Formula 1 to return to SA with F1 Fan Festival in March.

Formula 1®, together with Heineken® have announced the sport’s return to South Africa with an immersive fan festival.  On 29 March 2020 the Heineken® F1 Joburg Festival, in partnership with Gauteng Province, will treat Johannesburg residents to a thrilling fan event, and live car run featuring three F1 teams.

The Festival will give fans the opportunity to see 2019 Formula 1 World Championship runner-up Valtteri Bottas and F1 legend David Coulthard tear through the streets of Sandton as they bring the Grand Prix atmosphere to the heart of the city.

"We are excited to announce that F1 will be heading to South Africa this season, with the Heineken® F1 Joburg festival. South Africa has a very special place in Formula 1 history and we remain committed to returning to South Africa in the future," said Ellie Norman, Director of Marketing and Communications. "The festival will be an incredible opportunity for the people of Johannesburg to see F1 up close and personal, with live car runs, fan experiences and incredibile live music acts."

The amazing exhibition will be a must-see for Gauteng and all African F1 fans, who will be immersed into the world of F1, as the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing and Renault F1 teams roar above the reef at Africa’s first-ever F1 festival.  The day will be packed with fun-filled activities catering for all; including a fan zone featuring interactive activations such as the ‘DHL esports Challenge’ and the ‘Pirelli Pit-Stop’ Challenge along with spectacular car displays including supercars, SA Karting, F1600 and historic single-seaters.

Formula 1 legend and former Formula 1 World Championship winner, Jody Scheckter will also make a rare appearance in his 1979 title-clinching Ferrari as F1 marks its return to South Africa.

"I’m delighted that Formula 1 and SAGP have come together to bring an F1 Festival to South Africa for the first time and I am very excited to be involved in what promises to be an amazing spectacle on the streets of Joburg, South Africa has a long history with F1 and the Festival will provide a chance for fans to get up, close and personal with the sport," Scheckter said.

The Heineken® F1 Joburg Festival will be broadcast live on SuperSport and will feature live track activity starting at 1:30pm with the main F1 Live car run commencing at 3:30pm. From 5pm, Festival-goers will be treated to live music, with the festival closing at 8pm.

Tickets are available from Computicket from just R60 for a general admission ticket and can be purchased here: heinekenf1joburgfestival.computicket.com  

*NB - grandstand tickets will be made available at a later date. 

SuperSport confirms live motorsport coverage for 2020.

IMAGE CREDIT: SuperSport.

SuperSport has confirmed that it will broadcast the record 22-race Formula 1 season in 2020. The F1 coverage will include SkySports F1 feeds and additional supplementary programming as per the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

In 2017, the South African pay-tv broadcaster announced a long-term deal with SkySports, which included the broadcasting of the race build-up and post-race shows, as well as Ted’s Notebook, and other supplementary programming. 

However, it remains unclear if SuperSport instead to broadcast any of the SkySports F1's supplementary programming live [Press Conferences, F1 Show, Paddock Live, etc].

In addition to the confirmation that F1 will remain on SuperSport, the broadcaster has also confirmed other motorsport championships that will be broadcast in 2020:

    • MotoGP
    • World Rallycross Championship
    • Virgin Australian Supercars
    • FIA World Endurance Championship
    • Le Mans 24
    • F2 Live & F3 HL

Plus SuperSport’s usual motorsport magazine shows, ie Paddock Pass, F1 Insights, Mobil 1 The grid & many other highlight shows.

The list provided does not include the Verizon IndyCar Series, and it remains unclear if SuperSport will broadcast the series in 2020. 

Abbring joins GCK for 2020 FIA European Rallycross campaign.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA WorldRX Media.

Kevin Abbring will return to supercars competition in the 2020 European Rallycross season with GC Kompetition, driving a Clio R.S. RX. 

The 31-year-old's motorsport career started off in rallycross in the Dutch Ford RST series, where he went on to win the 2005 and 2006 championships before moving to the Dutch Rally Championship in 2007. He impressed with class wins in both the WRC and IRC and made his top line WRC debut with Hyundai in 2015, scoring points and winning stages at the highest level of rallying.

After a decade in rallying, Abbring returned to rallycross making his World RX debut in Hell, Norway, with ES Motorsport where his debut appearance in dreadful conditions was nothing short of exceptional. He claimed a fourth-place finish in Norway and repeated that feat at the Swedish track in Höljes. 

The Dutchman will compete in his first full-time RX championship, and he is keen to get his first taste of the car.

"I’m very pleased to work with GCK, and engineering company FORS, from 2020 onwards! GCK is not only the team with arguably the biggest potential, it’s also a team with extremely experienced and motivated people, with whom I worked closely in the past," said Abbring. 

"The team has invested a lot in the car and our main focus now is to bring those pieces together and find the optimum balance. I can’t wait to get our test programme going and get a first taste of the car."

GCK has always been a team to push for sustainable motorsport developments and that is something that Kevin is equally passionate about.

