PREVIEW: Kristoffersson leads charge as World RX races into Rīga.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

Following the opening round of the 2022 campaign at Hell in Norway - three weeks ago, the FIA World Rallycross Championship is on the move once again, and this time the championship heads to one of the best venues on the calendar for a double dose of action this weekend at the Ferratum World RX of Rīga-Latvia.

The Biķernieki trase (circuit) located on the outskirts of Latvia's capital city, Rīga, was introduced to the calendar in 2016, with it's high-grip asphalt placing a firm focus on tyre strategy, and it's unforgiving barriers that line the track.

Latvia is happy hunting ground for defending champion Johan Kristoffersson - who kick started he's fourth title charge 12 months ago. 

This weekend, the Swede returns, and this time around he is not 20 points behind the Hansen brothers, instead he is leading the championship standings having claimed a record 28th career victory in Norway earlier this month. 

Round 1 winner Johan Kristoffersson
PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

Whilst a new era has begun, most of the drivers' either had minor technical gremlins or discovered issues with there cars, namely the Hansen World RX Team, who discovered that there center of gravity was poor due to the battery positioning, but despite those obstacles they were pressuring Kristoffersson as much as possible. 

Niclas Grönholm, who was the man to beat a year ago in Latvia returns with new team-mate Klara Andersson at the Construction Equipment Dealer Team. It was evident that the PWR RX1e machines lacked some pace to the Polo's and Peugeots. Marcus Gronholm also admitted that he's son was struggling to adapt he's driving style, whilst Andersson was exceptional on debut. 

After a few years out of the championship, Ole Christian Veiby made an impressive return with a top three finish in the second Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS Polo. The Norwegian will  be discovering a new track this weekend - the Bikernieki trase.

The third Volkswagen Polo RX1e driven by Gustav Bergstrom has some pace to find to challenge in the front runners, whilst Rene Munnich in the All-Inkl Munnich Motorsport Seat Ibiza finally got some mileage under he's belt in Norway after missing the pre-season test. 

The Bikerieki trase opens the opportunity for more action-packed racing this weekend, with it's tight turn-one, but trying to guess who will reign supreme in Latvia is anyone's guess. 

Having had one race weekend to gain some important information on set-up and performance - teams will take a step forward, and we can not wait to see who will triumph on Saturday and Sunday. 

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 CIRCUIT - BIKERNIEKI TRASE, LATVIA.

THE TRACK: 

Located on the outskirts of the Latvian capital of Riga, the Biķernieki track is the country’s only permanent circuit, with a history dating back to the 1950s, when a temporary course was first constructed within the surrounding forest.

In 2016, Biķernieki joined the FIA World Rallycross Championship calendar, with a 1,295m layout. Incorporating sections of the race circuit, a long gravel zone through the wooded infield section and three jumps – two on the standard lap and one in the Joker – it immediately became a favorite amongst both drivers and fans.

TRACK LENGTH: 1.295m

NO. OF CORNERS: 12 

PREVIOUS WINNERS (2021) - Round 4 Niclas Grönholm

                                                   Round 5 Johan Kristoffersson

SURFACE: 60% Asphalt, 40% Gravel.

JOKER LAP LOSS: 3.3 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.

World RX Entry List - Ferratum World RX of Rīga-Latvia 2022

*GCK Motorsport’s Lancia Delta Evo-e will not be ready to race in Hell due to the extensive development work required to incorporate the new technology into the car, it will appear on-track in World RX later in the season.

2022 FIA World Rallycross Championship Standings (Drivers):

Johan Kristoffersson (Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS) 20 points

Timmy Hansen (Hansen World RX Team) 16 pts

Ole Christian Veiby (Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS) 13 pts

Klara Andersson (CE Dealer Team) 12pts

Niclas Gronholm (CE Dealer Team) 11 pts

Gustav Bergstrom (Kristoffersson Motorsport) 10 pts

Kevin Hansen (Hansen World RX Team) 9 pts

Rene Munnich (ALL-INLK Munnich Motorsport) 8 pts

2022 FIA World Rallycross Championship Standings (Teams):

Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS 33 points

Hansen World RX Team 25 pts

Construction Equipment Dealer Team 23 pts

Rounds 2 and 3 - Ferratum World RX of Rīga-Latvia (CAT Times). 

SATURDAY:

PRACTICE: 09:00

SUPERPOLE: 10:25

HEAT 1: 12:10

HEAT 2: 13:40

PROGRESSION RACE: 15:10

SEMI-FINALS AND FINAL: (from) 17:00

GRID WRAP UP SHOW: 18:00 [RX+ only]

SUNDAY:

WARM-UP: 09:05

SUPERPOLE: 09:35

HEAT 1: 11:10

HEAT 2: 13:25

PROGRESSION RACE: 14:55

SEMI-FINALS AND FINAL: (from) 17:00

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 gets World RX title bid back on track with victory in Latvia.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

Johan Kristoffersson has got his World RX title hopes back on track this weekend, as he claimed his first victory of the 2021 campaign on day two of the double-header weekend in Latvia. 

