Grönholm strikes back to seals third RallyX Nordic win.

Niclas Grönholm gained his revenge over Johan Kristoffersson with victory in Round 6 of the RallyX Nordic Championship at OuluZone, Finland (yesterday).

The Finnish race winner, who was leading the Round 5 final before suffering a puncture, looking unstoppable on Sunday, when he set the fastest time of the weekend in Q1 - beating Johan Kristoffersson in the process. 

The three-time FIA World Rallycross Champion responded by claiming Q2, but the pair reversed positions once more in a thrilling Q3 dual run in dramatically changing conditions.

Both drivers won their respective semi-finals, setting up yet another thrilling final, with Kristoffersson getting a marginally better start than Grönholm, but with an inside line, it was slightly easier to defend. Trying to outfox his Finnish rival, Kristoffersson ran quite wide into turn one to carry a bit more speed, but ultimately Niclas powered his way into the lead, and the rest is history. 

"This was revenge for yesterday [Saturday] – that sucked. It all seemed to go my way yesterday until the puncture so very happy to get the win here today. I was a bit nervous all day to be honest, we haven’t had good launches, and starting on the inside has been really tricky – I think it’s the worst spot on the grid!" Grönholm said. "I had a decent launch in the final though, the car was stalling a bit and I couldn’t hold it anymore and Q3’s launch was a bit worse than that, three of our starts we struggled with stalling."

"Johan [Kristoffersson] took me after turn one for the first few meters over the bump but then I got him on the gears. Johan was close on the first lap, that’s been the same all weekend. For me, the second or third lap has been the best once the tires get up to temperature. The first lap I’ve generally been quite cautious, I was trying to avoid any mistakes and obviously go carefully over the bump after yesterday."

Right behind them came, Juha Rytkönen, who was quite impressive securing third on his return to RallyX Nordic having shown strong pace throughout the weekend in his Betomik Racing Team prepared Ford Fiesta. 

EKS JC's Enzo Ide came home in fourth ahead of Jere Kalliokoski, whilst championship contender Sondre Evjen failed to finish the final due to broken steering. And, despite failing to finish the final, he remains ahead of Fraser McConnell in the championship standings after the Jamaican driver's steering collapsed in his respective semi-final. 

Grönholm's victory sees him climb to second in the championship standings despite missing the season-opener at Nysum, having won three times in four appearances. 

"We came here to get more racing under our belts and to compete against Johan and the other guys in this series so we're very happy to get the win and get more time in this car," the 25-year-old said. "We learned a lot this weekend, what works and what doesn’t and there’s obviously a lot of tarmac here so it's useful to know these things for when conditions are similar to this."

So, will Niclas return to potentially challenge Kristoffersson in the RallyX Nordic final in Arvika?

"No! I don't think so!," Grönholm said. "This was the extra round for me. It was quite close to come here... only a nine-hour drive."

RallyX Nordic title battle heats up as World RX stars join the fray

PHOTO CREDIT: RallyX Nordic

It's race week! Words all motorsport enthusiasts love to hear. This weekend, the RallyX Nordic season continues at Oulu Zone, with the Finnish double-header, that is set to have a major impact on the ongoing title fight. 

Coming off the back of a hugely successful weekend at the iconic Höljes circuit in Sweden a few weeks ago, Niclas Grönholm is back for more RallyX Nordic action. Having secured consecutive wins on his season debut, the Finn is joint-fourth in the standings despite missing the opening double-header and will hope to get the better of his rivals on home soil in OuluZone this weekend. 

Fresh from the oceans of Senegal, Johan Kristoffersson will have his work cut out for him, as he has a giant target painted on his back. The Swede currently leads the Supercar standings after a victory and two second-place finishes at the opening four rounds of the RallyX Nordic season. 

Kristoffersson will have one target on his mind - to consolidate the top spot in the standings. 

The Swede's nearest rival, Fraser McConnell is just 13 points behind after a challenging weekend in Höljes, whilst Sondre Evjen is only four points further back and will be a mission to close the gap. 

Grönholm will be joined on track by fellow countrymen and World RX racer Juha Rytkönen. The Finnish national rallycross champion took a surprise second place on his debut at Kouvola last year and is an exciting addition to the field. 