"Guerlain and GCK have been leaders in the drive to find sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions in rallycross, as well as other motorsports. For me, it is a great opportunity to work on a sustainable future with a team that has a strong focus on future motorsport developments," he adds. 

"It also offers me the opportunity to fight for a championship again and that’s my key focus! I have a lot of respect for Guerlain and the team and I am proud to be part of GCK."

Guerlain Chicherit, the team owner of GC Kompetition, is excited that Kevin Abbring will join his team for the 2020 European RX championship. "I’m super stoked to have Kevin represent GCK in European Rallycross," he said. "Kevin has enormous talent and is super committed to the sport. I look forward to working closely with him and supporting him through our pre-season testing and the season to push for the Championship title."

GCK has also made several changes and developments behind the scenes over the off-season, including the appointment of Paul Bourion as General Manager. Bourion has more than 25 years’ experience in the motorsport industry.

Meanwhile, FORS have also reinforced their support to GCK through the recruitment of a new engineer, Sébastien Lessoneur who worked as Technical Director for Hyundai Motorsport, EKS Audi and ES Motorsport more recently on their rallycross programme. 

Following today's announcement, it remains unclear if the GCK Academy will remain in the World Rallycross Championship or move to the European Rallycross Championship.

Exploring the world of aerodynamics in the World Rallycross Championship.

“Aerodynamics are for people who can't build engines.” - Enzo Ferrari.

Ironically, Enzo Ferrari’s F1 cars were among the first to feature an aerodynamic winglet in the 1960s. Since then, aerodynamics became one of the most important elements in the design and construction of racing cars. 

In 1968 aerodynamics would change the world of motorsport as we would know it. Colin Chapman, the founder of the Lotus team, introduced the Lotus 49 at the Monaco Grand Prix featuring high mounted aerofoils on the rear suspension. By the next Grand Prix, Lotus, McLaren, Ferrari, and Brabham cars would all feature some form of rear wing, while Lotus and Ferrari went one further and added a winglet to the front of their cars.

Having seen the advantage of aerodynamics on the performance of a race car, efforts began in earnest to develop front and rear wings to increase cornering speeds without reducing top speeds as a result of drag on straights. As the 1968 Formula 1 season developed teams experimented with wings of many different shapes, sizes, and heights.

It took years for these aerodynamic designs to be regulated by the motorsport governing body, the FIA, but today, aerodynamics has become an important element of motorsport in the pursuit of an extra tenth of a second.

So, what is downforce?
Downforce is a downward force created when air moves through and over parts of an object (car). The force pushes the car into the asphalt increasing the resistance between the tyres and the road thus allowing the car to take corners at higher speeds while the driver remains firmly in control.

Formula One laid the groundwork with the introduction of various aerodynamic devices (ie. aerofoils (wings), diffusers and ground effect) in motorsport. Things soon changed when other motorsport categories: WRC, Touring Cars, Endurance, etc. incorporated aerodynamically shaped bodywork on their race cars. 

While other motorsport series captured the imagination of engineers and car designers, the 1982 World Rally Championship season captured the hearts of motorsport fans. 
1982 saw the introduction of the Group B regulations in WRC which created some of the fastest, most powerful, and most sophisticated rally cars ever built. However, after a series of fatal accidents, the Group B era was banned by the FIA. 

The monstrous Group B rally cars could no longer compete in the WRC championship and soon found a new home on the rallycross scene. Group B cars ruled the world of rallycross, but with regulation changes for the 1993 season, the Group B era was over. 

What is Rallycross? 
Rallycross is a mixed discipline combing rallying and circuit racing, held over a short lap that alternates from asphalt to gravel.

The FIA World Rallycross Championship launched in 2014 and saw 26 permanent entries battle for glory over the course of twelve rounds starting in Portugal. Since the championship's inception in 2014, it has grown from strength-to-strength.  

As the championship gained popularity, new teams signed up and in 2018, GC Kompetition founded by freeskiing champion, rally and stunt driver Guerlain Chicherit joined the championship. The French team fielded two Renault Megane R.S. RX Supercars, built by Prodrive. 

The 2019 season saw GC Kompetition claim their best result – a second-place finish at Round 8 in France. 

While many motorsport categories shy away from engaging with fans, GCK is like no other. They strive to “Change the Rules” whether it be in the paddock, business or with fans. Thankfully, we were granted the exclusive opportunity to chat with GC Kompetition about aerodynamics in the FIA World Rallycross Championship.

Junaid Samodien: Why do World Rallycross supercars need downforce?
GC Kompetition: How important downforce is depends on which circuit we are racing at - on some circuits the effects of aerodynamics are negligible, but in places like Canada it is important to ensure maximum stability and maximum top speed down the main straight. It is also vital for lateral balance through fast corners, for example in Loheac and Holjes. Their downforce is created by the rear wing which makes the car easier and more stable to handle.

JS: When did aerodynamics become important in RX?
GCK: Aerodynamics always makes a difference in motorsport, even if it's a smaller impact in World RX compared to other series. For sure when we design the car, the aerodynamics are not the first thing we think about - the initial focus is on the things that make the biggest performance gains such as the dampers, engine, brakes, etc. So these parts are developed first to make sure the backbone of the car is where we want it to be. But then, of course, the aerodynamics comes after and we work very hard to ensure our car is as good as it can be in this way.