The three-time World Champion might have had a day to forget on Saturday afternoon, but with some overnight fine tunning his KYB EKS JC squad were able to unlock some speed, and that was seen straight from the morning warm-up. 

But come qualifying, it was Mattias Ekström who topped Q1 with Niclas Grönholm dominating Q2, Q3, with Timmy Hansen and Timo Scheider earning a place in the semi-final, as Johan led home the second semi-final ahead of Ekström and Kevin Hansen. 

The scene was set... Could Grönholm do the double? Or would we see a first-time winner? Well, before the final got underway, All-Inkl Munnich Motorsport's Timo Scheider entered the tyre warm-up zone, which ended with prop-shaft failure. 

Having failed to start the final, Krisztián Szabó entered the fray alongside Kevin Hansen on the third row of the grid (for the final). 

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

The GRX-SET driver certainly had the pace and had great launches (starts) throughout the weekend certainly made him a favorite, but with Kristoffersson alongside on the front row, anything could possibly happen. Let the games begin!

Kristoffersson had a dream start and was a car length clear of Grönholm before turn one with Niclas coming out second best with Timmy Hansen in third followed by Szabo and Kevin Hansen fighting for position behind. 

On lap five, the Flying Finn tried an alternative strategy (took joker lap) but it was not enough, as Kristoffersson put his foot down, and with a final joker lap, he went on to claim his 25th career victory and his fourth on the Biķernieku trase (track). 

"I had a very good start. I had a steering lock up and I had to shift the gears there was a lot going on. The guys (team) really deserve this victory because as they have been working very, very hard," Kristoffersson said.

Having taken the top qualifiers spot earlier this afternoon, Niclas admitted that he did not have it within him to win in Latvia today.

"I really didn't have the best launch in the final, and then I tried to follow Johan as best as possible. I think I managed pretty well, but I just didn't have it in me to win it," Grönholm said. "In the final, it was just not quite enough. I think Johan saved his best tyres for the semi-final and final."

The 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship now moves on to the World RX of Spa-Francorchamps from October 9-10.

"A quick car will be rewarded, whilst mistakes will be punished" in Riga double-header.

PHOTO CREDIT: Hansen Motorsport

The Hansen brothers' are heading to Latvia for rounds four and five of the FIA World Rallycross Championship this weekend, with the drivers' and teams' titles to defend after a trio of one-two finishes.

A strenuous schedule begins this week with the World RX of Latvia. Unlike the first three rounds of the season, this one is a double-header, with a full championship round taking place on each of the two days.

Having claimed two wins in the last two events in Sweden and France, Timmy has some good memories at the Biķernieki trase (track) has taken a victory in 2019 and a few other podium finishes.

"This is a track that I enjoy and has been good to me in the past. It’s another high-grip circuit, so taking what we learned from the last round in Lohéac into this one will be crucial," Timmy Hansen said. "As a double-header, it presents an extra challenge for myself, for the mechanics, and the whole team. That’s especially true of the mechanics, who will be pushing to keep the car in top condition from start to finish."

The 2019 World Champion is thrilled by the prospects of Mattias Ekström's one-off return with All-Inkl Munnich Motorsport this weekend. 

"It’s great to see Mattias Ekström coming back to the championship too, even if it’s only a one-off. We all know how fast he is and it’s great to have another world champion back on the grid to compete against," he said. "We saw in Spain that the car he’s driving is capable of being at the front, so I’m looking forward to competing against another of the strongest rallycross drivers out there this weekend."

His younger brother Kevin is hungry for more wins, having stood on the top step of the podium at the season opener in Spain earlier this season. The 23-year-old Swede still has the world title firmly in his sights, with only a 10-point deficit to Timmy.

"We’ve had three good weekends but with this double-header, a quick car will be rewarded even more than normal, while mistakes will be punished twice as hard. We’ll have to be on our toes as there’s one less qualifying session to make up lost ground," Kevin Hansen said.

"I think this format suits me and I’m looking forward to it. Riga is a really fun track; in terms of the circuit layout, it’s a little bit like Monaco, being a narrow track with lots of walls everywhere. But it’s also a track I want to step up at and do better at. I have some ideas on how to do improve here compared to years past and I hope my new way of working applies well to this style of track."

PREVIEW: Double points on offer at World RX of Riga.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross/Red Bull Content Pool

The FIA World Rallycross Championship races into Latvia this weekend – and with double points on offer, the stakes could be higher.

The opening three rounds of the season have seen some sensational action, with Hansen World RX Team leading the championship standings following victories for Timmy Hansen at Höljes and Lohéac and a curtain-raising victory for younger brother Kevin Hansen in Barcelona.