Finnish RX racer Jere Kalliokoski will also make his season debut this weekend, along with Juri Tuuri. 

The high-octane action-packed racing will be broadcast live, free and in high-definition at tv.rallyx.se, with the racing set to get underway on Saturday, 5 June and concluding on Sunday, 6 June.

Kristoffersson and Grönholm rivalry set to continue in RallyX Nordic.

PHOTO CREDIT: Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS.

Johan Kristoffersson and Niclas Grönholm are set to go head-to-head once again when the RallyX Nordic series returns next weekend in Finland. 

Fresh off the back of a thrilling duel in Höljes last time out, it was Niclas Grönholm who stood out above the pack winning Rounds 3 and 4 at the iconic Värmland circuit behind the wheel of his 2021 World RX specification Hyundai i20.

Whilst it all went to plan for Niclas, Kristoffersson on the other hand had to deal with a few mechanical issues, as well as a puncture in the semi-final of Round 3, but despite that, he bounced back pretty well and fought his Finnish rival all the way to the checkered flag in Round 4.

Kristoffersson's fightback on home soil ensured that he remained at the top of the Supercar championship standings. 

And, guess what? They are back for me! Both Kristoffersson and Grönholm are confirmed for the Finnish double-header next weekend. These top-flight World RX drivers will undoubtedly bang doors once again when RallyX Nordic heads to Finland, a track Niclas has visited previously.

"It's a new course for me. Based on the videos I have seen, it is a very circuit-like track," Kristoffersson said. "Maybe not what our car likes most, but we have to make some adjustments and see what we can conjure up. Above all, we have to get the starts in order."

Having finished behind Grönholm in Höljes, the Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS driver will be on a mission to beat his Finnish rival.

"[It's] time for revenge! We were beaten last time, but it's great to get another chance to try ourselves at the highest level. I always enjoy tough competition. It also makes winning more fun," Kristoffersson adds.

The three-time World RX champion admits that he needs to continue to collect points without taking any major risks if he is to maintain the championship lead. Whilst Niclas will have other plans in mind. 

PHOTO CREDIT: RallyX Nordic.

Grönholm RX has often used the RallyX Nordic series in preparation for the World Rallycross Championship, and this year it's no different. The Finnish squad will be hoping to keep the victory streak alive.

"We all had a good time racing in Sweden recently and importantly we were able to try a number of different things through the weekend," Jussi Pinomaki, GRX Team Manager, said. 

"We are all racers in the team and competing is what we love to do so when the opportunity came up to once again race in RallyX Nordic with Niclas in our ‘home’ rounds at Oulu, we were keen to make that happen.

"There is some strong competition in RallyX Nordic so it’s a good way to continue preparing for our plans this season, not only on track but operationally for the team too."

It's still all to play for with three rounds remaining, but it's fair to say that Kristoffersson will be both the hunter and hunted in Finland. 

"Satisfied" Grönholm doubles up with Höljes win.

PHOTO CREDIT: RallyX Nordic

Niclas Grönholm is "satisfied" after securing back-to-back Supercar wins in Höljes over the weekend. 

Level on points with Fraser McConnell after Q1 and Q2 on Saturday, Grönholm picked up where he left off by setting the fastest time in Q3. 

Having had the superior pace all weekend. The question remained: Would Niclas have the pace for a clean sweep in qualifying? Soon, we'd get the answers to these questions.

Despite keeping his nose clean during the final qualifying race, it was Anton Marklund who sprung a surprise to claim the top spot in Q4 but based on the points tally over the four qualifying sessions, it was Grönholm clinched the Top Qualifiers honors. 

The 2021 specification World RX Hyundai Supercars have had superior starts (launches) all weekend, and in the semi-final, Niclas enjoyed a trouble-free run from the lights to flag, ahead of second-placed McConnell. Whilst Kristoffersson fought back to overhaul Krisztian Szabo to book a spot on the front row in the final. 

From pole position, Grönholm had another impressive start to cover off turns 1 and 2, whilst those behind battled for position with fast-starting McConnell taking the inside line for turn 2 forcing Kristoffersson into a lap one joker. Thereafter, Niclas controlled the pace to the flag.  