This became even more important when Canada came on to the calendar, and suddenly aerodynamics had a shift change in importance. It is not possible to perform well in Canada if your aero isn't up to scratch - and we had possibly our strongest performance of the year in Canada which shows our work on our aero performed how we hoped! With Canada back off the calendar next year, for sure this will have an impact on how we design some of the key aerodynamic features of the car in 2020.

JS: How does a World RX team develop an aero package?
GCK: The car design is initially done on CAD, and it is possible to simulate the aerodynamic efficiency and impact 'virtually'. Then the ideal situation is to have a day or two in a wind tunnel at 1/1 scale - which is what we did with the Megane RS RX as part of its development. From here we can see if there are any issues that need changing, and fine-tune areas such as the joints between panels/doors, etc so try and make them as aerodynamically 'smooth' as possible to reduce drag.

JS: How much downforce can a World RX supercar produce?
GCK: Around 200kg.

JS: How is downforce generated on a WRX Supercar?
GCK: In various ways, but the main ones are via the front and rear splitter, and of course the big rear wing. The rear wing is especially designed with lateral stability in mind with the winglets running vertically down the main plane. 

JS: With the current freeze on aerodynamic development. How can a team tweak its aero package for a race weekend?
GCK: During the season we cannot make significant changes, so the work has to be done at the start of the season to make sure the aerodynamic package is well balanced to work across the whole year. However we can tweak some small things on a race weekend which can make a big difference, for example, the ride height, but this also affects driveability in other ways e.g. you could lower ride height to increase aerodynamic efficiency, but this could hurt on the rougher dirt or gravel sections and make the balance much worse.

JS: What areas can teams develop over the course of a season?
GCK: Many mechanical areas like dampers settings, engine management, tyre management, but in terms of aero, not much.

A special 'Thank You' to GC Kompetition and Ian Reynolds (Roots Management International) for assisting in the compilation of this story. 

Written By- Junaid Samodien
Pictures By - Wiebke Langebeck/GC Kompetition
Video By - GC Kompetition
Co-Editor - Franco Theron

Gundersen makes step-up to Euro RX with JC Raceteknik.

PHOTO CREDIT: JC Raceteknik

RX2 race winner Ben-Philip Gundersen will make the step-up from Supercar Lites to Supercars for the FIA European Rallycross Championship this season with Swedish team JC Raceteknik.

The 25-year-old Norwegian competed in the Supercar Lites support category, winning the title in RallyX Nordic and finishing second in the RX series standings last year. He has also claimed his first FIA European Championship title in the TouringCar class in 2016. 

Gundersen will now go into battle for the European crown this year with the same team that won the Euro RX and RallyX Nordic titles last season. 

"It feels fantastic to have this opportunity. Since I started competing in folkrace as a 15-year-old, I have dreamed of racing in Supercar at this level and I’ve been working on that goal ever since. Now I’m here and I’m very excited," Gundersen said.

"Together with JC Raceteknik, I have achieved good results in Supercar Lites. We’ve had a good collaboration, so now I have this opportunity to take the step up in Supercar, it definitely feels right to continue on this road together. We know the car is good, so it will be an exciting season."

"Regarding our goals, this is firstly a learning year," he admits. "Even though Supercar Lites is the best school you can go to, to prepare for the highest class, it’s still very different from driving a Supercar. I expect many of the other drivers to have raced Supercar before, so it will be hard competition. I think it will be sensible to get a feel for everything in the first race, to compare with the other European drivers and then take it from there. I think our goals will evolve over the course of the season."

JC Raceteknik Team Principal Joel Christoffersson believes that Ben-Philip Gundersen has "great potential" to do well in Supercars.

"We have worked for a long time on the goal of having Ben-Philip in Supercar in 2020, so being able to take the step up to Euro RX together is great," said Christoffersson.

"Over the two years he has been racing with JC Raceteknik, we have watched him develop the whole time and he clearly has the correct pace to take make this step. We have done some testing and I can see great potential in Ben-Philip in Supercar."

"Of course, this will first and foremost be a learning year, but Ben-Philip is a winner, you can see that in his eyes, so we will work to fight at the top and aim to make it to the podium.”

Written By Junaid Samodien
Photo Credit: JC Raceteknik

Czech teenage Dan Skocdopole joins Hansen-supported Yellow Squad for 2020 RX2 campaign.

PHOTO CREDIT: #YellowSquad 

The #YellowSquad has announced that Dan Skocdopole will drive for the team in the World Rallycross Championship feeder series, RX2 this year.

Founded by World RX brothers Kevin and Timmy Hansen, the #YellowSquad announced its intention to enter RX2 late last year, after joining forces with Swedish outfit Team Färén – with the aim of discovering and developing the sport's next superstars.  

“This is incredible for the team! To have our first driver confirmed so early in the season really drives us all at the workshop to prepare as well as we can," said Kevin Hansen, Team Principal of the #YellowSquad. "We believe that RX2 is a perfect step for Dan at his age, as the car and competition demand hard, detailed work."

