) Kevin Hansen (Hansen World RX Team) - 197

3) Ole Christian Veiby (KMS-HORSE Powertrain) - 190

4) Timmy Hansen (Hansen World RX Team) - 181

5) Niclas Gronholm (CE Dealer Team) - 177

6) Klara Andersson (CE Dealer Team) - 145

7) Rene Munnich (ALL-INLK Munnich Motorsport) - 76

8) Anthony Pelfrene (JDM Raptor Racing) - 71

9) Juha Rytkonen (PGRX Team) - 36

10) Gustav Bergstrom (Kristoffersson Motorsport) - 33

11) Jankó Wieszt (Impossible RX Team) - 28

12) Patrick O'Donovan - 27

13) Steven Bossard (PGRX) - 16

14) Sondre Evjen (Kristoffersson Motorsport) - 15

2024 FIA WORLD RX - TEAMS' FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS:

1) KMS-HORSE Powertrain - 430 POINTS

2) Hansen World RX Team - 378

3) CE Dealer Team - 322

PREVIEW: Kristoffersson hunts seventh crown at season finale in Türkiye.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

It all comes down to this... For one final time in 2024, the FIA World Rallycross Championship's 'Battle of Technologies' reaches its climax with the championship-deciding double-header in Türkiye.  

With a handy 46-point lead heading into the title decider, Johan Kristoffersson stands on the brink of an extraordinary seventh title. 

This year, the Super Swede has not had it all his own way with the challenging 'Battle of Technologies' concept, where sustainably fuelled, internal combustion-engined cars would go up against electric machinery but with his wealth of experience and skill, he overcame any obstacle, to quite comfortably lead the championship. And, following on from a two-month break, the championship returns in Turkey, but nothing can be taken for granted.

Kristoffersson's main championship rival is none other than Kevin Hansen who leads the EV charge, and last time out in Montalegre, he quite confidently showed that he is no walkover, finishing third, and returning just a day later to register his first win of the season after an intense battle with Johan Kristoffersson. 

Ole Christian Veiby, currently third in the drivers' championship has been a regular front-runner this season but has the 2015 World RX of Turkey event winner Timmy Hansen hot on his heels, just two points a drift. 

Behind the top four, are CE Dealer Team's duo Niclas Grönholm and Klara Andersson who have had blistering launches and shown fine form on occasion – with the Finn winning in Hungary, and Andersson coming within a whisker of doing the same on home soil at Höljes. 

With the surprise omission of Rene Munnich and Anthony Pelfrene on the final entry list, there are intriguing and exciting additions, the likes of reigning Euro RX1 and British RX Champion Patrick O'Donovan, ice-cool but fast Juha Rytkönen, who finished second to Kristoffersson on home soil in Kouvala in 2020, and newly-crowned French champion Steven Bossard, who will line up for PGRX (Hyundai i20s).

Who will come out on top at the 1.35km Istanbul Park Circuit? LET THE BATTLE COMMENCE!

THE TRACK: ISTANBUL PARK

THE TRACK INFORMATION:

Track Length: 1,351.8 meters in length

Number of Corners: 14 

Tarmac/Dirt: 58%/42%

Previous Winner [2015]: Timmy Hansen

World RX Debut: 2014

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

TALK THE TALK:

KMS-HORSE Powertrain

DRIVER: Johan Kristoffersson: 

"Nothing is settled yet. As I remember it, it was tight at the start and very slippery on the gravel. I will keep my cool, be patient and try to stay out of trouble, but in addition to my own result, we will also try to get Ole Christian up on the podium."

DRIVER: Ole Christian Veiby

"The goal is to maintain the medal position, but with a little luck, it is quite possible to finish second as well. It would of course be fun to finish at the highest level and to win a race for a change. I think this track can suit us quite well. The slippery surface can be an advantage for us. Competitive drivers, and all fighting for the points. That can be positive."