The Hansen brothers have not had things all their way, with rival Johan Kristoffersson matching them for pace at every event so far, but bad luck was the victor in every single case. The three-time World Champion had to fight back to finish third in Barcelona after being disqualified from Q1 and to rub more salt into his wounds, the Swede has failed to reach the final since, picking up a double puncture on home soil in Sweden and falling victim to transmission woes in France.

Fourth in the championship (as it stands), Kristoffersson, boasts a stellar record around the challenging Biķernieki trase (track), having won at the circuit three times since 2017. He is chasing more silverware this weekend as he aims to kick-start his fight for a fourth Drivers’ title.

"We have not had the margins on our side so far this year," Kristoffersson said. "That makes it tough in the championship table now, but we will continue to focus on the future, reload and be ready to fight in Riga."

GRX-SET's Niclas Grönholm opened his podium account last time out in France, having been convinced he had the speed to win. The flying Finn is another contender this weekend around a track where he clinched the runner-up spot two years ago.

Team-mate Krisztián Szabó is one of only four drivers in the championship to have reached the final in every event thus far, and his consistency sees him arrive in Latvia sitting third in the Drivers’ standings. 

Not only that, but he is a former winner around the Riga track, having triumphed at the circuit on his way to lifting the FIA European Rallycross Championship Super1600 in 2017.

Kevin Abbring, meanwhile, has arguably been the revelation of the campaign so far, unleashing race-winning pace in Sweden only to be foiled by traffic. With the form that both the Dutchman are showing, it is surely a question of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ he secures his maiden World RX victory.

Timo Scheider returns... and is another driver who can certainly not be discounted, and the rapid German will be partnered at ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport by two-time DTM and 2016 World Champion Mattias Ekström.

Ekström has never finished lower than second in five previous appearances in Riga, including a trip to the top step of the podium last year. Although the Swede will be adapting to a new team and car... LET THE RACING BEHIND! 

THE TRACK:

Located on the outskirts of the Latvian capital of Riga, the Biķernieki track is the country’s only permanent circuit, with a history dating back to the 1950s, when a temporary course was first constructed within the surrounding forest.

In 2016, Biķernieki joined the FIA World Rallycross Championship calendar, with a 1,295m layout. Incorporating sections of the race circuit, a long gravel zone through the wooded infield section and three jumps – two on the standard lap and one in the Joker – it immediately became a favorite amongst both drivers and fans.

Track Length: 1.295m

2020 Winners: ROUND 5: Johan Kristoffersson (Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS)

                         ROUND 6: Mattias Ekstrom (KYB Team JC)

Fastest lap: Johan Kristoffersson 48.099s (in semi-finals)

Asphalt/Dirt: 60%/40%

Joker Lap Loss: 3.3 seconds (approximately)

2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship standings (drivers):

Timmy Hansen (Hansen World RX Team) 85 pts

Kevin Hansen (Hansen World RX Team) 75 points

Krizstian Szabo (GRX-SET) 58 pts

Johan Kristoffersson (KYB EKS JC) 57 pts

Kevin Abbring (UNKORRUPTED) 55 pts

Niclas Gronholm (GRX-SET) 51 pts

Enzo Ide (KYB EKS JC) 37 pts

Timo Scheider (ALL-INLK Munnich Motorsport) 31 pts

Juha Rytkonen 25 pts

Rene Munnich (ALL-INLK Munnich Motorsport) 16 pts

Attila Mozer 13 pts

Peter Hedstrom 11 pts

Oliver O'Donovan 10 pts

Herve Knapick 9 pts

Tamas Karai 9 pts

Oliver Bennett (Xite Racing Team) 8 pts

Mandie August (ALL-INLK Munnich Motorsport) 4 pts

Patrick Guillerme 2 pts

Dan Oberg 1 pt

Round 4 and 5 World RX of Riga Schedule (CET Times)

SATURDAY:

PRACTICE: 09:30

Q1: 11:06

Q2: 13:06

Q3: 14:30

Semi-Finals and Final: (from) 16:00

Grid Wrap Up Show: 17:00 [RX+ only]

SUNDAY:

WARM-UP: 09:00

Q1: 10:06

Q2: 12:06

Q3: 14:06

Semi-Finals and Final: (from) 16:00

Grid Wrap Up Show: 17:00 [RX+ only]

FREE LIVESTREAM

Red Bull TV (FINALS) ROUND 5 & 6 [Satuday and Sunday] - at 15:45 UTC+2 - https://www.redbull.com/int-en/events/fia-world-rallycross-championship-latvia

Former World Champion Ekström to make unexpected return at Riga.

PHOTO CREDIT: ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport

Former World Champion Mattias Ekström will return to the FIA World Rallycross Championship for the double-header event in Latvia this weekend, joining the ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport team.

Having ruled out a return to World RX at the end of the 2020 season, Ekström admitted that Extreme E was his sole focus, but earlier today that changed as he has confirmed an unexpected return to the World Championship.