With a desire to win, Kristoffersson pulled off an incredible pass on Andreas Bakkerud to keep some pressure on Grönholm. Soon after, he picked off McConnell who took the joker lap, but his efforts to catch the Finn were ultimately in vain as the Hyundai driver comfortably controlled the pace to cross the line 0.400 seconds ahead of the three-time World RX champion. 

"I’m definitely more satisfied with this win than on Thursday!" Grönholm said. "To be honest, the first laps I didn’t know what the gap was behind, they didn’t tell me but it got to the stage where Jussi [Pinomäki] said we need a bit more, luckily I found it and managed to push without making any silly mistakes so that’s something to be satisfied with."

"For sure it feels nice to get these two victories so I’m happy but as always, the hard work continues."

Kristoffersson admits "I did what I could" to challenge Niclas Grönholm in the Supercar final.

"The lap times were just not enough when Niclas got into the rhythm, but it was a difficult place to be in the final starting in the second position, and I have two Hyundai's on the inside. Our starts haven't been good enough, but it was good-ish," Kristoffersson said.

"Niclas had a very good start and I was able to slot in there. Then McConnell came from the outside. I didn't plan to joker on the first lap because of the exact situation that happened. Then tried to get my head down, but it was just not enough. I did everything I could. Right now, it feels shit. I am happy in one way because I could challenge-ish Niclas, but not really because I know that he is controlling it a little bit. The plan was not to make Niclas feel comfortable in the final. I did what I could!"

Round one race winner, Fraser McConnell, brought his Olsbergs MSE Fiesta home in third to keep his championship hopes alive, with Krisztian Szabo finishing in fourth ahead of Enzo Ide, and Andreas Bakkerud who made history for not only winning qualifying races but also making the final in the fully electric STARD Ford Fiesta.  

Kristoffersson’s second-place finish in Höljes means he retains the lead in the Supercar standings, 13 points ahead of McConnell and a further 5 points clear of Sondre Evjen whilst Grönholm sits in joint-fourth with Ide following his two-round appearance in Sweden.

Will Niclas Grönholm return for the three remaining rounds of the RallyX Nordic championship? 

"You never know. Let's see what happens!" Grönholm said. "There are a lot of things going on not only rallycross, so we need to see if it's possible, but for sure racing is always fun."

Grönholm and McConnell share overnight TQ honors in Höljes.

PHOTO CREDIT: RallyX Nordic.

Niclas Grönholm and Fraser McConnell draw level on points midway through qualifying for Round 4 of the RallyX Nordic championship in Höljes.

Both drivers picked up 90 points from their two qualifying heats, both claiming a win and the fourth-best time, which see them on equal points at the top of the Supercar class intermediate standings. 

Changeable conditions did not impact the on-track action, as McConnell stamped his authority on Q1, with a mighty strong start out of blocks with Grönholm and Anton Marklund slotting in behind. Thereafter, the Jamaican showed blistering pace in his Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta Supercar to win by a margin of 3.055 seconds in Q1.

Having set the fourth-fastest time in Q1. Niclas Grönholm launched a fightback in Q2, and despite not getting the perfect start. He drew level with Fraser and squeeze Marklund and Kristoffersson to back off and slot in behind. On the run into turn 2, the Finn took the joker lap with an aim to benefit in clear air. 

Marklund, who was right on the bumper of McConnell spun off from second-place, dropping to the rear of the field on the first lap clearing the way for Szabo, Grönholm, and Kristoffersson behind. 

With a clear pace advantage, Niclas latched onto the rear of Krisztian Szabo who strategically jokered on lap 2 to make life easier for his team-mate. The ice-cool Finn started chipping away at Fraser's lead in the wet conditions, and as McConnell jokered. Who emerged in the lead? None other than Niclas Grönholm who won Q2. 

Three-time World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson had a day to forget after suffering from a turbo hose issue, which slowed him down quite considerably in Q1. After two qualifying sessions, Johan is six points behind Grönholm and McConnell in the intermediate standings, with his immediate championship Sondre Evjen a point further back in fourth. 

What will happen on day 2 is anyone guess? But it's all to play for tomorrow! 

Grönholm claims "nerve-wracking" win in Höljes.