HANSEN WORLD RX TEAM

DRIVER: Timmy Hansen

“It is the final race of the season, and it feels like we’re on good form. At the last two events this year both Kevin and I have won a race each, and the car is feeling great. I’ve always enjoyed the track in Istanbul. I took pole position in both Finals the two times we have been there and went on to take the win in 2015. I’m very excited to go back. Hopefully, we can dial everything in and secure two podium finishes in the championship.”

DRIVER: Kevin Hansen

“I’m very excited for Türkiye and I enjoyed the track when I drove it in RX2. Türkiye is a big motorsport-loving country, so it’s great to have the World Championship there and open to the public. A great run last time out in Portugal in September means we’re extremely positive, but we may struggle with the extra weight of the electric car at this track. With three good drivers joining I also think it will be great entertainment. Hopefully, we can leave with a double win and at least second place in the championship standings.”

CE DEALER TEAM 

DRIVER: Niclas Grönholm

“Our goal in Türkiye is to get back to the strong performance we showed at the start of the season. A third-place finish in the drivers' championship is still within reach, so I'll be pushing hard for that and of course the teams’ championship. The track is new to me, so there will probably be a learning curve throughout the weekend, but we're determined to end the season on a high note"

DRIVER: Klara Andersson

"I am excited to be back racing again. It's my first time in Türkiye, and a new track for me, which is a thrilling new challenge. Our goals and ambitions are high, we want to finish the season on top and score as many points as possible. Of course, it’s tough with a larger field and many fast drivers. Hopefully, we’ve learned from the past two weekends and can show the true potential of this groundbreaking team."

2024 FIA WORLD RX OF TURKIYE: ENTRY LIST

Johan Kristoffersson (KMS-Horse Powertrain) - VW Polo KMS 601 RX

Ole Christian Veiby (KMS-Horse Powertrain) - VW Polo KMS 601 RX

Timmy Hansen (Hansen World RX Team) - Peugeot 208 RX1e

Kevin Hansen (Hansen World RX Team) - Peugeot 208 RX1e

Niclas Gronholm (CE Dealer Team) - PWR RX1e

Klara Andersson (CE Dealer Team) - PWR RX1e

Patrick O'Donovan (Team RX Racing) - Peugeot 208 WRX

Juha Rytkonen (PGRX) - Hyundai i20

Steven Bossard (PGRX) - Hyundai i20

Round 9 & 10 - World RX of Turkiye (CAT Times)

SATURDAY:

HEAT 1: 11:00

HEAT 2: 13:00

SEMI-FINAL: 15:00

FINAL: 15:42

PODIUM + CLOSER: 15:50

SUNDAY:

HEAT 1: 10:30

HEAT 2: 12:00

SEMI-FINAL: 12:00

FINAL: 15:42

PODIUM + CLOSER: 15:50

2024 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS - CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS [AFTER ROUND 8]:

1) Johan Kristoffersson (KMS-HORSE Powertrain) - 206 POINTS

2) Kevin Hansen (Hansen World RX Team) - 160

3) Ole Christian Veiby (KMS-HORSE Powertrain) - 149

4) Timmy Hansen (Hansen World RX Team) - 147

5) Niclas Gronholm (CE Dealer Team) - 139

6) Klara Andersson (CE Dealer Team) - 122

7) Rene Munnich (ALL-INLK Munnich Motorsport) - 76

8) Anthony Pelfrene (JDM Raptor Racing) - 71

9) Gustav Bergstrom (Kristoffersson Motorsport) - 33

10) Jankó Wieszt (Impossible RX Team) - 28

11) Sondre Evjen (Kristoffersson Motorsport) - 15

A win a piece for Kristoffersson and Hansen in action-packed Montalegre.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

Montalegre never fails to produce sensational racing, and boy did the ‘Battle of Technologies’ deliver at Rounds 7 and 8 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship, truly showcasing the respective strengths of World RX’s electric and sustainably-fuelled internal combustion cars with rocket launches, sends, and awe-inspiring overtakes. 

