Kristoffersson signs off season with dominant drive in Germany.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

They say records are meant to be broken... Well! This weekend five-time World Champion Johan Kristoffersson concluded a dominant season at the World RX of Germany with an eighth victory from ten rounds. 

Kristoffersson’s weekend at the Nürburgring was not flawless – he picked up a five-second penalty for cutting a corner in heat two on Saturday – but, the Swede was unquestionably the class of the field.

On Saturday, the Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS driver pulled a full eight tenths-of-a-second faster than his nearest rival in the SuperPole shootout, before pacing two of the three heats and winning both his progression race and semi-final.

After exiting a chaotic first few corners of the final in the lead, the result was never truly in doubt, and Kristoffersson duly edged away from his pursuers to take the chequered flag more than a second-and-a-half clear to claim a 35th career victory.

"It was a very good weekend," Kristoffersson said. "This is a victory for all of the people who have been involved in this project. When the team provides me with a great car every weekend I feel comfortable and can do my homework.Then we are hard to beat."

"Every win we’ve achieved has been for our loyal partners and everybody involved in this project who put the whole package together from zero. When they build a car I can trust and that gives me the confidence to push, I can simply focus on doing my job.

"Many of those people were on-site and seeing the car that they built race for the first time. That was a very nice feeling, as was sharing the Teams’ Championship podium with my dad. It’s been some years since I joined papa on the podium at a rallycross event – the last time was back when he was driving, so that is a memory we will share for the rest of our lives."

Kevin Hansen emerged in second place after the usual pushing and shoving at turn 1, looking to have exacted revenge on Niclas Grönholm by pinching third in the championship classification at the last gasp – just as the Finn had done to him at the same circuit 12 months ago. Hansen’s delight, however, turned to despair when he was subsequently disqualified from the final due to a technical infringement: "The lower wishbone from the left side of the car did not comply with the declaration form from the car" 

"Obviously we wanted to win this weekend, but sometimes you just need to maximise your performance and we have really done that," Kevin Hansen said. "I’m pleased that the car felt great this weekend finally and we still have more performance to find, but we are working on that. We have good signs and better understanding now."

That gifted Grönholm the runner-up spot, having only made it into the final when teammate Klara Andersson – who had initially qualified – was withdrawn to allow him to fight for a top three position in the overall standings.

Taking full advantage of the opportunity, Niclas boldly around the outside of turns two and three to climb from fifth to second at the start, and following Hansen’s disqualification, that was where he would finish as he ascended the podium for the fourth time this season.

Timmy Hansen wound up third after coming off worst in the three-way first corner shuffle, with Ole Christian Veiby placing fourth.

"To finish second in the Drivers’ championship is fantastic and also second for the team in the Teams’ championship is a great result," Timmy Hansen said. "Of course we want to win and I know we are all still very hungry to create a better package, but we will absolutely take this result and look to the future."

Andersson was unfortunate to be denied her place in the final. Having won the first race of her career in the series courtesy of a gritty drive in heat three, she then confidently kept Kristoffersson at bay for much of the pair’s progression race – missing out on a famous world champion-beating performance by less than a third-of-a-second.

Rookie Gustav Bergström exited proceedings at the semi-final stage, as did Euro RX1 Champion Anton Marklund – making his electric racing debut in ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport’s SEAT Ibiza.

Behind the wheel of the iconic Lancia Delta (Evo-e) – Guerlain Chicherit was in the wars throughout the weekend, with a clash with Kevin Hansen in heat one on Saturday ruling him out of the remaining heats due to a damaged chassis and the G-load to the battery. The Frenchman returned to action on Sunday, and looked set to reach the final before a heavy kerb strike on the penultimate lap of his semi-final broke the Lancia’s suspension ending his hopes of finals appearance. 

FINAL RESULT: World RX of Germany

1] Johan KRISTOFFERSSON [Kristoffersson Motorsport] 5 laps

2] Niclas GRÖNHOLM [Construction Equipment Dealer Team] +2.275s

3] Timmy HANSEN [Hansen World RX Team] +2.852s

4] Ole Christian VEIBY [Kristoffersson Motorsport] +4.709s

DSQ. Kevin HANSEN [Hansen World RX Team]

PREVIEW: An icon returns as World RX reaches it's conclusion at the Nürburgring.