PHOTO CREDIT: RallyX Nordic.

Nicolas Grönholm claimed a nerve-wracking victory behind the wheel of his Hyundai i20, staying level-headed in a frenetic Supercar final in Höljes.

The 24-year-old bagged third-place finish in the opening race of the 2020 'Magic Weekend' and finished as top qualifier in the second event - onto to run into mechanical issues. 

This year, however, there were no such problems for the Finn who worked throughout the day to find the perfect balance with his Supercar, finishing third in Q1 then matching the result in Q2 after a thrilling wheel-to-wheel duel with Krisztian Szabo and Johan Kristoffersson. 

Niclas followed that up with a second-place finish in Q3 after a stunning pass on team-mate Szabo to took the runners-up spot in his semi-final.

Lars Andersson rolling after a high-speed impact with a grass bank.
PHOTO CREDIT: RallyX Nordic LIVE coverage.

In the semi-final, he recovered well to finish 0.270s behind Anton Marklund in a hideous affair, which saw Lars Andersson involved in a high-speed accident whilst fighting Fraser McConnell. Thankfully, he walked away unscathed. Thereafter, race leader Kristoffersson bowed out with a front-right puncture. 

With a second row slot for the final, Grönholm was forced into a first lap joker due to congestion at turn two but made the most of the clear air and leapfrogged early race leader Sondre Evjen when the latter ran wide at turn one and was forced into a joker of his own.

Contact between Marklund and Szabo slowed the pair, who took their jokers in simultaneously, clearing the way for the Finn to cruise to the checkered flag. Anton Marklund brought his Hedstroms Motorsport VW Polo across the line in second followed by Szabo in third. 

But, ultimately, it was Niclas Grönholm in his 2021 specification Hyundai i20 Supercar who came out on top in Höljes.

"It wasn’t the easiest win today - it was nerve-wracking!" he said. "I had the pace to go a little bit quicker but in the end, I knew that those ahead hadn’t taken their jokers so I tried to keep the car in one piece and avoid punctures.

Whilst a race win is always good on paper, Niclas admits that he was not entirely happy with his return to the RallyX Nordic championship.

"The result is good, but I’m not completely happy with it," the Finn added. "We’ve been struggling all day and we need to sit down and find out why. On the bright side, we got the win but there were some tough competitors who didn’t make the final. I hope they will on Sunday so we can have a rematch with Johan and Enzo [Ide] – if we can match their pace, I will be a bit happier."

The action resumes at Höljes with Round 4 of the 2021 season, starting on Saturday (15 May) and concluding on Sunday (16 May), and you can catch it LIVE on RallyX TV.

Written By - Junaid Samodien

Grönholm joins Kristoffersson, McConnell for Höljes doubleheader.

PHOTO CREDIT: RallyX Nordic.

RallyX Nordic returns this weekend at the iconic Höljes circuit, with the Swedish double-header, that is set to serve up another dose of top-class action.

Missed the season opener in Denmark? Don't worry! Here's a quick round-up of events. Fraser McConnell grabbed the headlines in round one in the Supercar class in Nysum, with the Jamaican putting in a stellar display to get the better of Johan Kristoffersson and secure his maiden RallyX Nordic victory.

The 22-year-old started the final on the back row of the grid but a lightning launch in his Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta saw him go door-to-door with his established rivals before he claimed an advantage that he would not relinquish.

However, the three-time World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson fought back on Sunday with an unrivaled display having overcome a number of technical issues. He even at one point he entered Turn One backward - and finishing the weekend on top of the championship classification.

The Super Swede will return to the RallyX Nordic Championship this weekend. 

"It will be exciting to continue working with the development of our own car," Kristoffersson said. "And Höljes is one of the coolest tracks in the world, so of course, you want to be part of it."

Kristoffersson currently leads the Supercar class with 56 points, five ahead of former teammate Sondre Evjen, with Fraser McConnell in third on 47 points.

PHOTO CREDIT: RallyX Nordic.

Among the well-known names returning for rounds 3 and 4, Niclas Grönholm returns in 2021 along with Krisztián Szabó, and Anton Marklund.

The Finn expects to have a pretty competitive weekend in his Hyundai i20 Supercar.  