Approaching the weekend, it was pretty evident that the sustainably-fuelled internal combustion cars would be throttled due to the high-altitude nature of the Portuguese track, but with the FIA's Equivalence of Technology (EoT), they decided that by adding 160 kilograms to the electric-powered cars, and lighten the ICE cars by 160 kilograms would be somewhat balance the field. 

Broken rear left on Kristoffersson's KMS 601 RX Supercar.
PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

ROUND 7 (DAY 1) - A Champions Drive! 

Johan Kristoffersson, a four-time winner in Montalegre entered the weekend with a fairly healthy 39-point lead in the drivers' championship.

Kicking off the action on Saturday morning, Kristoffersson led the charge in morning practice leading Anthony Pelfrene by 0.074 seconds closely followed by Timmy Hansen and Niclas Gronholm.... 

HEAT 1

In the afternoon, the first heat got underway, and right from the get-go, it was pretty evident that the electric-powered cars, had an edge, as both KMS-HORSE Powertrain drivers' had good launches, but nothing compared to the Hansen brothers' who fended off any attack from behind on the run to turn one, but in a never give up drive, six-time champion Kristoffersson passed the Hansen brothers' using an alternative joker lap strategy, with Kevin Hansen finishing second just ahead of his brother Timmy and OC Veiby in fourth. 

The second race was a similar affair, as Niclas Gronholm dominated right from lights out, despite his team-mate Klara Andersson getting the better launch. The two CE Dealerteam drivers covered off turn one, as Andersson and Munnich immediately took a joker lap. Andersson's pace was so good that she instantly closed on a slowing Anthony Pelfrene, but couldn't challenge her untouchable team-mate for the race win, as Pelfrene hung onto third just ahead of Rene Munnich bringing up the rear. 

HEAT 2

With data to digest and improvements to find, the drivers and teams had a short break before heading into Heat 2 with the orders reversed after Heat 1. Lining up from the pole, was Anthony Pelfrene this time around, with Rene Munnich, Klara Andersson, and Niclas Gronholm on the outside, but starting from the outside meant nothing for the Finn, as he launched off the line and comfortably made it to turn one where he would remain to the checkered flag ahead of Pelfrene, Munnich and team-mate Andersson.

Having demonstrated their strong starts in the earlier session, the Hansen World RX team drivers lined up from first and second on the grid, with the KMS drivers' on the outside. Could they control this with masterful teamwork, as seen in Mettet? They certainly had very good launches, but Kristoffersson hung it around the outside, as Timmy Hansen immediately jokered, but on the run through the "full send" turn seven to eight section, Kevin Hansen had a slight moment, and with it came a bold move from Kristoffersson, who tried an alternate line and squeezed his way through to take the lead where he would remain to a final lap carrying a front left puncture across the finish line, but comfortably ahead of rival Timmy Hansen, who jokered on lap 1 finishing ahead of his younger brother Kevin and OC Veiby in fourth. 

THE SEMI-FINALS

Much like the heats, the semi-finals were quite action-packed, as a wet track provided challenging conditions in semi-final 1, with Kevin Hansen leading pretty much from start to end, as Kristoffersson tried piling on the pressure, but ultimately picked up a rear right suspension issue on the final lap, and came very close to finishing third after an overtake from Anthony Pelfrene, however, a squeeze up the inside saw the six-time champion rotate Anthony and continue on finishing second ahead of Rene Munnich, and Pelfrene in fourth after recovering for the incident with Johan.

Untouchable in the heats, CE Dealerteam's Gronholm continued his strong form leading to turn one, with Klara Andersson trying to slot in behind, but OC Veiby and Timmy Hansen had other ideas and immediately opted for a first lap joker, and after a last lap joker, Veiby gained second finishing just 0.279 seconds behind Niclas, after the 2019 champion made a costly mistake in turn 8, and finished third with Andersson finished in fourth, and like Rene Munnich, her day came to a premature end. But, the door to the final was ajar, as the KMS-HORSE Powertrain mechanics raced against time to fix Kristoffersson's KMS 601 RX Supercar for the final. Could they make it? They certainly did! The mechanics replaced a broken wheel, caliper, damper, hub, shaft, and bottom control arm on the left-hand-side of the Polo in EIGHT MINUTES, and continued work in the pre-grid cleaning the windscreen and windows for better visibility,, and applied some tank tape on the damaged rear bumper.