An icon returns, as the 2022 FIA World Rallycross Championship reaches its conclusion at the legendary Nürburgring this weekend.

GCK Motorsport’s Lancia Delta Evo-e RX, based on the legendary Lancia Delta Integrale will make it's competitive debut this weekend, with four-time World Freeriding Champion and experienced rallycross racer Guerlain Chicherit behind the wheel.

Another new addition to the all-electric grid will be the FIA European Rallycross Champion Anton Marklund. The Swede will take to the track in ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport’s SEAT Ibiza, as he targets a full-time return to the international pinnacle of the sport.

Chicherit and Marklund, however, will face some pretty stiff opposition at the Nürburgring, led by the newly crowned five-time World Champion Johan Kristoffersson. Fired-up following his Saturday disappointment in Spain, the Swede lapped a full second quicker than any of his rivals in Sunday’s SuperPole session – and now the title is safely in the bag, he aims to use the German race weekend for testing. "We will do some testing on my car, things we haven't been able to try as long as the fight for the championship title was open," he said.

Fellow world champion Timmy Hansen manoeuvred himself into pole position to clinch the runner-up spoils in the standings by outscoring the rest of the field in Catalunya. As he returns to the circuit where last season, he came close to a second career crown on countback, the Hansen World RX Team ace is determined to end the campaign on a high.

Behind Hansen, there is a tense three-way scrap for third place in the standings between Niclas Grönholm, Kevin Hansen and Ole Christian Veiby. 

Grönholm – now racing for Construction Equipment Dealer Team – was a winner in Germany last year, with the younger Hansen brother following him home. 

Veiby arguably has the fastest car of the three, but has suffered from a run of technical issues in recent rounds that he hopes is now in the past.

Impressive rookie Gustav Bergström has rarely been far from the pace – reaching the podium on three consecutive occasions in Belgium and Spain – while fellow rookie Klara Andersson returned to the final in Catalunya. She won a heat at the Nürburgring in the FIA RX2e Championship last yaer, and has her sights set on a repeat of her Portuguese podium this weekend.

COOPER TIRES DRIVER OF THE BARCELONA RACE WEEKEND:

Timmy Hansen and Johan Kristoffersson, who will both receive a free set of Cooper Tires for the season finale. 

THE PERMANENT TEAMS:

Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS: Johan Kristoffersson and Ole Christian Veiby

Hansen World RX Team: Timmy Hansen and Kevin Hansen

Construction Equipment Dealer Team: Niclas Gronholm and Klara Andersson (first gender equal team.)

THE TRACK:

Based around the Mullenbachsleife section of the famous Grand Prix circuit, the Nürburgring’s 1,029m rallycross track, which was officially launched in 2020.

The start line – the highest point of the rallycross track – is located at Turn 6 of the Grand Prix circuit, with a 90-degree right-hand corner to begin the lap. The start section is only used once, against the flow of the track, with the Turn 1 right-hander being a left-hander for the racing lap.

The rallycross track drops down steeply after Turn 2, transitioning from unsealed to sealed surfaces using part of the Grand Prix circuit’s asphalt, before a second unsealed section at Turn 3, with the Joker Lap section running around the outside of the Turn 4 left-hander.

The circuit has an elevation change of more than 15 meters over the course of the lap and gradients of up to 12%, with almost the whole track lined by grandstands to guarantee fans an unrivaled viewing experience.

Track Length: 1,029m

Previous Winner: Johan Kristoffersson (KYB EKS JC)

Fastest lap: 34.649s - Johan Kristoffersson (Q1)

Asphalt/Dirt: 60%/40%

Joker Lap Loss: 3.4 seconds (approximately)

FORMAT CHANGE:

The Qualifying heats will be renamed Heat 1, Heat 2, Heat 3 instead of Q1, Q2, Q3. There will be three heats only as opposed to the four that have existed over the last eight years. Heat 1 starting positions will be decided following a “Superpole” timed session instead of a draw.

Heat 4 will be replaced by a “Progression Race” to add one more decisive stage in the progress of the event towards access to the Semi-Finals. Starting position distribution for this Progression Race will be determined according to ranking after the 3 Heats. The Final phase remains with Semi-Finals and a Final, but with five-car starts. The highest qualified driver will have a free of starting position. Other changes include five laps in all races (Qualifying, Progression Race, Semi-Finals, Final) and no use of the Joker Lap allowed in Lap 1 if the Joker Lap is in Corner No.1.

CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (for 2022 onwards):

Championship points will be awarded based on the final  classification on the Competition on the following basis: 

1st: 20 points

2nd: 16 points

3rd: 13 points

4th: 12 points

5th: 11 points

6th: 10 points

7th: 9 points

8th: 8 points

9th: 7 points

10th: 6 points

11th: 5 points

12th: 4 points

13th: 3 points

14th: 2 point

15th: 1 point

- The Teams’ Championship is open to World Championship teams fielding two cars, and includes all points scored by both of the team’s drivers at each event.

*The second All-Inkl.com Munnich Motorsport Seat Ibiza RX1e is currently being built.

2022 FIA World Rallycross Championship Standings (Drivers):

DRIVERS CHAMPION - Johan Kristoffersson (Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS) 162 points

Timmy Hansen (Hansen World RX Team) 123 pts

Niclas Gronholm (CE Dealer Team) 114 pts

Kevin Hansen (Hansen World RX Team) 112 pts

Ole Christian Veiby (Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS) 112 pts

Gustav Bergstrom (Kristoffersson Motorsport) 98 pts

Klara Andersson (CE Dealer Team) 92 pts

Rene Munnich (ALL-INLK Munnich Motorsport) 78 pts

2022 FIA World Rallycross Championship Standings (Teams):

TEAMS CHAMPIONS - Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS 274 points

Hansen World RX Team 235 pts

Construction Equipment Dealer Team 206 pts

ROUND 10 - WORLD RX OF GERMANY (CAT TIMES). 

SATURDAY:

PRACTICE: 10:55

SUPERPOLE: 12:05

HEAT 1: 13:29

HEAT 2: 15:14

STUDIO/PADDOCK: 16:47 [RX+ only]

SUNDAY:

PRACTICE: 13:05

PROGRESSION RACE: 14:45

SEMI-FINALS AND FINAL: (from) 16:00

GRID WRAP UP SHOW: 18:00 [RX+ only]

All of the on-track entertainment and off-track features will be broadcast live on RX+. Event passes are available for €7,99, with the full season pass on sale for €49,99. More information can be found here.

Kristoffersson overturns deficit to clinch fourth title, as Grönholm wins dramatic final at the Nürburgring.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

Johan Kristofferson overturned a four-point deficit to claim a record-breaking fourth World Rallycross title, as Niclas Grönholm won the final round of the season at snowy Nürburgring.

Before proceedings kicked off for the final day in Germany, the FIA issued Herve Knapick with a €250 fine for a breach of the COVID-19 quarantine protocol after the Frenchman tested positive for COVID-19 after two positive tests (Antigenic and PCR tests). This all happened after he was transported to the hospital following a scary accident in Q1 yesterday. 

Having demonstrated that he is a force to be reckoned with just a day earlier (Saturday), a calm Kristoffersson approached the final in the same attacking fashion.

Q1 saw the three-time World Champion lead from the front winning the session by 1.541s over Timmy Hansen followed by Krisztian Szabo, Anton Marklund, Niclas Grönholm, Yuri Belevskiy... with Kevin Hansen down in tenth. 

The conditions were a lot better on Sunday, as Timmy Hansen beat rival Kristoffersson in the Q2 heat, but it was Enzo Ide who won the session by 0.366s ahead of Hansen. After a strong second qualifier, Kevin jumped up the rankings to fourth followed by the GRX-SET duo of Szabo and Grönholm. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool. 

With one qualifier remaining (Q3)... who will come out on top? 

It was a straight fight between the two-title protagonists - Timmy Hansen and Johan Kristoffersson.

Belgian Enzo Ide was on pole for the final qualifier with Hansen alongside, Kristoffersson and Kevin Hansen right behind.

The 2019 Champion had a very good start from second but ran deep into turn one, and with a smart cutback, Johan took the lead where he would remain to the checkered flag with Timmy Hansen right behind in second. The result meant that the KYB EKS JC driver claimed the top qualifiers spot ahead of Niclas, Timmy, and Kevin Hansen. 

The Hansen World RX Team were declared teams' champions after the three qualifying sessions.

Having finished second behind Johan - the three-time World Champion took one point out of Hansen's 4 point lead. The race to be World Champion was well and truly on! 

