World Rallycross “best suits manufacturer support to privateer teams” - Kenneth Hansen.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

In a career spanning nearly 40-years, Kenneth Hansen’s journey through rallycross has been nothing short of exemplary, earning 14 FIA European Rallycross Championships along the way, but after hanging up his helmet at the end of 2012, he now remains at the helm of Hansen Motorsport. 

Hansen's career started with karting back in 1976, before the transition to rallycross, were he won the first of many FIA European Championships in 1989, and to this day, his desire to win remains as strong as ever.

Through his career, Kenneth secured an impressive 14 European, and 10 Swedish Rallycross championships - and he explains just how he managed to achieve the record setting fourteen titles: "It was a long journey from the beginning. When I started with motorsport, I was not successful from the beginning. So, I needed to work it out and learn. My career started with karting, before I switched to rallycross. It took me four years to win the national title, before moving into the European Championship, and how I could manage 14 titles? That is because I’m quite stubborn, and I don’t like to lose."

“So, when that happened, then of course, I focussed more on the equipment and everything around it. I think it’s not easy to pinpoint a specific thing [to win 14 championships], it’s a combination of everything, but most of all, I’m quite stubborn [he laughs].”

In the early days of competitive motorsport, racing drivers had somewhat of an easier time fans fans and media, compared to the scrutiny faced in the new social media era. And, whilst being the team principal at Hansen Motorsport, Kenneth has been exposed to both the positivity and negativity on social media, which he believes affects drivers very differently.  

“I think that it depends on the driver. So some drivers don't care, and some of them are quite affected. When I go onto social media sometimes, and see what people are posting,and I wonder how they spend their time being so negative. But of course, we have a lot of people that are very positive. And, if I don't like something, I wouldn't put the effort in to posting it on [social media]. I would do something else instead,” the 14-time European champion said.

That winning feeling!
PHOTO CREDIT: Hansen Motorsport

Whilst the joy and elation of winning championships is one thing, facing an uncertain future is a completely different story after the four manufacturers [Audi, VW, Peugeot and Ford] withdrew from the world championship in 2018, but regardless of that, the Hansen name has remained in the championship since it's inception in 2014, and through the hard work and perseverance, one could liken them to the Frank Williams story. A man [Sir Frank Williams] who went through so much adversity, but despite everything he soldiered on to establish a historic team, which remains in the sport today. 

When asked what's the secret behind continuing in the world championship during the turbulent era, Kenneth Hansen said: “First of all, I really love the rallycross format, and the way to race in this championship. I've been in the rallying, I've been in circuit racing, karting, et cetera. This championship, it's something that really is close to my heart because there is such good competition."

"And of course, I think you target the season, you target the championship, but for me it's also to perform as best as you can on that day. So you don't look too far. Of course you have a vision of where to go, but you need to be in the game from where you are,” he adds. 16

Kenneth Hansen spaeking to his sons Timmy [left] and Kevin [on the right].
PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

The future of the World Championship seemed bleek, but with the co-operation, hard work and determination of the existing teams, and the promoters, World RX continued in 2019 with full privateer teams, including the Hansen's under the name - Team Hansen MJP, after the team partnerd with Austrian businessman Max J. Pucher. 

2019 proved to be one of the most captivating, and thrilling seasons to date, with four drivers going head-to-head for championship glory. 

Finn Niclas Gronholm seemed to be the driver to beat, but unfortunately, he missed two rounds due to appendicitis, which dropped him out of contention. Heading into the finale in Cape Town, it was a three-way fight between Andreas Bakkerud, and the Hansen brothers'. Where Timmy, ultimately came out on top winning the drivers' championship in dramatic fashion, whilst also wrapping up the teams' championship in the process. 

World Rallycross continued for two more years with internal combustion engine [ICE] cars before the switch to an all-electric powertrain, which is supplied by Austrian firm Kriesel, and retro-fitted into the existing cars, but following a devastating fire at the 2023 World RX of the United Kingdom that destroyed two Special One Racing cars, equipment and a truck. The FIA World Motor Sport Council [WMSC] took the unprecedencted decision to continue the championship with equal machinery. 

With some form of equal machinery, and the rising push for sustainability in motorsport, and environmental solutions, ie. electric mobility, hydrogen fuels and bio-fuels, the World Championship almost certainly is ready for manufacturer involvement. 

“We had four manufacturers in the Rallycross, and we saw it climbing very quickly, in fact too quickly. I think there were positive aspects, but there were also some negative things as well. So, I think we learned a lot from these years,” Hansen explained.

“What I think would suit rallycross best is to get manufacturer support to the private teams. So not the manufacturers coming full-time themselves because it would be cost effective. And the way to get the return of investment best would be to support the teams that are there, and of course it would be, one of the let’s say low cost world championships, because rallycross is very cost efficient. It's a very small championship and a very efficient, you don't need a lot of crew. You don't need a lot of equipment, but of course you need experience. And, clever people.”

Speaking of expenses, reaching world championship level is quite challenging, if not impossible for younger drivers, and potential championship winners due to the costs of renting cars and everything needed to run them, but like Kenneth, his youngest son Kevin formed a junior team - #YellowSquad, which was establisted to develop and find future stars, which has come to fruition since the signing of Patrick O'Donovan, who competed in European Rallycross, RX2e and in the final round of the world championship in Hong Kong, where he claimed a podium finish on debut. 

There are other drivers’ like Nils Andersson, who is the 2023 FIA RX2e champion, but due to budgetary constraints, he is unable able to compete with the worlds best. So, what can the championship do to make the sport easier for junior drivers to rise up the ranks? 

“I think we need the world championship to shine in order to get the full grids,” Hansen explains. “For me, that would be 16 cars, to have that set number and then to have a really good world championship to show the grassroots where to start to climb, to dream about. The young girls and boys should dream to be world champions one day, and that’s the way, it needs to be determined. It's not only the top, it's also the bottom. So, it's all together.”

Sixteen car grids have been achievable for years, but since the transition to electric cars, it’s become a touch more challenging due to costs. And, with the Lydden Hill fire, and the ongoing investigation, equal cars were used for the final four races of the season, in both Cape Town and Hong Kong, which added some extra spice to the championship. So, with that in mind, should the championship have some form of equality? 

“I think you are onto something there, but I don't think it should have a one marque category. Perhaps it should be a little more locked to keep the cost level down, but not fully locked. So, we have some freedom, because that has been the key point for Rallycross to do things and to develop things and so on,” he explained. “But of course, if we let it become to free, the cost will get too high. The RX1e car today is quite expensive. So, I think I would look to get some sort of limitation there.” 

Kenneth Hansen smiling after receiving the Slipstream SA draw your ideal track challenge [his sons track layouts in picture as well]
PHOTO CREDIT: Rhea Morar [PitCrew Online]

As customary with Slipstream SA, we asked Kenneth Hansen to design his ideal World Rallycross track, but in order to design his perfect track, he asked us, if he could take some time to design the layout, and surpringly, the inventor of the 'Joker Lap' did not add a joker to his ideal track. 

Take a look at the 14-time European Champions track design below.

TRACK DESIGNED BY KENNETH HANSEN