Skocdopole is an experienced and successful go-karter who had made a name for himself by winning the Czech championship title in 2015, before going on to claim the WSK KRS World Series championship in 2016. 

He made his rallycross debut in 2018 in the Italian Rallycross Championship, driving a Skoda Super1600 and also competed in the German RX championship last year, where he claimed his first victory. 


The Czech teenager is the team's first RX2 driver, and as well as racing in the RX2 series, Skocdopole will also race in selected rounds of the Scandinavia-based RallyX Nordic Supercar Lites championship. 

"I’m really excited to be joining #YellowSquad in RX2 this season! It’s a dream come true to be working with Kevin and Timmy, who have proven themselves to be two of the best rallycross drivers in the world," said Skocdopole. "It will be a big test for me in RX2 as I know the competition will be very tough, but I feel this is a good step in my career to take and I am ready to get going in Barcelona."

"My first test went really well last year and I think I am starting to get to grips with the RX2 car. It is a very reactive car and it demands a lot from the driver to get the most out of it," he said. "There will, of course, be a lot of lessons to take on board this season but I am looking forward to getting out on track." 

The 16-year-old Czech driver tested #YellowSquad's RX2 car at Kalvholmen Motorstadion near Karlstad, close to the team’s base in Götene, Sweden and instantly left an impression on the team.

"Dan impressed us during his test," said Kevin Hansen. "Timmy [Hansen], who is Head of Driver Development, and Eric [Färén], our Team Manager, were very happy with the day together and the connection Dan and the team had was great. This is a very important point."

"The test conditions couldn’t have been trickier, with a lot of rain and mud. But Dan really had a lot of skills and this showed he was able to control the car and work with the team to improve every time he was on track," he added. "We are looking forward to the preparations we and Dan have planned before the first race in Barcelona."

Dan Skocdopole and the rest of the #YellowSquad team will be undertaking an extensive pre-season programme, which will include more time in the car as well as specific fitness and media training in preparation for the start of the season at Barcelona in mid-April.

Written By - Junaid Samodien
Photograph Credit - #YellowSquad 

Is WRC heading for third straight nail-biter?

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool.

News on the world of rallying has certainly blown up in the last few weeks after Estonian Ott Tänak (Toyota Gazoo Racing) managed to overhaul six-time World Rally Champion, Sebastien Ogier (Citroen Racing) to claim his first WRC title. 

The World Rally Championship season finale in Australia was canceled due to severe fires in the region, while both championships were decided, the news kept flowing as the 2020 season is already shaping up to be an even more dramatic year of rallying.

As the 2019 WRC season ended, Hyundai Motorsport set the rallying world alight with the news of Ott Tänak signing a shock deal with the manufacturer for two years. The Korean manufacturer named their line-up for the 2020 season, as Thierry Neuville would join the team in a second car, while Sebastien Loeb and Dani Sordo would share a third car at selected rounds. 

With the cancellation of the 2019 Australian round, Hyundai (who led the manufacturers’ championship at this point) where crowned manufacturers' champions for the first time in WRC, after a very close battle with Toyota Gazoo Racing. The 2018 winners only trailed Hyundai by a mere 18 points. 

All seemed poised for Hyundai to hit the ground running in 2020 and lead out the (now) champion less Toyota and Citroen. An extremely close season tussle was set to close and become a season, dominated by Hyundai. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool.

The rallying world, would, however, take yet another shock turn, in only one month when Citroen announced that they will withdraw from the World Rally Championship to focus on a new motorsport programme that will see Peugeot return to WEC from 2022 due to the new Hypercar regulations, as well as focusing resources on an electrified series. 

While Ogier was left without a seat for the 2020 season. Tänak’s departure from Toyota opened the door for the six-time WRC champion. Rumors immediately began circulating, as sources linked Ogier to Toyota, including speculation that Elfyn Evans would again join forces with his former Ford (MSport) team-mate at Toyota Gazoo Racing. 

The speculation soon ended, when Tommi Mäkinen (team principal) and his team announced the signing of Ogier and Evans as well as another young star, poised for victory. Kalle Rovanpeä, the WRC-2 Pro driver, will join the Toyota squad as the reigning WRC-2 champion, having won five of the thirteen rounds this year. 

While Toyota ended the contracts of Jari-Matti Latvala and Kris Meeke, the turn of events foreshadows a very exciting 2020 campaign. 

Latvala will get back behind the wheel of the Toyota Yaris for two events in 2020 – Rally Sweden and Rally Finland, but the Finn has set his sights on three additional rounds yet to be announced.

The three leading championship contenders (Tänak, Ogier, and Neuville) were found in three different teams in the past two years, but the two dominant teams (Toyota and Hyundai) will now feature all three of the title contenders. 

Between these three drivers, they shared 92% of all the victories this year, with only Dani Sordo claiming a single victory in Sardegna. Tänak dominated the season taking six victories in 13 rounds, while both Neuville and Ogier took three wins apiece. 