In semi-final one, Johan was in pole position with team-mate Enzo Ide alongside. Ide did not have the best of starts, as he hit Szabo (in the rear bumper), whilst Yuri Belevskiy also hit his rear bumper sending the Hungarian into a spin. 

The FIA Stewards failed to note or investigate Ide for the incident placing the blame solely on Belevskiy who was later disqualified from the semi-final. 

Kristoffersson won his respective semi-final ahead of Ide with Guerlain Chicherit claiming the final spot in the final.

The dramatic turn one incident in semi-final two
PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

The second semi-final was rather dramatic... Timmy Hansen had a rather poor start from pole position, as Niclas Grönholm immediately tried to cover him off by blocking the inside line, but because he was not entirely clear. The momentum of both cars sent Niclas sideways and he slid off at turn one. 

The Hansen World RX Team driver lead from turn one to the checkered flag with younger brother Kevin right behind followed by Gronholm, Anton Marklund, Stefan Kristensson, and Davy Jeanney. 

Hansen was later handed a 7-second time penalty for "pushing and overtaking" demoting him to the final row of the final in Germany. 

With a one-point between the championship protagonists. Everything indicated that Johan would be champion if he makes it through turn one first...

Snow began to fall, as the tension built up on the grid for the season finale. Johan Kristoffersson on pole with Kevin Hansen alongside, and Timmy Hansen on the back row. 

Pole wasn't the place to be, as Kevin Hansen pulled clear of his fellow countrymen to lead into turn one, as Enzo Ide, Timmy, and Niclas got too close for comfort... a rallycross sandwich, with Ide on the outside spinning before the aggressive kerb at turn one.

Through turn one Kevin lead the way from Kristoffersson, Timmy Hansen, Niclas Gronholm, Chicherit, and a recovering Ide.

Feeling like he was being held up, the Audi driver immediately took the joker lap with Timmy on full attack diving into the joker carrying so much speed and momentum that the two made contact. They both emerged from the joker ahead of Enzo Ide... The race was on!

In an attempt to come out ahead of a flying Kristoffersson, Kevin Hansen took his joker a lap later and merged right in front of Chicherit, Kristoffersson, and Timmy. 

Into turn one, Kristoffersson used his straight-line speed to immediately dive up the inside of UNKORRUPTED driver to claim third in the running order. Whilst Timmy Hansen got stuck behind Chicherit but a few corners later he took the joker lap allowing Hansen to close on his rival ahead. 

Halfway through the final, Kevin Hansen began to slow the pace down controlling an attacking Kristoffersson behind in hopes of his older brother closing in and overtaking him. With the pace slowing down, Niclas was able to keep pumping in faster laps and create a good buffer for Hansen in second. 

As Kristoffersson continued to pile pressure on Kevin, his older brother slowly started dropping off the pace The younger of the Hansen brothers' did not buckle under the immense pressure holding him off as best as possible.

With just one lap in the final, the KYB EKS JC driver had another look on the inside of Kevin Hansen into turn two, as the Finn took the last lap joker to comfortably win the final by +4.011s ahead of Kevin Hansen closely followed by Johan Kristoffersson, Timmy Hansen, Guerlain Chicherit and Enzo Ide.

Directly after the final, Grönholm said: "The target was to try and win at least one race this season and we achieved that. We had quite good speed all weekend. There was some carnage in the first corners. It didn't look good for me after turn one, but I managed in the end. The guys calmed me down after the semi-final incident. It was good at the end and good tactics with the two cars in taking the joker, and I knew if I was the third car I would lose out. After that, I pushed hard for six laps." 

Kristoffersson finishing ahead of Timmy Hansen in the final meant the title rivals were level on points, a scene similar to that seen in 2019 in Cape Town, where Timmy Hansen came out on top, but this time it was not to be for the Swede, as he's fellow countrymen Johan Kristoffersson claimed the 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship title on countback (of victories).

"To be able to take the fourth title with a new team, a new car/brand is just fantastic. It's been an extremely hectic season as well," Kristoffersson said.

"In Q1 Race 1, Barcelona we got a penalty and were disqualified at that point we didn't think about it because it was going to even itself out over the year. But, when it comes down to the last race in the last event then when every point counts it's extremely important.

"So, I am just very happy to be able to be here we had an extremely difficult start to the season, especially in France when we were looking good for a win and when I came back to the team they were just in tears. Now, I am looking forward to going back to them with a championship-winning trophy, and they will be in tears again."