With 58 World RX starts under his name, the Swede clinched the coveted crown in 2016 and has finished as runner-up in the standings on three other occasions. 

Ekström is a 12-time event-winner, making him statistically the second-most successful competitor in World Championship history – and the most recent of those victories was achieved in Latvia last season.

After a year away from the World Championship, he is looking forward to renewing battles with his old sparring partners this weekend. 

"I’m very excited to go to Riga with ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport for several reasons," Ekström said. "Firstly, I think the car has been performing really well lately and René [Münnich] proved that with a Euro RX1 win in France."

"Secondly, I really like the Riga track, and the fact that it will be a double-header weekend means there will be a lot of track time. And most importantly, driving a World RX Supercar is the best preparation possible for the racing activities that I do. With 600 horsepower and nearly 1000Nm, these are the fastest cars to drive and to keep myself race-ready.

"I will do everything I can in Riga to get a trophy for ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport because they have been fighting for a long time and really deserve it. We have two chances this weekend to achieve this goal."

ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport has impressed this season by competing consistently at the front end of the field, with Timo Scheider vying for the podium in both Spain and France, with Rene Münnich racing to his and the team’s maiden European Championship triumph last time out at Lohéac. 

For the first time in competitive rallycross, Mattias Ekström will drive something other than an Audi S1 Supercar, as he teams up with former DTM team-mate Timo Scheider to race a Seat Ibiza Supercar. 

The Hansen brothers headline 11-car field for World RX of Riga double-header.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

The FIA has released the official entry list for Ferratum World RX of Rīga on 18-19 September 2021. 

And guess what? The championship is only just heating up after the third round of the season at Lohéac in France last weekend, with a tantalizing title fight in prospect between Hansen brothers Timmy and Kevin and reigning champion Johan Kristoffersson, who has endured a tough start to the campaign due to penalties, punctures, and technical issues, but whose raw speed is certainly not in doubt.

Can three-time World Champion fight back in Latvia? He certainly can! 

In addition to the permanent entrants, Juha Rytkönen, Dan Öberg, and Timo Scheider will also head into battle in Latvia, while ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport has added a second car to its entry for a yet-to-be-named driver.

Mixed emotions for Team Hansen in Latvia

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull.

Team Hansen have not had the start to season that they had hoped for after being crowned World Champions in 2019. 

But it's not all doom and gloom, as both Hansen brothers have stepped onto the podium this season, Kevin with a second place in Sweden and Timmy with two third-place finish in Finland and Latvia.

This season has been rather tough forTeam Hansen as they have struggled with starts, grip and set-ups, but there have been glimpses of pace which still needs to be unlocked. On Sunday (round six), Kevin set the unofficial lap record at the Bikerneiki Sports Complex - a 48.098 second lap to show the team's potential. 

Round five of the championship on Saturday saw Timmy claim a third-place finish, while his teammate and younger brother Kevin brought his Peugeot 208 across the line in fourth-place.

Being a double-header weekend, Sunday saw all the teams take to the track for the sixth round of the championship, but the smallest of margins meant Timmy would not claim another podium finish, rather he would take home a fourth-place finish with Kevin making the cut after Timo Scheider was disqualified for an incident with Andreas Bakkerud. He would cross the finish line in sixth. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull.

The reigning world champion won two of his qualifying races, in Q1 and Q3, to qualify fourth overall and pick up a front row start for the semi-final. A straightforward lights-to-flag run in second place in the second semi-final meant a second-row grid slot for the final, though Timmy was beaten to turn one by both Niclas Grönholm and Robin Larsson and fell to fifth-place.

The fightback began quickly, with Timmy taking the joker on lap one and turning in a sequence of fast laps to put himself back in contention for a podium finish. Sensing the danger, Larsson took the joker [lap] on lap three, only just managing to get out ahead of Timmy as he covered the inside line on the exit of the last corner.

While Timmy missed out on a podium finish he proved a point by snatching fourth from Grönholm on the last lap, sweeping around the outside of the final corner as the Finn emerged from his joker lap.

"In general this weekend I'm extremely happy with what we delivered and the results we got," Timmy Hansen said. "With the pace we had and the launches we had, this was the maximum we could achieve. The team hasn't made a single mistake all weekend, and I haven't made any mistakes on track, so we extracted everything we had."

"That said, we also want more, we want to be able to fight for the top step on the podium. To do that, we need to take one more step with the whole package that we have. There have been good signs but we need to put it together."

"Our launches were better today and the car was better this weekend in general, so we're taking steps. But it's not easy at this level to gain everything that you need to suddenly be at the front." 

"It's about making little steps and this weekend we took several little steps. It's a hard game, we're a small team, but I believe in the crew we have and we'll keep on fighting," he adds.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull.

While Kevin Hansen only made it to the final after Timo Scheider was disqualified. He had nothing to lose and repeated his strategy from the day before, swinging the car out wide on the outside, which had given him second on the track a day earlier. It didn’t quite work this time around, he tucked in behind Timmy into turn three.