It’s quite rare to see the domination that Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT has shown this year, with four manufacturers fighting for the title. Toyota started the year as defending manufacturers’ champions and ended it having fielded the fastest car and the fastest crew in Tänak and co-driver Jarveoja.

Despite ending the season on a high with Tänak and Jarveoja wrapping up the WRC drivers’ title with one round remaining, Toyota were still in the hunt for the manufacturers’ title but due to the cancellation of the final round in Australia, Hyundai Shell Morbis WRT were crowned manufacturers' champions. 

The Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Tänak and co-driver Jarveoja won almost one in every three special stages in 2019 regardless of the surface – snow, ice, gravel or asphalt.

Impressive isn’t it? Well, guess again. Ott’s success was not the only factor to highlight Toyota’s dominance this season. Kris Meeke (co-driver Sebastian Marshall) and Jari-Matti Latvala (co-driver Miikka Anttila) were the fastest on 107 special stages in total. 

Hyundai Motorsport secured their first title in the highly competitive 2019 FIA World Rally Championship, after five years in the championship. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool.

The 2019 season might have got off to a good start for the defending World Champion Sebastien Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia who claimed the first win of the season in Monaco and kept a pretty consistent scorecard with 3 victories and five podium finishes. Ogier grew seemingly impatient with Citroen who appeared to lag behind in the development of their C3 WRC car, but slowly developments were brought to their car in 2019. 

Ogier and Ingrassia claimed the 2019 World Rally Championship Wolf Power Stage award this year by a single point from world champions Tänak and Jarveoja.

While Citroen exits the World Rally Championship in 2019, there is fresh speculation that Citroen is open to the sale of 2020 homologated Citroen C3 cars to a private entity. The 2020 homologated Citroen’s will include the evolution package tested ahead of Rally Spain. 
With the departure of the second most successful manufacturer in the history of the World Rally Championship having amassed 8 world Championships, with five consecutive titles with Sebastien Loeb. The long winding road of success is now open to the three remaining manufacturers – Hyundai, Toyota, and Ford.

Three new rounds are joining the 2020 WRC calendar (Kenya, Japan, and New Zealand), most of the field will head into unknown territory. It will, therefore, be a very challenging, but exciting season. 

We are already on the edges of our seats, waiting for 23 January (Monte Carlo) to arrive.

Written By: Franco Theron and Junaid Samodien.

Is South Africa back on the international motorsport map?

FIA World Rallycross action at the Killarney International Raceway.
PHOTO CREDIT: Franco Theron/Galimoto Media.

Motorsport in South Africa is on an upward trajectory. The country has a variety of local categories from karting to Global Touring Cars, Motorbike racing, drifting and drag racing. But things changed for the better in 2017 when the FIA World Rallycross Championship announced a round of the international series in Cape Town (Killarney International Raceway). 

South Africa last hosted an FIA-sanctioned world championship event in 1993, and the announcement of the FIA World Rallycross Championship would put South Africa back onto the international map. 

While Cape Town returned to the international stage in 2017, the Kyalami Grand Prix circuit in Midrand also took center stage in the rebirth of South African International Motorsport. This after undergoing renovation after being acquired in 2014 by Toby Venter CEO of Porsche SA. The Kyalami was awarded an FIA Grade 2 certification meaning the circuit could host international motorsport apart from Formula 1 which requires Grade 1 certification.

In 2018, it was announced that the Intercontinental GT Challenge would return to the Kyalami Grand Prix circuit to host the “Kyalami 9 hour”, an event that awakened global interest in South Africa after a spectacular race. Live stream statistics for the Kyalami 9 Hour was off the chart - becoming the number one watched motorsport live stream on YouTube in 2019.

PHOTO CREDIT: SRO / DIRK BOGAERTS PHOTOGRAPHY.

Having seen the success of the Kyalami 9 hour, rumors quickly circulated that the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) could be heading to the Kyalami Grand Prix circuit in the not too distant future, but those rumors were silenced when the ACO announced the provisional 2020/21 WEC Calendar with South Africa included and scheduled to host the opening race of the 2021 calendar year on 6 February 2021. 

South Africa has a broad array of talented drivers racing in international motorsport series: Jordan Pepper, Kevin van der Linde, Saul Hack and David Perel in GT Racing. Tasmin Pepper competes in the women-only WSeries. Sheldon van der Linde and Jonathan Aberdein compete in the DTM series. The Binder brothers Brad and Darryn Binder have competed in the MotoGP feeder championship in recent years, but in 2020 Brad Binder will take the step up to MotoGP, while Darryn Binder will remain in the Moto3 championship. Stuart White has also represented South Africa in the French Formula 4 championship and became a Sauber Motorsport supported driver earlier this year. 

2020 will also see more African Dakar entries, with no less than 9 entries. While Donovan van de Langenberg, unfortunately, had to rule out his 2020 Malle Moto charge (due to an accident earlier this year), the Cape Town based rider is set to aim for the title in 2021. 