FINAL RESULT:

1. Niclas GRÖNHOLM (FIN) GRX-SET World RX Team - 6 laps

2. Kevin HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team +4.031

3. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) KYB EKS JC +4.259

4. Timmy HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team +5.480

5. Guerlain CHICHERIT (FRA) UNKORRUPTED +8.759

6. Enzo IDE (BEL) KYB EKS JC +16.091

2021 2021 WORLD RX DRIVERS STANDINGS:

1. Johan Kristoffersson, KYB EKS JC - 217pts

1. Timmy Hansen, Hansen World RX Team - 217

3. Niclas Grönholm, GRX-SET World RX Team - 197

2021 WORLD RX TEAMS STANDINGS:

1. Hansen World RX Team - 408pts

2. GRX-SET World RX Team - 359

3. KYB EKS JC -  342

Kristoffersson within touching distance of fourth-title, as title rival Hansen is disqualified in Germany.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

Timmy Hansen's lead in the FIA World Rallycross drivers' championship has been cut to four points, as three-time World Champion Johan Kristoffersson reigns supreme in a tricky World RX of Germany - Round 8 on Saturday afternoon. 

After overnight snow at the Nurburgring, conditions were quite treacherous, and that was seen when practice eventually got underway after a 30-minute delay. Driver's were slipping and sliding trying to find the ideal line, etc.

Whilst the Hansen brothers' topped the practice session, Kristoffersson was right behind ready to strike back.

Kristoffersson topped Q1 ahead of newcomer Yuri Belevskiy, with title rival Timmy Hansen in third after winning his respect heat, but the most worrying moment of the first qualifying session was when Herve Knapick's Citroen launched off a kerb on the entry to turn four, which launched his car into the trackside catch fence. 

Race control later reported that Knapick was "okay" and was transported to the hospital for precautionary checks. No updates have been provided as yet [find the update on @JunaidSamodien_ on Twitter]

Herve Knapick's Citroen following the collision with the barriers.
PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

The FIA Stewards later announced the cancellation of Q3 due to time constraints meaning two qualifying sessions would dictate the top qualifying positions for the semi-final and final.

With a good start, Niclas Gronholm went on top Q2 ahead of Yuri Belevskiy and Johan Kristoffersson, with Timmy Hansen in fourth. 

A quick turnaround saw the top 12 line-up on the grid for the semi-final. 

The KYB EKS JC driver did not have the best start, as Gronholm led on the run to turn one, but outbroke himself and ran wide allowing Kristoffersson to slip past and take the lead. A position that he would remain to the checkered flag sealing pole position for the final. 

The GRX-SET World RX duo Gronholm and Krisztian Szabo progressed to the final as well, as Guerlain Chicherit, title hopeful Kevin Hansen and Stefan Kristensson would go no further. 

Having finished fourth after the two qualifying sessions, championship leader Timmy Hansen started alongside Yuri Belevskiy, and with a slightly better start, the Swede tried to capitalize on his speed into turn one but ran a touch wide, with Belevskiy sliding through to take the lead. From there, the debutant was untouchable winning semi-final 2 ahead of Timmy Hansen, Enzo Ide, Davy Jeanney, Anton Marklund, and Tamas Karai. 

Timmy Hansen was later handed a five-second time penalty for contact with Ide, demoting him to the back row of the grid for the final.

A messy turn two with drivers battling for position on track in the final.
PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

The scene was set for a mouth-watering final (round eight), with Kristoffersson on pole and Yuri Belevskiy alongside him (in a recently purchased EKS Audi S1).

Could the RX3 Champion beat the reigning World RX Champion? It was time to find out!

Johan had a great start off the line, as Yuri bogged off the line. Starting from row two, Enzo Ide quickly jinked right to try and cover off Timmy Hansen who started behind on the last row. 

Trying to capitalize on track position should Kristoffersson run wide, Gronholm slotted in behind the bumper of the Swede. 

Belevskiy's poor start sent him backward, whilst Gronholm took a heavy hit from Enzo Ide launching his Hyundai i20 into the air, as the cars slowed for turn 1. But that was not all for the ice-cool Finn. He also had a slight nudge from Timmy Hansen who jumped on the side... the contact from both drivers send Niclas off at turn one rejoining in last. 