There was still pace on display as he caught Grönholm towards the end of the race, but couldn’t find a way past and finished in sixth.

"I feel I have more and can do more, but the starts still aren't quite there. We're lacking a really small amount of pace, not much at all, but it's tough because it makes a big difference to the result," Kevin Hansen said. 

"We did the maximum possible and I still have a very good feeling with the car, which is a great positive, having that full confidence and not making any mistakes. Being in scenario two for FIA Covid-19 protocols this weekend meant we were able to bring Eric Färén with us as an extra team member to help us even more, which has been useful as well."

"It was very disappointing not to get through my semi-final on speed; I felt I had more speed than both Larsson and Grönholm," he adds. "I went to the pre-grid for the final even though I was sure I wouldn't be the one called up if a grid slot opened, so I'm very surprised they called me in. But understanding the rules afterward, going to pre-grid was a great choice!"

“I was a bit more relaxed than I usually am before a race so it took me about a lap to get fully back into my rhythm again. I feel like I had a good run in the final, even if I was maybe a little too aggressive at the first corner. But when you are starting last, there's nothing to lose of course."

Kenneth Hansen, the team principal of Team Hansen admits that his team can learn from their performance in Riga (Latvia), and aim to take a step forward in Spain in a few weeks time. He adds that Team Hansen will not give up just yet. 

"We need to look at what happened, what we learned, and find some further progression before heading to Spain in a few week's time," Hansen said. 

"It's very close this year and we don't have quite the level of performance we would wish for, but we don't give up. We're definitely pushing to get to the front and fight for wins again."

Written By - Junaid Samodien

Ekström hopes to return, while KYB Team JC claim double podium in Lativa.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX.

Mattias Ekström claimed his twelfth career victory at the Neste World RX of Riga (Latvia) at round six of the FIA World Rallycross Championship, to remain in contention for a potential second title. 

It was another relatively strong weekend for KYB Team JC in Riga-Latvia. On Saturday (round five), both drivers made the final, while Mattias finished second after winning his semi-final and Robin Larsson brought his Audi S1 across the line in sixth. 

Whilst round five wasn't an ideal result for the team, they worked hard overnight and found some improvements, as KYB Team JC claimed there first-ever double World RX podium finish, with Mattias on the top step and Larsson in third-place. 

"What a fantastic result. We had a good day on Saturday, but we struggled a bit with the tyres, so it was good to get a P2 and both cars in the final," Joel Christoffersson, KYB Team JC Team Principal said. 

"We had a good debrief overnight and really put our heads together to try and find a setup to try to manage the tyres as well as possible. We worked late, and today it paid off. We had the pace in the morning and through the day, the semi-final went just as we planned, and then in the final, I was a little curious about how Robin wold get on because we didn’t have as many new tyres for him as we did for Mattias, but it was such a nice feeling to get both cars on the podium."

"I’m almost happier for Robin than Mattias because we have worked so hard with Robin and he’s driven so well but we’ve never had the last luck to be on the podium," Christoffersson adds. "Now finally he could step up there and it’s a huge relief for him. It’s so nice to have two top drivers in the team and it’s fun to be looking at the points in both championships."

Joel Christoffersson hopes that Mattias can complete the season with his team.

"There aren't many races left still and I guess I need to call Mattias and try to discuss what we can do in the future. Hopefully, CUPRA and ABT can let us have him back again," he said.

Ekström made a surprising return to World RX this season with KYB Team JC and has brought the team to the forefront with his wise tactical decisions and setups skills. It's also worth noting that the Audi S1 Quattro was built for him by Audi Sport in 2018. 

The 2016 World Champion took a maximum points haul on Sunday at the Bikerneiki Sports Complex to close the gap to World RX Championship leader Johan Kristoffersson to 17 points.

For the first time in 2020, championship leader Johan Kristoffersson did not win a qualifying session. The only time Ekström was beaten throughout the day was by teammate Robin Larsson in Q3. 

"For me, Sunday in Riga turned out very special, after being dead last in the Q1 grid draw really means having no draw at all, just to take the place that’s left over. It was feeling like a big challenge, but after a good start and a clean Q1, that was the base for our weekend," Ekström said. "Then to win again in Q2 was another key. For Q3 we were just doing tyre management to save the best for the semi-final and final. That was a big strategic thing." 

"I can’t say about enough about our starts because that was a key to success too. Robin finished P2 in the semi-final which was very good and important points for the team, and then the final battle with Johan, such a close race from the start into the first corner and all the laps he was on my bumper. I did no mistakes and in the end, finished in front. It felt amazing and probably one of the best victories."

Heading into the Latvian double-header, Ekström was announced as the first driver for CUPRA's entry into Extreme E next year and was given permission by ABT and CUPRA to race in Riga. 