Hennie de Klerk, the 2018 Dakar rookie champion, will also take on the Dakar, aiming for even more of an improvement in new Red-Lined, Nissan machinery. Joining him in the car category will be the 2009 winner, Giniel de Villiers, aiming for a second title. 

The Formula K circuit in Benoni, Johannesburg.
PHOTO CREDIT: Formula K.

In the motorbike and SSV category, Ross Branch, Aaron Mare, Stuart Gregory, Kristen Landman, Wessel Bosman, Graeme Sharp, and Conrad Rautenbach, is set to charge the first stage on 5 January. 

In addition to all these positives, a world-class Grade A certified CIK (Commission Internationale de Karting) and FIA circuit named ‘Formula K’ was launched in Benoni, Johannesburg. The Formula K circuit is the countries only track eligible to host world championship go-karting events. 

While motorsport interest is growing in South Africa, the country could soon welcome the (FIA) ABB Formula E championship in Cape Town. The City of Cape Town announced earlier this year that they are considering bringing Formula E to Cape Town and that a feasibility study will be conducted before any decision is made. eMovement, however, the company in charge of the feasibility study are certain that Formula E will come to Cape Town soon. 

While South Africa is seeing a growth in international motorsport interest, the FIA once again introduced the Kenyan-based, Safari rally after an 18-year absence. This investment is sure to see more growth in the local rallying industry. 

Over the past three years, motorsport in South Africa (Africa) has once again taken to the international stage, largely by virtue of the FIA and Jean Todt wanting the sport moving across global borders and truly making it a world series. 

This continuous collaboration with the likes of the South African government, City of Cape Town and the private sector will once again see the return of the golden motorsport years for South Africa. 

Written By – Junaid Samodien and Franco Theron. 

EXCLUSIVE - Timmy Hansen talks World RX, Lewis Hamilton, Projekt E, and his ideal RX circuit.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool. 

“Too many people want the appearance of winning rather than the practices and hard work that creates a true champion.” - T.D. Jakes. 

Hard work and determination paid off this year when Timmy Hansen was crowned the 2019 FIA World Rallycross Champion at the season finale in Cape Town, South Africa. The season was filled with trials and tribulations for Team Hansen MJP who just about beat the clock to enter the 2019 World RX season after Peugeot’s withdrawal at the end of the 2018 season. 

It’s never easy being a son of motorsport legends, but Timmy Hansen and younger brother Kevin Hansen take it in their stride. 

Timmy Hansen’s rise to stardom took a slightly different course from that of his parents – Kenneth Hansen, the most successful rallycross driver in history, with 14 European RX titles, while his mother Susann Hansen is the only women ever to have won a European title in rallycross.

Despite his family's firm roots in rallycross, Timmy’s motorsport career began in circuit racing with karting, where he claimed the Swedish Karting Championship in 2008 and then progressed to single-seater racing for two years where he won races in Formula BMW and Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0. 

In April 2011, Timmy competed in his first-ever rallycross event in France in a borrowed Citroën Xsara Supercar. 

Hansen then made his first competitive rallycross debut in 2012 at the Finnish round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship where he finished in a credible fifth place. 

He returned to the FIA European Rallycross Championship in 2013 in a Citroën DS3 and went on to take several podium finishes – including winning in Hungary and finishing third overall in the championship. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Junaid Samodien/Slipstream SA.

The Swede progressed to the FIA World Rallycross Championship in 2014 at the wheel of a Peugeot 208 WRX supercar and he claimed his maiden World RX win in Italy along with three more podium finishes to end the championship in fourth overall. 

The 2015 World RX season was Hansen’s most successful year in the sport, where he claimed three wins – Norway, France, and Turkey, eventually finishing the season in second place behind Petter Solberg.

In 2016, Nine-time World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb joined Timmy at Team Peugeot-Hansen. The pair claimed a win apiece and eight podium finishes. 

Hansen remained at Team Peugeot-Hansen in 2017 and claimed four more podium finishes on his way to fifth in the overall standings. At the end of the 2017 season, Peugeot announced full factory support for Team Peugeot-Hansen. And, with factory support came a name change: Team Peugeot Total. 

In 2018, Team Peugeot Total got off to a competitive start, but later introduced an evolution of its baseline model, named: Peugeot 208 WRX Evo. The new car was introduced in Sweden and immediately showed a strong pace.

Timmy claimed a third-place finish in Belgium and second-place in Canada. He ended the 2018 season in sixth in the drivers' standings. 

Peugeot later announced their withdrawal from the FIA World Rallycross Championship citing uncertainty surrounding the sport’s switch to electric cars, which was postponed from 2020 to 2021. 

While the Hansen’s future in rallycross seemed bleak, hard work over the winter break helped the team secure the necessary funding to secure two Peugeot 208 WRX cars and an entry into the 2019 FIA World Rallycross Championship. 

The 2019 season got off to a bang for Timmy who led the way through the qualifying heats in Abu Dhabi but was involved in an accident with Andreas Bakkerud who thought that the race ended a lap earlier. His Peugeot 208 WRX suffered extensive chassis damage, but after nine days of hard labor the car was rebuilt and on the grid in Barcelona where the Hansen brothers claimed a 1-2 finish. Timmy claimed three more wins, in Great Britain, France, and Latvia on his way to a dramatic season finale in Cape Town, which saw Hansen and Bakkerud end on equal points and a countback of wins being the title decider.