With the drama behind, Belevskiy capitalized and slide up the inside of Hansen into turn 2. The latter tried fighting back up gave up the ghost following the debutant with Krisztian Szabo, Enzo Ide, and Niclas Gronholm behind. 

On the run down to turn four, Enzo Ide pulled off the track with some sort of issue, but soon rejoined, as Krisztian Szabo immediately opted for a first-lap joker. 

As Kristoffersson slowly began to draw clear from the pursuing Belevskiy, Timmy Hansen hung onto his bumper ready to pounce should he make an error. But, having seen that he was fractionally faster, Hansen ducked into the joker lap trying to gain an advantage. 

Hansen emerged from the joker lap right behind Niclas Gronholm and ahead of Szabo who jokered on the first lap.  

On a full push from lap 3, Kristoffersson was already 2.237s clear of second-place running Belevskiy, as Hansen continued his charge. 

In a formation for at least two more laps... the KYB EKS JC driver continued to stretch an advantage over Belevskiy.

With just a joker lap to go for the top three runners: Kristoffersson, Belevskiy, and Gronholm. Would Timmy Hansen be able to gain a few places? 

At the merge, Kristoffersson came out comfortably in the lead, but it was Timmy Hansen who just about came out ahead of Belevskiy to take second, with Krisztian Szabo in fourth followed by Niclas Gronholm and Enzo Ide (in fifth) at the checkered flag. 

Kristoffersson describes the day, as "mentally tough" due to the delays and other drama behind the season. 

"The day started with a lot of snow and I really enjoyed that. Such tricky conditions! Then I tried to adapt to a new track with snow, and no studded tyres. It was tricky but very eventful," Kristoffersson said.

"I didn't have the good starts today, but I managed to overtake Niclas [Gronholm] in the semi-final when he outbroke himself. 

"The visibility in the final was very difficult with the low sun and I was out first. So, I can only imagine how it was for those behind me. Timmy coming from the back row to finish second is good. He is up for a fight tomorrow, so it's going to be a very eventful day." 

A couple of minutes after the final, Gronholm was seen walking over to Timmy Hansen opening his door and voicing his dissatisfaction for what had happened at turn one.

The Stewards later announced an official investigation into the turn one incident involving Niclas Gronholm, Enzo Ide, and Timmy Hansen in the final, and after some deliberation. They disqualified both Timmy Hansen and Enzo Ide for "pushing and overtaking".

With the penalties awarded, Kristoffersson was the victor, whilst Yuri Belevskiy moved up a step to second with Krisztian Szabo to third. 

Having had a challenging opening half of the season due to punctures and technical issues, Johan Kristoffersson has taken a mighty leap towards clinching a four World title. He might be four points behind Timmy Hansen, but his performance today should that he was on a mission. 

If Timmy Hansen hopes to win a second title, he would have to outperform a highly motivated Kristoffersson, and outperform him in nearly every area, as the slightest area will be costly. 

Guerlain Chicherit replaces Kevin Abbring at UNKORRUPTED for German double-header.

PHOTO CREDIT: GCK Motorsport

Following a headline-grabbing announcement earlier this week confirming GCK Motorsport's return to the FIA World Rallycross Championship in 2022. 

Guerlain Chicherit has today confirmed that he will replace Kevin Abbring for the season finale (double-header) at the Nurburgring this weekend. 

"I couldn't turn down a chance to visit..." Chicherit said. "Really excited to come back to World RX this weekend for a double-header at Nurburgring with UNKORRUPTED, standing in for my friend Kevin Abbring."

Abbring, who has raced the UNKORRUPTED Renault Megane R.S. RX this season qualified for the finals on three occasions this season, including a podium finish in Sweden and a fourth place in France a round later. He, unfortunately, missed the Portuguese round last month which resulted in a 10,000 euro fine for the team. The Dutchman will finish the championship in sixth overall (on 97 points). 

The team will avoid another penalty this weekend, as Guerlain takes the steering wheel of the Renault Mégane R.S. RX, he last raced in 2019. 

The team confirms: "Kevin was unable to make it so Guerlain jumped in."

After a 13-month absence from the World RX grid, the Frenchman returns in what is expected to be a proper wintery affair (snow). 

German World RX postponed as Nürburgring assists disaster relief effort

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media

The second and third rounds of the FIA World Rallycross Championship set to be held at the Nürburgring next week have been postponed due to the ongoing effects of the widespread recent flooding in the region.