"I’m looking forward to the RallyX Nordic race at Höljes, it’s a track I enjoy driving on. We did that race last year and it was pretty competitive – I expect it to be the same this year too," Grönholm said. 

"We have some small things on the car we would like to test, and what better way to do that than in a race against some good drivers and cars. It’s going to be interesting to get racing again after a long break, so it’s going to be very exciting." 

In a first for rallycross, the Höljes doubleheader will see electric rallycross cars compete alongside internal combustion-engined Supercars, with Manfred Stohl's team joining the line-up in a Ford Fiesta ERX [Projekt E Supercar]. 

But, wait there is more! Extreme E racer Catie Munnings is linking with 2019 World RX champions Team Hansen and LifeLive Nordic to compete in the CrossCar/Crosskart category and gain more wheel-to-wheel experience. 

Don't miss the live free-to-air broadcasts on tv.rallyx.se this weekend.

GRX Taneco rues lack of grip at Barcelona double-header.

PHOTO CREDIT: GRX Taneco

It was a weekend to forget for GRX Taneco who was struggling with a lack of grip at Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona.

The Finnish squad had high expectations for the final double-header of the season in Barcelona after finding some improvements after the Latvian double-header, but they were soon brought down to reality with Timur Timerzyanov bowing out in the semi-finals at round seven (on Saturday).

And, while it looked a bit better for Niclas Grönholm who made the final. He finished in fourth place and admitted that his Hyundai i20 was lacking grip. 

Whilst Saturday did not bring the desired results, GRX Taneco worked into the night to analyze why they were lacking grip and make the necessary changes for Sunday's round, but unfortunately, both GRX Taneco drivers were still struggling with grip and were unable to match the pace of their rivals. 

Despite lacking grip, Grönholm admits that the team has taken a step forward with race starts (launches), and he believes that he had the right tire strategy, but he was unable to make use of it. 

"We had good starts and I must say that is a big step forward from where we were at the beginning of the season, but out on the track we still struggled with the grip," he said. "I think we were also very good on the tire strategy, but just couldn’t take the advantage of it."

"Now it will be a long break before we go to Belgium, and I really hope we can find a solution and be more competitive in the next race."

Missing the draw on Saturday evening for round eight, Timur started his day off in Q1 Race 1 where he finished behind Robin Larsson and was sixth overall with two qualifying sessions to go. 

Whilst leading Q2 Race 3 in the early stages, he did not have the pace to match the likes of Kristoffersson and Bakkerud. And, would finish behind his teammate Niclas in fourth seeing him drop a position in the overall standings to P7 overall. 

Q3 saw the GRX Taneco drivers both have great launches, but Anton Marklund had other plans and led the race into turn 1/2, while Timo Scheider also got the best of the duo, which meant Timur would finish behind his teammate once again. 

In the semi-finals, the Russian made it through the first corner last, and despite a first lap joker he was only able to jump Enzo Ide to finish in fifth-place where his weekend would end. 

"It was a tough race today [Sunday] and the track evolution didn’t make my day any easier," Timerzyanov said. "At some moments we were able to deliver, but overall we are not where we want to be and we need to work on finding the overall pace."

Jussi Pinomäki, the GRX Taneco Team Manager says despite reaching a new low, the only way is up, and his team will use the month break between Barcelona and Belgium to bring the team back to the top again. 

"It’s not a simple sport and I guess that’s what makes it so attractive. Everyone has their ups and downs, and at the moment we are quite down," Pinomäki said. "But it means that there is only one way to go from here - and that is up. Everyone in the team is working really hard to bring us back at the top and now we have one month to do it."

After eight races of the season, Niclas Grönholm is currently fourth and Timur Timerzyanov tenth in the drivers’ standings, while the GRX Taneco squad hangs onto third in the teams' standings.

Written By - Junaid Samodien

GRX Taneco "are ready to fight" for good results in Spanish double-header.

PHOTO CREDIT: GRX Taneco.

GRX Taneco is ready to fight for strong results at rounds seven and eight of the FIA World Rallycross Championship at Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona this weekend. 

So far, this season has seen three double-header race weekends in Sweden, Finland, and Latvia. And, although Spain was initially set to host a single round, due to the cancelation of the Portugal event, it has changed its format to the double-header.