FINAL

From pole position, a win was within sight for Niclas Gronholm, who yet again had a great start and led on the run to turn one, as Johan Kristoffersson lost out to the Hansen brothers, and decided to squeeze around the outside of Kevin Hansen to slot into third, but the younger of the Hansen brothers immediately took the joker. 

Following Gronholm was a quick and determined Kristoffersson with Timmy Hansen and OC Veiby following in third and fourth. The latter stalled his KMS Supercar at the start.

Heading through the final corner on lap one, Timmy Hansen was right on the rear of Kristoffersson, but as the dust kicked up in front, he hit the outside barrier very hard sending a few tyre bails onto the track and into the path of OC Veiby.

Timmy would go no further - DNF.

But, as the lap ticked over, Gronholm continued to lead quite convincingly, with Johan Kristoffersson chasing in second, but with a joker in hand for both Niclas and Johan, either of them could go one lap earlier to try and get clean air for an undercut, and on lap four, Kristoffersson dove into the joker merging just ahead of Kevin Hansen who ran wide in avoidance. If the Finn wanted to take the win, he'd have to beat the Volkswagen Polo driver with a last-lap joker, but that was not to be. He crossed the checkered flag 0.3 seconds behind the six-time champion with Kevin Hansen in third ahead of Veiby, and Munnich in fifth. 

"This is a real team victory after an amazing job to get my car back onto the grid for the final," Kristoffersson said. "Montalegre is such an enjoyable circuit to drive and the Volkswagen has always suited the track well, and we spent the past few weeks looking at everything we could do to be as fast as possible. Niclas [Grönholm] had great pace in the final, but I just managed to make the difference when it mattered."

Victory in Round Seven meant Kristoffersson carried a 48-point lead into Round Eight. 

ROUND SEVEN - WORLD RX OF PORTUGAL FINALS RESULT:

1. Johan Kristoffersson - KMS - Horse Powertrain (ICE)

2. Niclas Gronholm - CE Dealer Team (EV) + 0.398s

3. Kevin Hansen - Hansen World RX Team (EV) + 2.895s

4. Ole Christian Veiby - KMS - Horse Powertrain (ICE) + 5.654s

5. René Munnich - ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport (ICE) + 12.374s

DNF Timmy Hansen - Hansen World RX Team (EV) + 4 laps

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

ROUND 8 (DAY 2) - Kevin Strikes Back With Defensive Masterclass!

If Saturday was anything to go by, then the electric-powered cars would once again have an advantage over their sustainably-fuelled internal combustion-engine counterparts with starts, and the long run down the main straight to turn one. 

After overnight repair work and some minor set-up changes in an attempt to find more pace, drivers had two laps to dial themselves in during the customary morning warm-up session, in which, Kevin Hansen laid out his intentions by topping the session, but by a slim 0.044s to Johan Kristoffersson. 

HEAT ONE

With the grid set, Kristoffersson lined up from pole position with Kevin Hansen alongside, then Ole Christian Veiby, and Niclas Gronholm. The latter was once again lighting quick off the line, fighting with Kevin, and despite their start struggles, it was like the sea parted for Kristoffersson, as Niclas and Kevin tangled into turn one with both running wide. 

Ole Christian Veiby immediately took the joker lap trying to use clean air to his advantage, as his team-mate Johan posted a 41.3, 41.5, 41.3, and 41.5 laps, the fastest of the session. On lap four, Hansen took his joker and came out behind Veiby, but with just one lap remaining and the top 2 were yet to joker, who could gain a position? Well, on the joker merge, Veiby was able to jump Gronholm and finish 2.1 seconds behind his KMS team-mate and keep Gronholm and Hansen at bay. 