The World Championship will get underway in Barcelona this weekend, followed by the Nürburgring, which was set to follow a week later, on 31 July - 1 August. However, the wide-ranging recent floods in Germany has forced the postponement of the event, with the Nürburgring having become a focal point of the rescue and recovery efforts as a collection and distribution centre. 

The rescheduled doubleheader will now act as the 2021 season finale over the weekend of 27-28 November. Existing tickets will remain valid for the new date.

"Everybody has seen the pictures of the devastating recent flooding in Germany, and whilst the Nürburgring itself has thankfully been largely spared by this natural disaster, the same cannot, unfortunately, be said for the surrounding area," Arne Dirks, Executive Director, Rallycross Promoter GmbH, said. "It is important to remember that there are far more important matters at stake here than rallycross, and we must pay immense tribute to the event organisers, who have worked night and day to help the humanitarian efforts."

"At the same time, they have collaborated very closely with us as the World Championship promoter and the FIA to find a solution to reschedule the event, and we are very much looking forward to going to this legendary venue later in the year for what promises to be a pulsating season finale – with the World Rallycross Champion set to be crowned at one of motorsport’s most iconic venues."

This means World RX of Sweden at Höljes will now become round two of the current campaign on 20-22 August.

A third world title with KMS would be a dream come true – Kristoffersson.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool.

Two-time World RX champion Johan Kristoffersson is on the verge of a third title with one round remaining in the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship. 

Whilst winning two-titles isn’t as easy as it may seem, winning a third title this season will see the Swede cement his place firmly as an all-time World RX great. 

Kristoffersson has continued to raise the bar each season setting a high target for younger drivers to aim for and beat in the future.

Some may say his Volkswagen Polo R Supercar is a clear step-up above his rivals, and that was true in 2017/18, but making it work and staying consistent is also key to his success on and off track. 

2018 was the year of dominance seeing the Swede claim a mind-blowing 11 wins from 12 rounds, a feat that any other driver could only dream of, but unfortunately, as soon as the joy came. It went following Volkswagen Motorsport and PSRX Volkswagen Sweden’s withdrawal from the championship at the end of that season. It then meant that Johan was left without a seat for the 2019 season, and he’d have to look for a (racing) seat elsewhere. 

Following a year out of the World Rallycross Championship, he announced his return for the 2020 season with a hired Polo Supercar from Volkswagen Motorsport. The Polo came with a new WRC specification low drag rear wing but didn’t undergo any other significant upgrades in the year off. 

Returning for the 2020 season, all the stars aligned for Johan, but unfortunately, the start season was delayed, and some events dropped off the original calendar due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. The likes of Portugal, Norway, France, Abu Dhabi, South Africa, and Belgium, which saw the calendar shrink to nine rounds at five European venues. 

Having won a round at each double-header this season, his rivals always seemed to have an edge over him in preparation for the second round just a day later. 

With a limited amount of engineers, mechanics, etc. allowed at any event due to the strict FIA COVID-19 protocol. His rivals were always able to take a step forward, but he would as well. At each event, he was in contention for a race win but some circumstances did not play out the way he had hoped. 

When consistency is key in a fairly short and compact season, Johan has always been in contention for a podium finish and has only ever missed out on a podium finish in Finland where he bagged a fourth-place finish at round four of the championship. 

Compared to previous years, his rivals are a lot closer this season as their supercars have made progress since 2018. But in order to stay ahead of his rivals, he has had to extract the maximum from himself and the car to gain that competitive advantage over his rivals.

“We knew we will have a good chance to fight for the championship. But there are so many things to overcome during the season and the job has to be done both from me as a driver and the team making no mistakes whatsoever,” Kristoffersson said. “The other teams have definitely improved since 2018 and the fight is very close.”

“But we haven’t retired from a single race of the season and haven’t even had a puncture. I’ve always done decent starts and stayed out of contact as much as possible.”

In the pursuit of perfection, sportsmen (drivers or athletes) often analyze data and review footage of previous events in an attempt to see what happened in the past and how they can beat these odds. Kristoffersson does just that but what sets him apart is that he not only analyzes his data, but also watches onboards of rivals to study how they manage certain situations to learn from it, and if presented with that particular situation immediately know how to deal with it. The Swede also looks at statistics to help him with decision making over the course of a race weekend. 