The 2020 season has been far from ideal for GRX Taneco, but Niclas Grönholm has claimed a win for the Finnish squad on home soil in Kouvola (Finland) and will aim to take the fight to the likes of Johan Kristoffersson and Mattias Ekström on the 1135m long World RX track in Barcelona. 

"Feeling good going to Barcelona, as we had a good pace at the last year’s race and we hope that we’ve found some improvements after the race in Riga, that didn’t go our way," Grönholm said. "It will be a tough weekend with two races again, but we are ready to fight and score some good results!"

The Coronavirus [COVID-19] pandemic has drastically altered the World RX calendar this season, but the championship will return to Barcelona this weekend. And, Timur Timerzyanov is happy to return to one of his favourite tracks on the calendar.  

"Barcelona is amongst my favorite tracks of the calendar and for sure one of the best F1-RX tracks. I’m really happy, that we are able to go there this year," said Timerzyanov.

It has been a season of ups and downs for Timerzyanov through on-track incidents and technical issues, but through all the bad luck, he claimed a third-place finish in Kouvola and will aim to claim some good results in Barcelona. 

"In the previous weekends, I have had many runs with good pace, but also many misfortunes or setbacks," he said. "I hope that in Barcelona I will be able to keep the good pace and consistency."

"Every race weekend we start with an aim of the podium, and this will be no different. We just need to do our best and results will come."

“I think this goes without saying that 2020 season has been a very challenging one and, so far, maybe not as successful as we hoped for, but we keep our spirits high and every single one in the team is working really hard to deliver their maximum," says Jussi Pinomäki, GRX Taneco team manager. 

"Barcelona is a place where we, as GRX Taneco, had our first race back in 2018 and we are excited to go back there."

GRX Taneco are currently third in the teams' standings with 176 points and will hope to close the deficit to KYB Team JC in Barcelona. 

Written By - Junaid Samodien

World RX: The best poker game ever?

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool.

After a dramatic end to the 2019 FIA World Rallycross Championship, everyone eagerly awaited the start of the 2020 season, with the COVID-19 pandemic helping to increase this anticipation. 

However, while the new season would see four of the last world championship winners on the grid, most carried caution to their anticipation as Johan Kristoffersson left the championship in 2018 after a very dominant and quite predictive nature. This might just have been why the 2019 season was so spectacular, but with the return of the latter, everyone feared that we might go in the same direction as Formula 1 went with Lewis Hamilton during the past few years. 

Most would have rightfully betted that Kristoffersson would lead the championship after three double-headers, but fewer would have predicted that the former powerhouse would struggle a bit to keep the rest behind. 

    1. A tactical warfare 

Even fewer would have predicted that tactics (and not sure speed) would be at the order of the day. With Mattias Ekström taking Jānis Baumanis’ (JC Raceteknik) seat at the last moment, the paddock became increasingly wary of this. 

The Swede might just have amazed himself at Höljes, taking the second win of the championship and changing his plans for the following weekend as he would once again take part in the Finnish double-header. 

While Kristoffersson and Niclas Grönholm won the next two rounds, Ekström kept consistent. Grönholm again took the top qualifier position in Riga on Saturday, but a chaotic start to the final saw Kristoffersson take the win, with Ekström taking second. It went even further as the latter took the top qualifier spot on the next day and won the Sunday event in Riga. 

Yet, with both Kristoffersson and Ekström in the pack, it is becoming evidently clear why and how the 2016 – 2018 championships were won by these two. Tyre strategies, mind games, and team help is now the order of the day and we might just see this until December when the 2020 championship finishes. 

Niclas Grönholm leads Mattias Ekström and Johan Kristoffersson in Finland.
PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX.

    2. GRX Taneco with immense start-line power 

For some, Niclas Grönholm stands as the 2019 champion, who never took the title. Missing two rounds due to an appendicitis operation, the Finn entered the last Cape Town round with a mathematical chance of still claiming the title. While this was never to be the case, he took the win at the Killarney International Raceway. 

Ending the Höljes weekend, the odds were stacked against the GRX Taneco team as they seemed to struggle with pace and set-ups, compared to the Volkswagen Polo and the Audi S1 Quattro’s.