With the added pressured of the FIA World Rallycross Championship. Timmy Hansen and younger brother Kevin competed in the Titans RX Europeans Series, as well as the Nitro Rallycross Championship, where Timmy finished second best to Kevin Hansen. 

In November, this year the Hansen brothers’ announced that their driver development programme “Yellow Squad” will join the RX2 International Series in 2020, after joining forces with Team Färén.

Timmy Hansen was officially crowned the FIA World Rallycross Champion having finally received his trophy at the FIA Gala on 6 December 2019 at the Louvre museum in Paris.

The Hansen family celebrates on the podium in Cape Town - Kenneth Hansen (left), Timmy and Kevin (centre) and Susann Hansen (right)
PHOTO CREDIT: Junaid Samodien/Slipstream SA. 

Timmy Hansen took some time out of his very busy schedule to chat with us at the Killarney International Raceway ahead of the title-deciding weekend. 

Junaid Samodien: Team Hansen MJP just about beat the clock to enter the 2019 World RX championship this season. How much work went into securing an entry? 

Timmy Hansen: Many hours of work went in to secure an entry, but it’s more than just hours, it was everything. My whole passion. It’s quite hard to describe all the things that we have put together and our ambitions. You don’t achieve this by working for hours. It took a lot, it really took everything that we had, but we are here.

JS: Many drivers worldwide race for manufacturers or international teams, but not many have ever raced in there own team or let’s say a family team. What is it like to race in a family team?

TH: I think a lot of drivers experience it (family team). We have a really good relationship within the family (including team) and I think that everybody can relate.. for example: Christmas Day - you are with your family and you have this amazing feeling that you are all together. That is the way that we spent every race weekend (as a team).

JS: Your father is your spotter. What is it like to have him in your ear during a race?

TH: His great! We are basically driving the car together – he knows exactly what I am going through and his guiding me well. 

JS: The 2019 season did not get off to a good start for you in Abu Dhabi, but you have made a comeback and claimed four wins more than anyone. How did you find the mental strength to fight back?

TH: It was tough. I put all that work in and to go to the first race and have a crash – it’s bad for the results and it was not what I had imagined. I had won Q1 and Q2 and I was leading Q3 – so I had a brilliant race and I felt that it was taken away from me and it also cost a lot of money (to repair the damage) that we were working hard to get. It was tough, but the guys managed to repair the car in time and we were back on the start line in Barcelona, and then I just wanted to get out there - try again and work hard and I won that race. It was a complete contrast and Kevin was second.  

JS: Projekt E launched in Latvia a few weeks/months ago, and yourself and Kevin were in attendance. What are your thoughts on the concept?

TH: I hope that Projekt E can become a success. I think that it is good to showcase electric rallycross to the fans one year earlier and that is already next year. Everything else will run as normal with the normal engines and all the sound that we have, while Projekt E will run on the side. So, I think that it is really good to show the fans the racing on the track. The action that we all love is going to be no different but we are going to miss the sound. It’s not that it is silent – it’s another sound but I think it is good to showcase it. 

JS: You took to Instagram to congratulate Lewis Hamilton for achieving six World Championships. What can you as a driver learn from that success? You also mention that he inspires you. How does Lewis inspire you?

TH: It’s not the success in its self that motivates me, because then it would be more motivating to look at Sébastien Loeb who was my teammate last year – he has more titles. Seb is a friend now, but it’s different – I have never met Lewis but I wish I will one day. I can relate a lot to what his going through and what he is saying about having to perform race after race and it takes all that you’ve got. It’s really hard to be on top of your game every race but his still able to be very humble and trying to spread his positive attitude into the world. He also takes his position as Formula One World Champion and tries to make something good out of it. 

He does not limit himself to Formula 1, but also trying to in his own way to contribute to the world bringing awareness to some topics that need to be done and spread some love. I am trying to do that too – I want to inspire people with what I am doing and if one kid wants to live their dream because of me inspiring them – I have succeeded. That would be the greatest success I could ever reach. In that way – I look up to him a lot. 

Timmy's Helmet on the roof of his Peugeot 208 RX ahead of Qualifying.
PHOTO CREDIT: Junaid Samodien/Slipstream SA.

JS: Can you take us through what goes through the mind of a racing driver minutes before a race? Do you think of anything? Or is it a clear mind and muscle memory taking over?

TH: I would say that you could compare your launch to riding a rollercoaster. People often compare racing to rollercoasters but it’s not quite like that. Although the sensation is like that or quite similar. But the focus that you’ve got. I will give you an example: When you are studying really hard at school and you want to succeed, and there is a topic where you feel that you did not master it yet. Then the teacher hands you a test and you really want to do well in this essay. You’ve studied so hard and you have the pen in your hand and you are about to start. That is kind of feeling we have. Nothing goes through your mind – you just focus and you know that you’ve prepared and there is a sense of comfort, but still a nervousness. So, that is kind of what happens inside the car as well. 