"I can’t wait to go home and digest this one and to call the guys at CUPRA and ABT to say thanks for the permission to come here and do this race, and I will also ask for permission to go to the next races," the Swede said. "I hope I will be able to give an update on this soon because that’s what the team wants and what I want also."

Reigning Euro RX and RallyX Nordic Champion Robin Larsson used a good race strategy to finish in third place, his first World RX podium with KYB Team JC, which moved him up to fifth in the Drivers’ Championship.

"I didn’t expect to be as high in the Intermediate Classification on Sunday after the tiny mistake in Q2. We had to use four new tyres in Q3 to go for it to get the fastest time. It went well, and made up a bit for the really disappointing Q2," Larsson said. 

"I knew then we couldn’t fight for the win when we used those tyres because you need them so much at the end, so I just tried to be behind Mattias in the semi, and it ended up really well in the final with Niclas Gronholm behind and I could really push on the lap that we took the joker."

"I’m more relieved than happy, that we could show pace, especially for me on this track, I’ve never been fast here and struggled before a lot," he adds. "I’ve tried to look at Mattias and the v-Box and everything to get as much data as I could. I’m really happy for Mattias and the team for the double podium. Finally!"

The next two rounds of World RX championship takes place in Barcelona, Spain on October 17-18. 

Written By - Junaid Samodien

We weren't 'quite strong enough' - Anton Marklund.

PHOTO CREDIT: GC Kompetition.

It's been a season of ups-and-downs for all the GCK run teams in 2020, and it was no different for Anton Marklund in Riga, Latvia, as he failed to make the final in rounds 5 and 6 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship. 

The fifth round of the World Rallycross Championship was a difficult one for the Swede who was languishing in 16th overall after the first qualifier, but he was able to work his way up to 14th overall after the second and three qualifying sessions, which meant that he would not progress to the semi-finals or final. 

Day 2 of the double-header event was slightly better for Marklund. In Q1, he posted the 10th faster time followed up by the ninth fastest time in Q2, and the eleventh fastest time in Q3, booking him a spot in the semi-finals. 

On row 3 in semi-final 2 following action into turn 1 pushing through from the back, Anton took the joker [lap] straight away. He then fought his way into fifth place, and on lap 6, the race was red-flagged following a big shunt for Andreas Bakkerud after contact with Timo Scheider. Scheider was later disqualified for contact with Bakkerud, resulting in a fourth-place finish in the semi-finals for Marklund, and he would go no further. 

"We’ve been working very hard on the car this weekend and everyone on the team had to absolutely put their everything in to try and mitigate some of the niggles that already reared their heads yesterday. We started to pick up some pace in the end but it wasn’t quite strong enough," Marklund said. 

"The semi-final had us finish in 4th due to Scheider’s disqualification, however, as a result of the race having been red-flagged, the previous lap’s standings stood and Andreas would’ve got the grid spot and of course was unable to so Kevin Hansen took the spot in the final ahead of me. A close call to the final but it wasn’t to be today [Sunday]."

Written By - Junaid Samodien

UNKORRUPTED uses Latvian double-header to gather information.

PHOTO CREDIT: GC Kompetition.

UNKORRUPTED has used the Neste World RX of Riga (Latvia) as a test session after a poor start to the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship. 

The French squad had high expectations heading into the 2020 World RX season after making significant changes to the Renault Clio R.S. RX that made it's debut in 2019. However, there expectations were not matched with on track performance. 

The fifth and sixth rounds of the FIA World Rallycross Championship in Latvia was used as a test event, as the UNKORRUPTED crew trialled differential changes and tweaks to the set up in order to gather data for post-event analysis. 

To date, Rokas Baciuksa has claimed the team's best result, an 11th-place finish at round one of the championship in Holjes, Sweden. Fast forward to Riga-Latvia, rounds five and six saw the pair leading the tail end of the field in 15th and 16th respectively. 

Team founder and driver Guerlain Chicherit admitted that it was difficult heading into the weekend knowing that he would not be competitive.

"As an athlete, for sure it’s tough to turn up when you’re not fighting for the top but motorsport is not easy, and it was important to get this weekend’s runs to gather enough information and test the changes made ahead of our pre-Barcelona testing," Chicherit said. "I’m really grateful to the mechanics and the rest of the team, they just keep pushing on despite frustrations as we try to learn as much as possible in what is an incredibly short, hectic season this year."

"I’m really happy to see the work I’ve put in over the off-season on my own driving style come through as we can see it’s got much cleaner. Now I hope we make some progress ahead of Barcelona to see it come together."

Teammate Rokas Baciuska has also been left frustrated despite earning the teams' best result of the season to date in Holjes, Sweden. 

"A weekend like this is hard because I want to race to win but we knew it was going to be a data-finding exercise and need to focus on the changes we can make and the improvements we can find," the Lithuanian driver said. 