The next weekend, however, saw different circumstances as Juha Rytkönen finished the first day in the second-place. The taste of champagne became even sweeter on day 2 as Grönholm silenced critics by fending off immense pressure from Kristoffersson and Ekström to win his home round, with teammate, Timur Timerzyanov with him on the podium. 

Showcasing that this was not just a once-off, Grönholm took TQ on day 1 at Riga, however, a difficult first corner propelled Kristoffersson to the win. 

Joining the GRX SET squad from EKS machinery, Krisztián Szabó showcased his true form this year by finishing inside the top-10 consistently and winning his race heats. All this basically comes down to immense starts with all three of the Hyundai’s having great starts in almost every race. 

Will these good launches (starts) give the team extra armor in the fight for the championship?

Andreas Bakkerud leading rival Timmy Hansen and Mattias Ekström.
PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX.

    3. Where are the 2019 contenders? 

Timmy Hansen and Andreas Bakkerud finished the 2019 season behind a controversial curtain, which will be disputed for many years to come. Finishing the season on equal points, many regarded them as the two fiercest competitors for 2020. 

Unfortunately, this is yet to be proven, with Hansen only claiming a season-best third place on the first day in Finland followed up by third in Riga. While this might not seem that bad,  Hansen Motorsport is yet to prove its consistency, compared to GRX Taneco, KYB Team JC, and Kristoffersson Motorsport. 

With even more bad luck, the Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel combination started off much worse than anticipated. Following GCK’s progress during the past few years, it was thought that the Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel's connection would propel them to the front. 

Andreas Bakkerud is yet to reach a podium position in 2020, with the Norwegian seemingly struggling to find his same form with the Megane as he showcased with the EKS run Audi in 2019. 

A sparkle of hope came through as Bakkerud started to show some form on the final day in Riga as he slotted into the second row of the second semi-finals. Fighting it out with Timo Scheider for P3 in the second semi-finals during race 6, the Megane of Bakkerud came second best, hitting a grass bank pretty hard. 

A broken driveshaft sees the wheel come off Doran's Renault Megane.
PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX.

    4. British bomb not igniting

Liam Doran, the package deal for the Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel link-up, is finding the best of bad luck in 2020. The British driver seems to have a combination of bad luck and problems with the car during every round this year. 

With this, he is certainly the most inconsistent driver thus far, with no necessary fault of his own. 

Only one top-10 position thus far proves this. 

Is it due to Doran’s vigorous driving style or might it just be the GCK machinery not working as well? 

In 2018, it might have been easy to place money on Johan Kristoffersson as the likely champion, yet, the 2020 season is promised to be far less predictable, with the double World Champion yet to win a Sunday event. Having won 50% of the 2020 events thus far, he is not as dominant as he once was with PSRX Volkswagen Sweden. 

Will Kristoffersson take his third championship, Ekström his second, or Grönholm his first? 

Written By - Franco Theron (Galimoto Media)

"We still have some work to do" - Niclas Grönholm.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX.

The 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship has been filled with ups-and-downs for early championship favourites, GRX Taneco. 

And, despite a win in Kouvola-Finland, the Finnish squad still has a long way to go to beat the likes of Johan Kristoffersson and Mattias Ekström [KYB Team JC]. After six rounds, there have been glimpses of pace, while GRX SET's Juha Rytkonen showed the true pace of the Hyundai i20 after a magnificent performance in Kouvola. 

The fifth round of the championship, also held in Riga, Latvia, saw Niclas Grönholm claim the top qualifiers spot. Lining up alongside, Ekström in the semi-final, the 2016 Champion had a much better launch with Niclas making it into turn two in second-place where he would finish the race. 

While teammate Timur Timerzyanov did not have a good start in semi-final two and got through turn two in fourth-place. However, it went from bad to worse when the Russian got a knock on the rear, which damaged his rear suspension and meant he was crabbing around the track fighting to keep his Hyundai going in a straight line. He  finished the semi-final in fifth-place. 