One down, and one to go, race two saw Timmy Hansen start from pole position with Klara Andersson on his outside followed by Rene Munnich and Anthony Pelfrene, as the lights went out, it was clear once again, the internal combustion engine cars struggled to keep up with the instant torque from their electric RX1e counterparts. 

Klara Andersson had a very good start and led the race initially, but once the joker strategies played out, the picture changed slightly. Rene Munnich opted for a first lap joker, and Timmy a second lap joker, using clean air to gain ground, if not overtake Klara who would have to respond. The CE Dealerteam driver responded just a lap later but had a poor turn one, and her entry into the joker was bad, which meant she lost around two seconds to Hansen and was ultimately overtaken, as he took the lead and won by 1.6 seconds. Behind them was a close fight for third and fourth, as Anthony Pelfrene followed Andersson into the joker, and merged right alongside Rene Munnich, the latter had to settle for fourth. 

HEAT TWO

For those at the top of the standing, the second heat was essential to seal the deal and lock out a front-row spot for the semi-finals, as Eminem says "One chance, one opportunity to cease everything you've ever wanted". Well, it's a similar situation for those behind, who want to gain important points, and the drivers fighting for overall victory to rubber-stamp a front-row start for the semi-finals, which could prove vital. 

A reverse starting order to heat one, saw Anthony Pelfrene start from pole position in the first heat two race, he had a good launch but didn't quite have the legs on Timmy Hansen who led into turn one, while Klara Andersson and Pelfrene fought for second place, the CE Dealerteam driver took a first lap joker aiming to use clean air to gain some ground, but it wasn't a clean joker lap at all, and a lap later, Anthony ducked into the joker, but also had scruffing run, nearly ending in the wall, which allowed Andersson to make up some ground and just about get ahead of the Peugeot 208 driver at the merge. Timmy Hansen controlled from the front where he would remain to the checkered flag with Rene Munnich in a surprising second followed by Pelfrene who muscled his way passed Andersson on the final lap. 

Having won his heat two race, Timmy moved up the rankings with 10 points, and if Johan Kristoffersson were to win race two, they would be tied on 10 points a piece, and lock out the front row of the grid for the semi-finals, but Kevin Hansen had other ideas. 

Yet again, the RX1e cars rocketed off the line, but having started from fourth, Kristoffersson tried an outside line, and squeezed into second, as Hansen immediately took the joker lap to use clean air to his advantage. As the laps ticked on, Johan tried multiple times to overtake leader Niclas, and when he finally made a move, it allowed him and Veiby to clear Gronholm. The latter immediately fell into the clutches of Kevin Hansen. 

And, with his front bumper partially hanging off, Kristoffersson was able to eke out a few tenths, but a last-lap joker for the KMS driver was not enough, as Kevin Hansen won by 0.9 seconds from Johan, Ole Christian, and Niclas in fourth. 

THE SEMI-FINALS

The Hansen World RX team had one clear target, and that was to take a win or the best result possible, and having taken the top qualifiers spot, Timmy Hansen started from pole position in the first semi-final with his younger brother alongside, then Anthony Pelfrene and Andersson on the outside, unfortunately, one would have to miss out, should they fail to finish in the top three.

Timmy and Kevin both had good starts and blocked all possibilities of squeezing through at turn one, as they led 1-2, while Anthony Pelfrene immediately took his joker lap. Kevin, Timmy, and Klara continued on the standard lap, but they immediately started gapping the CE Dealerteam driver, who started falling into the clutches of Pelfrene who was running in fourth. 

Kevin won semi-final one quite convincingly ahead of his older brother Timmy, as Pelfrene despite a rear right puncture passed Klara Andersson to secure a place in the final, but after further investigation by the FIA Stewards, it was deemed that he had left the track at turn 10, gained a position in the process, therefore, would be ducted a position, which meant his final result would be a fourth-place finish and no further progression.

Having accrued the second most points after the two heats, Johan Kristoffersson was on pole for the second semi-final with team-mate OC Veiby alongside then Rene Munnich and Niclas Gronholm. A case of three versus one, but yet again, EV ruled, and Gronholm powered to the lead at turn one ahead of Kristoffersson and Ole Christian. The latter took a first-lap joker. 