Ahead of round seven and eight in Barcelona, Spain, the UNKORRUPTED team will analyse all the data obtained in Latvia to integrate it into a test programme planned for the next few weeks.

Written By - Junaid Samodien

"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

Bakkerud appreciates safety equipment in Mégane after 120km/h crash.

PHOTO CREDIT: GC Kompetition

Andreas Bakkerud was given the all-clear on Sunday evening following a heavy crash in the semi-finals of round six of the World Rallycross Championship in Riga-Latvia.

The 2019 World RX runner-up came wheel-to-wheel with Timo Scheider as the German emerged from the joker lap at the end of lap five, and while Scheider was able to keep the Norweigian behind. On the last lap, Andreas saw a gap and went for the overtake on the inside of the German but in the short run to turn five, Scheider defended and squeezed him into the grass bank with significant impact, that tore the front-left corner off the GCK Mégane R.S. RX. He was immediately helped from the car by marshals and taken to the hospital for further evaluation, and was released on Sunday evening. 

Scheider finished the semi-final in third-place, but was later disqualified by the FIA Stewards for "unsportsmanlike" behavior. 

Bakkerud has not had the smoothest of seasons with GC Kompetition, but put his Renault Mégane in sixth-place overall after the three qualifiers, and progressed to the semi-finals where his weekend abruptly ended. He finished round 6 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship in seventh overall. 

"Today was really a day about consistency for us in Riga and the target was the podium for sure," Bakkerud said. "I felt we were strong in Q1 and Q2 especially, then we struggled a bit in Q3, got safely to the semi-finals, and saw a lot of action there."

The Norwegian talks us through what happened in the semi-final, including the heavy 120km/h shunt.  

"First following the start which had us pushed out but then I caught up to Scheider twice and knew I had the opportunity to overtake him. I saw him break a little late to defend and I took a wider line, cut back to then take the inside line," he explained. "Then I just felt one big punch into the front side of my car that changed its direction entirely and hit the barrier on the left doing 120km/h at the time. There were parts everywhere and I literally just closed my eyes hoping that Marklund and Doran would avoid me."

"At that speed, you never know what can happen. The track medical team did a great job and the Riga hospital did a lot of tests on me, which I really appreciate."

"It’s moments like this that you appreciate the work we’ve done on our safety equipment in the Megane, the seatbelts, our hybrid device, the helmet, and so on - you sometimes take it for granted but now I’m just happy that we use safety equipment that is well proven and of great quality."

Written By - Junaid Samodien

Kristoffersson pleased despite not extending championship lead in Riga.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX

It wasn't a race victory on Sunday, but Johan Kristoffersson is pleased with his overall weekend in Riga-Latvia, as he maintains a seventeen point lead in the World Rallycross Championship. 

The double world champion took this third win of the season in round 5 of the championship on Saturday, and did not get off to a good start on Sunday. Championship rival Mattias Ekström dominated the qualifying sessions to earn the top qualifiers spot, but Johan is happy with his weekend in Latvia. 

"Two more races are done and not so many points left to fight for," Kristoffersson said. 

The double-header at the Bikernieki National Sports Base became a tyre strategy mind game. And, while Kristoffersson gambled in the qualifying sessions on Saturday, battling his way through on mostly used tyres, he finished second in the Intermediate Classification (after qualifying) and picked up fifteen points.

In the semi-final, he had fresh tyres and showed his great pace, winning in style.

"[The win] was the reward for the fight in Q2 and Q3," he said.

He went on to take a convincing victory on Saturday to claim his third win of the season.

Round six (on Sunday) saw, Kristoffersson fighting to earn the top spot. However, he came out second-best behind Mattias Ekström.

"The fight was all the way to the end, but really the biggest chance for victory today was in Q1. When I didn’t manage to take the start there, in Q2 I didn’t manage to beat Mattias again, and then I knew he already had a good tyre strategy then for Q3. I was on the back foot from thereon," the Kristoffersson Motorsport driver said.

In semi-final two, he started from pole position and won fairly easily, and for the final, he lined up alongside Ekström who was on pole position with new tyres on both cars.

"We were very aggressive on the tyres in the semi-final so I had four new tyres for the final the same as Mattias, I had a good launch, but so did Mattias. Then there was not much more to do," he said. 

"I was on the outside for turn one, and thereafter I just had to follow him, saving as many tyres as I could for five laps before the joker, but there was a little too much argy-bargy with Grönholm at the joker merge and during the lap, so I couldn’t really challenge Mattias at the last corner. But, I picked up as many points as I could, without winning, so I can't be disappointed."

Kristoffersson took 29 points from round five on Saturday and 26 more points from round six (on Sunday) with a total of 55 from the weekend, the same as Ekström, which sees the two split by seventeen points in the championship standings with four rounds remaining.

"I have only lost 14 points from six races," Johan adds.

The duel between Kristoffersson and Ekström is set to continue in Spain in four weeks' time, at another double-header.