The round five final was a heated affair with six drivers jostling for position, while the 24-year-old Finn came out of turn two in fourth-place. And, later on in the final, Niclas was faster than Kevin Hansen and tried an alternative line to get past the young Swede. But luck was not on his side and he hit a barrier. Grönholm crossed the finish line 6.275 seconds behind Kevin in fifth-place. 

Sunday (round six) was slightly more challenging for GRX Taneco, with both drivers in fifth and ninth after three qualifying sessions. Niclas progressed to the semi-finals, while Timur could only manage a fifth-place finish. In the final, the Finn claimed a fifth-place finish. 

"Quali runs were up-and-down again and starting from the outside didn’t help. I had a quite good start in the Final and came out of the first turn as fourth," Grönholm said. "I managed to keep up with the frontrunners for a couple of laps, but eventually my tires overheated and I lost the pace."

"We came here well prepared and with high expectations, but couldn’t capitalize on that. The car was better than in first races of the season, but we still have some work to do."

Despite some good clean runs in qualifying, Timur wasn't able to achieve his plan of making it into the Semi-fiinal, and ended round six in eighth-place. 

"P5 in the Semi-final was not the result I was hoping for, especially after the good and clean run in Q2, where I finished 4th," Timerzyanov said. "We had a plan for the Semi-final, but it didn’t play out as we anticipated and even though I was driving as fast as possible, it was not enough to proceed to the Final."

Jussi Pinomäki, GRX Taneco Team Manager adds that it has been a frustrating weekend in Latvia, but admits that his team needs to keep working and improving throughout the season to reach the level of their rivals. 

"This weekend in Riga was a difficult and sometimes even a frustrating one, but I know that everyone in the team did their best and I am proud of them," Pinomäki said. "For sure we would have wanted a better result, but races in Riga prove the level of the sport and that we have to keep working and improving throughout the whole season."

Krisztian Szabo in the third Hyundai i20 run by GRX SET had a topsy turvy weekend, and while Saturday (round 5) was much smoother. Sunday (round six) saw the Hungarian's car catch alight in Q2 due to a broken manifold. The GRX team was able repair the car and got him out for the remainder of the weekend where he was able to finish in sixth-place in the semi-finals. 

"I was missing a couple of tenths here and there comparing to yesterday and I can’t really explain why it was like that. Still, I reached the Semi-final and I am satisfied with this result, especially after the thrilling Q2 session," Szabo said. "In Q2 I noticed smoke inside of the car, but I kept going until, on the last lap, when an actual fire came into cockpit and I was forced to stop. Mechanics did an unbelievable job, getting the car ready for Q3, where I set the 5thfastest time."

Written By - Junaid Samodien

Keeping calm key to Grönholm's success in Kouvola.

PHOTO CREDIT: GRX Taneco.

Niclas Grönholm withstood immense pressure from Johan Kristoffersson and Mattias Ekström to take his first win of the season on World RX’s return to Finland.

Grönholm produced his best qualifying performance of the season in the Intermediate Classification to end up second and take 15 championship points at the Kouvola track. He then won semi-final two in treacherous conditions to earn a front-row start for the final.

Kristoffersson had a clean start in the final with Niclas right behind, and as Johan ran slightly wide into turn one. Grönholm swept around the inside to take the lead. From there on, he held the lead in difficult wet and slippery conditions fending off a quicker Kristoffersson, and then Mattias Ekström, when Johan took his joker (lap) on lap three.

The GRX Taneco driver was able to withstand the pressure from Ekström and Kristoffersson to cross the line first and win at his home round of the championship. 

"We found a bit more speed [on Sunday]. Maybe a little in the car, but mainly in myself – I kept calm the whole day, and that was crucial for winning this event," Grönholm said. 

"The final was a bit stressful because Ekström and Kristoffersson were on my tail, but I kept my racing line as knew that they won’t overtake me on the outside because it was so slippery there."

The 24-year-old Finns win in Kouvola (third win in his career) is an important result for the team, as they expected a stronger performance at the Höljes doubleheader, but within the short gap between the events. The GRX Taneco squad worked on their Hyundai i20 Supercars to find some improvements, which paid-off in Kouvola. 

"This is a very important result for our team. Everyone has been working flat-out for the past week and this win means a lot for the whole team," Niclas said. 

Written By - Junaid Samodien