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Championship.

“It’s always good to have a look at previous years before heading to a race. Both in terms of tire and joker tactics and study how your opponents use to play the game to be as prepared as possible,” the double World Champion said. 

In 2017-18, he joined forces with double World RX champion Petter Solberg, and after two dominant years, PSRX Volkswagen Sweden withdrew from the championship at the end of the 2018 season meaning that Johan would not have a seat for the 2019 season. He returned as an independent entrant this year with Kristoffersson Motorsport, and can only rely on his knowledge and data, as well as that of his crew in order to find improvements. Whilst his rivals this season have two-car teams which help with data collection and testing different set-up options. This in turn puts them at an immediate advantage. But we have seen this season that Johan has been the quickest on track, whilst KYB Team JC made the most significant improvements overnight.  

In order to stay ahead of the field on a double-header weekend, improvements made overnight is quite important. These improvements come from driver feedback, data,  onboard footage, and tyre strategy, but this season one-car teams have been at a larger disadvantage compared to that two-car teams who were able to share data and set-ups. 

KYB Team JC’s Mattias Ekstrom is seen as a master tactician and has taken a big step forward on the second round of each double-header weekend, and has won two events to date. 

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Championship. 

With one-car, an engineer, mechanics, and a spotter, Johan is at a slight disadvantage, but he looks on the bright side, and only focuses on how he can extract the best of the team and himself. 

“I’m always trying to focus on doing my best and the team's best possible, and not thinking to much of what my opponents are thinking and planning to do. What I feel is the most difficult with being a one-car team is the limited data we collect in terms of set-up, track conditions, launch settings,” he explains. “Petter Solberg and I worked very well together in 2017 and 2018, and I have learned a lot back then which I can use now, plus I have the same engineer Richard Browne that makes it a bit easier.”

Some might say Johan Kristoffersson is only as good because of the car he drives, but the statistics suggest otherwise. He is constantly seeking perfection and with the performance always seems to put in, he is reaching an entirely new level of performance which sets him apart from many other drivers. 

Having had no. 1 on his car for two years, this season he has had to settle for no.3, which immediately ties with what he's on the verge of achieving this season. A third world title. The Swede has always been aware of the challenges he would face this season, but admits it would be a dream come true should he win the title with Kristoffersson Motorsport (KMS). 

“That was our aim for the season, but we knew it going to be tough. It’s a very different atmosphere within our private family-based team compared to PSRX which was a much bigger team, and with two cars,” he said. “But winning the title with my boys from KMS would be so cool and a dream come true since we started with rallycross back in 2013.”

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Championship.

Earlier this month, the penultimate round of the World RX championship at Spa-Francorchamps was canceled due to an increase in Coronavirus cases in Belgium, which means with only one round remaining in the World RX championship in Germany (in December). 

And, with one round remaining and 30 points up for grabs. The championship leader, Johan only requires four points to be crowned champion for the third time. 

It’s not within a racing driver's DNA to let off the gas one little bit. And, despite being within arms reach of the 2020 title, he still aims to approach the season finale with a winning mentality. He will go “Flat out! With an aim to finish on a high!” Ending this season on a high will lay strong groundwork for the season to come. 

With all the challenges in the world this year, in life, there are always changes, but one we didn’t quite expect was the announcement that World RX promoters, IMG would be stepping away from the series at the end of the 2020 season. 

IMG laid the groundwork for a very successful championship since 2013, one that allowed fans from across the world to gain free access to events via live streaming, gain great access to the drivers, and more, which is so hard to come by in many other motorsport series. 

If and when a new promoter does take over the World RX championship, Johan Kristoffersson would like to see the promoter get rid of the random qualifying draw. “Well, I’ve never liked the random draw, I just don’t like random,” he said. “Other than that I think the sport itself doesn’t need many changes.”

The world is going green, and so will World RX as it switches from internal combustion engines to electric powertrains in 2022. A change that will take some time for diehard petrolheads to get used to, but Johan has offered the new promoters some advice on how they should approach the development of the cars, etc. as they usher in a new era of World RX.

“If and when it goes electric, I think it's very important that the cars should be extreme, difficult for the drivers to control and faster than current cars,” he adds. “With the lack of anti-lag sound, the fans need something extra to make it exciting!”

Written By – Junaid Samodien

In collaboration with The Pitcrew Online.