Written By - Junaid Samodien

PREVIEW: The forests of Bikernieki will come alive to the sound of World RX.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media. 

After four thrilling rounds, the FIA World Rallycross Championship is back! This time around the action-packed championship heads to the Latvian capital, Riga for rounds five and six.  

And, guess what? For the first time this season, spectators will be allowed to attend a World RX event, but in limited numbers though (a maximum 3000) with strict coronavirus control measures in place. 

The Neste World Rallycross of Riga features two separate FIA World Rallycross Championship events, one full event – comprising three rounds of qualifying races, semi-finals, and the final – taking place each day. 

WORLD RX CHAMPIONSHIP: 

The start to the season was initially delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic but thus far four championships rounds have been completed across two venues; Holjes (Sweden) and Kouvola (Finland). 

Returning double world champion Johan Kristoffersson has led from the front, and has established a healthy 17-point lead at the top of the championship standings, his closest rival being Mattias Ekstrom. 

Ekstrom (the 2016 World Champion) has returned to the championship this year with KYB Team JC after Jānis Baumanis was hit by financial issues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Swede claimed victory at round two of the championship on home soil and has firmly cemented himself in championship contention (second-place overall). 

Earlier this week, KYB Team JC announced that Ekstrom will return for the Latvian double-header alongside Robin Larsson who is currently sixth in the championship. 

Finn Niclas Gronholm heads to Latvia with a good boost after winning his home round in Kouvola and currently holds third place in the drivers' standings. His teammate, Timur Timerzyanov who is currently in tenth-place, is hoping for better pace this weekend. 

While reigning world champion Timmy Hansen has not had the start to the season that he had expected but hopes to take steps forward this weekend after three days of testing in Sweden. Timmy and younger brother Kevin Hansen are currently in fourth and fifth place in the standings. 

Timo Scheider (ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport) claimed a third-place finish in Sweden (round 1) and is placed seventh after being in the final at three of the first four rounds. His teammate Rene Muennich has had a more difficult start to the year and is 16th after four rounds.

Andreas Bakkerud has also had a tough start to the season, but has made it to the final in rounds two and four and is eight in the standings, while his Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel teammate Liam Doran will be hoping for better fortunes in Latvia after suffering from a series of technical issues, which sees the Brit bringing up the rear in 21st place. 

GCK Bilstein's Anton Marklund had a strong start to the season in Sweden, but faded away in Kouvola, claiming an 11th and 12th place finish, which sees him currently placed ninth, while the UNKORRUPTED pairing of Rokas Baciuska and Guerlain Chicherit will be aiming for stronger results in their newly developed Renault Clio R.S. RX supercars. 

Jani Paasonen is back for more in his Ferratum Team’s Ford Fiesta as is Krisztian Szabo who raced in Sweden and holds 12th place in the standings with GRX SET.

Latvia star Reinis Nitiss will make his World RX return with ESmotorsport Eigesta WRX Team this weekend driving Skoda Fabia EVO WRX. 

ROUND FIVE - Q1 DRAW (GRID)

THE TRACK

The World RX track is constructed within the historic race circuit that threads its way through the forest at Bikernieki. Created for the 2016 World RX in Riga – the first time the championship visited Latvia – the rallycross track is 1295m in length and consists of 60% unsealed and 40% asphalt surfaces, with a track record time of 48.485s. The track includes three jumps, two of them on the joker lap. Meanwhile, the joker and standard lap runs parallel to each other.

Turn Three: This fast, wide-radius left-hander requires pure commitment but also a bit of patience. A quick exit is crucial to avoid being overtaken on the long run to a hard braking zone at turn four but the wall on the exit has caught out several drivers in the last four years.

Turn Five: It's hard to make up time here, but it's very easy to lose it. This seemingly never-ending right-hander is one of the few gravel turns on the track and anyone who gets greedy with the throttle is likely to slide wide and leave the door open for anyone lurking behind them.

The Joker Merge: It's often elbows-out at Latvia's joker exit, which is located at the final corner of the lap. Drivers on a joker lap have the inside line for the corner, but those on the standard lap can take more speed out of the turn. That often leads to side-by-side jostling to the finish line in close races!

BROADCAST TIMES and SCHEDULE for Rounds 5 & 6 of the Neste World RX of Riga-Latvia (CET):

The livestreams for the events will be carried on the official World RX Facebook page and YouTube channel:

facebook.com/fiaworldrallycross

youtube.com/RallycrossRXTV

Schedule:

Round Five (19 September 2020)

Free Practice: Saturday 7:30 am

Q1: 9:20 am

Q2: 10:45 am

Q3: 12:10 pm

Semi-Finals and Final: 15:00 pm

Round Six (20 September 2020)

Warm-Up: 8:00 am

Q1: 8:40 am

Q2: 10:10 am

Q3: 12:10 pm

Semi-Finals and Final: 15:00 pm

Written By - Junaid Samodien