As the semi-final progressed clean air worked wonders for Veiby who posted fast laps as he inched close to the leading pack, and on lap 3, Gronholm and Munnich took their joker lap, unleashing Kristoffersson, whilst Ole Christian moved into second, and despite his best efforts of extending his margin to his team-mate, with a final lap joker, Ole Christian Veiby took the semi-final two victory ahead of Johan, Niclas and Rene Munnich. 

THE FINALE

In the all-important final, Kevin Hansen started from pole position with Ole Christian Veiby alongside him. Then Timmy and Kristoffersson were on row 2, and the CE Dealerteam locked out the third row. 

As the lights went green, Ole Christian Veiby had a very good launch, but the electric-powered cars were a lot stronger on the long straight, as they had been all weekend, and passed both KMS drivers'. 

Timmy Hansen led OC, Niclas, and Klara, exiting turn one, while Kevin and Kristoffersson opted for a first-lap joker. Seeing an opportunity Ole Christian squeezed his way into the lead, but on the run to turn one, Hansen immediately fought back to retake the lead, as Klara Andersson took her joker on lap 2. 

Kristoffersson was on the rear bumper trying every line to force a mistake from Kevin Hansen, but the young Swede did not crack under pressure covering off every move, whilst behind them Niclas Gronholm suffered a puncture, and later pulled over. 

The six-time champion continued to apply pressure to Kevin but into turn one, the Hansen World RX driver slowed momentarily as his older brother and OC took their joker laps, but it wasn't enough, as Kevin crossed the line ahead of Kristoffersson by 0.2 seconds, behind them Timmy and OC went side to side, with the latter ending in the barrier in the penultimate corner. The 2019 champion finished third with Klara Andersson in fourth, Veiby recovering to fifth, and a DNF for Niclas Gronholm. 

"Finally my first win with an electric Peugeot. I had a really good car all weekend, we didn't have to change much, and for sure we had some strengths down to Turn 1 so we just tried to maximize the opportunity," Kevin Hansen said.

"There was a lot of guessing and a lot of being completely blind in that Final, and we had to defend but couldn't defend too much if we were going to catch up to the leaders. A tricky Final but that just makes the win feel even better."

The incident between Timmy and Ole Christian was investigated after the race, but the FIA Stewards deemed that no further action would be taken. 

"He overtook me, I got past again on the last lap, but then he hit my front wheel which broke my drive shaft . I only had rear wheel drive at the end. It was a shame. I think I deserved more today and would have been able to fight for the victory if only I had been able to push straight away," Ole Christian Veiby said.

ROUND EIGHT - WORLD RX OF PORTUGAL FINALS RESULT

1. Kevin Hansen - Hansen World RX Team (EV) 

2. Johan Kristoffersson - KMS - Horse Powertrain (ICE) + 0.271s

3. Timmy Hansen - Hansen World RX Team (EV) + 2.045s

4. Klara Andersson - CE Dealer Team (EV) + 7.447s

5. Ole Christian Veiby - KMS - Horse Powertrain (ICE) + 26.272s

DNF Niclas Gronholm - CE Dealer Team (EV) + 1 lap

2024 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS - CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS [AFTER ROUND 8]:

1) Johan Kristoffersson (KMS-HORSE Powertrain) - 206 POINTS

2) Kevin Hansen (Hansen World RX Team) - 160

3) Ole Christian Veiby (KMS-HORSE Powertrain) - 149

4) Timmy Hansen (Hansen World RX Team) - 147

5) Niclas Gronholm (CE Dealer Team) - 139

6) Klara Andersson (CE Dealer Team) - 122

7) Rene Munnich (ALL-INLK Munnich Motorsport) - 76

8) Anthony Pelfrene (JDM Raptor Racing) - 71

9) Gustav Bergstrom (Kristoffersson Motorsport) - 33

10) Jankó Wieszt (Impossible RX Team) - 28

11) Sondre Evjen (Kristoffersson Motorsport) - 15