JS: What would it mean to you to be crowned 2019 FIA World RX champion?

TH: It would mean a lot of course. It has been my dream and my goal for many years. FIA World Champion – it’s a title that not many people have reached, and the ones that have reached it are the very greatest to have been in motorsport. So, It would be amazing, but on the other hand, it doesn’t make it any easier for me if I win or not – after that race, I am going to look forward to 2020. In 2020, I want to be World Champion as well and to do that I have to prepare and study for my essay if you want say that. Prepare everything and prepare through the winter and that is not going to change. So, the work that I have ahead is exactly the same but of course, I want to achieve my goal of becoming a world champion – I don’t think that it changes my everyday life but I am super focused on my task ahead. 

JS: What would you still like to achieve in your motorsport career?

TH: I don’t know. I like driving cars. When I was a kid I used to dream of driving in Formula 1, it would be cool to try it one day. I won’t race there though. There are a lot of professional goals, but I also want to be with my family and I want my son to grow up happy.

JS: What do you think of Killarney Raceway, or of Cape Town and its people?

TH: The people in Cape Town are great. Super friendly wherever you go and they have a friendly approach and I think that is why I enjoy being in Cape Town. It’s also a beautiful city with the mountains and coming here the track is good. I think it’s a fair track – it opens up for good and hard racing. It’s a fantastic place to be and to end this season. 

JS: You have raced on a number of World RX circuits in a number of countries? I have a challenge for you. Can you DRAW your ideal World RX circuit or what would it look like?

CIRCUIT DRAWN BY - Timmy Hansen.

TH talks us through the circuit design: I am going to use the Killarney first corner. It’s a long one and then it tightens up followed by a banked left then a jump and into a banked right. This is kind of Nitro RX. I like a circuit with a good flow, so then it will stretch out into a hairpin left into a double left followed by a right-hander. Maybe if I actually build a circuit then I’d spend more time on it. 

A special 'Thank You' to Timmy Hansen for taking some time out of his very busy schedule to chat with us. Also, a big thank you to Susann Hansen, Team Hansen MJP team manager for arranging the interview. 

Written By - Junaid Samodien
Circuit drawn By - Timmy Hansen
Photographs By: Red Bull Content Pool, FIA World Rallycross Media & Junaid Samodien
Co-Editor - Franco Theron

Rallytechnology confirms two-car entry in Projekt E series.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media

Multiple Polish rally championship-winning team, Rallytechnology, has confirmed a two-car entry in the Projekt E series in 2020. 

Rallytechnology has become the second team to announce their participation in the Projekt E series alongside Norwegian outfit Holten Motorsport AS.

While the team has already confirmed their first driver but yet to be announced, there have been ongoing conversations with Polish drivers since STARD demonstrated the Projekt E car in the “Barborka rally” in Warsaw two weeks ago. 

The Polish team said the possibility of building their own race cars incorporating a common powertrain package from STARD within a cost-controlled regulation was a key factor in the decision to enter Projekt E.

"Our company became successful by building and racing group N rally cars. We want to be building our own cars again, which is possible in Projekt E," said Robert Gabryszewski, CEO Rallytechnology.

"Combined with the all-electric powertrain from STARD and the cost controlling regulation, this concept offers us a great business opportunity as a race car builder and team.

"So we see it as a huge opportunity for us to be among the first in this future area and at the same time take our company to the next level. Rallycross is no stranger to our team so we plan to offer world top-level service from the start."

"You can put the EV powertrain easily into an R5 rolling chassis with the support STARD provides, and this is exactly our solution," he adds. "The cost of the complete car is then marginally higher than one of our three R5s but considering the very low running cost of the Projekt E car, and our optimized structure, I expect we can offer very competitive packages."

The team plans to have the first car ready to commence testing in March 2020, ahead of the first race at Spa-Francorchamps in May. 

Having dominated the Polish Rally scene with 2019 WRC2 runner-up Kajetan Kajetanowicz for a number of years, Rallytechnology identified Projekt E as the ideal opportunity for private teams to run high-performing electric race cars.

"In the rally scene, we are well known and have had great successes since we started back in 2006. Electric racing, from our point of view, will definitely be the future, but up until now there was no option for a private team to even think about EV racing because of a lack of options," Gabryszewski said.

"The Projekt E electric rallycross series is the first-ever affordable option to build and race proper EV race cars for private teams like us. So it is a little bit like we have waited for exactly this opportunity. Next year will definitely be very exciting for us."

Michael Sakowicz, the CEO of STARD, has welcomed the entry of Rallytechnology. "Having the renowned rally team Rallytechnology participating in Projekt E is great for the series," he said.

"Their plan to build their cars based on a R5 chassis and integrating our Projekt E powertrain kit is the perfect choice to get a cost-efficient yet competitive car."

"Rallytechnology are well known in the market. I think they can be a great option for drivers looking for a turn-key arrive and drive rental option."

Written By - Junaid Samodien