“If we are fast in Höljes, we can be fast anywhere” - Timmy Hansen.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool.

Timmy Hansen will begin the defense of his FIA World Rallycross Championship drivers' title five months later than initially planned as the 2020 season gets underway with a double-header on home soil at Höljes in Sweden this weekend. 

Coming off the back of an extraordinary 2019 season, where Timmy Hansen and Andreas Bakkerud ended the World RX season on equal points leading to a countback of race victories ultimately determining the champion. Timmy and Team Hansen RX will have their eyes on defending the drivers' and teams' titles this season against a line-up that's even tougher than last year. 

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and restrictions in place in a number of countries, Höljes (Sweden) inherited the role of season-opener this weekend, giving Team Hansen RX a unique opportunity to begin the season on home soil.

"It's exciting to start a new year. We begin the season in Sweden with our home race but it's going to be very different this year; without spectators, it's going to be more like a 'normal' race," Hansen said. "But the track layout is always fantastic and I'm looking forward to racing at Höljes."

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool.

Having spent the off-season preparing their Peugeot 208 WRX supercars for the season ahead, the 28-year-old Swede believes that the Höljes double-header will be a good indication of where they stand as a team for the 2020 campaign. 

"This weekend should be a good indication right away of where we stand. If we are fast in Höljes, we can be fast anywhere," he said. "I want to continue what we did last year; it was a fantastic season, the best season I have ever had as a racing driver. But I still have more to give, more left in me that I want to give to the sport and I can still become a better rallycross driver. That's my goal for this year, and hopefully, that leads to another world title."

And with a more compact 2020 season, keeping out of trouble will be vital for all the drivers aiming to lift the championship trophy at the end of the season. Hansen is aware of this and aims to avoid another Abu Dhabi like incident, which saw his Peugeot 208 requiring a chassis rebuild after Andreas Bakkerud collided with him last year. 

"We have to be clever during these first races not to end up in any trouble because there is definitely no way you have time to repair any big damage between the two rounds on Saturday and Sunday," he said. "So ideally I want to avoid another Abu Dhabi from last year! To recharge between the two days will be challenging but I'm up for it."

The reigning champion has elected to race with number one on his rear window this season.

“To race with number one on the rear window is a nice reminder of what we did last year. It's a journey that I will never forget and I worked so hard for it. It had been a dream for many years and a goal, and now we have achieved it, so seeing that number one is a way to continue to enjoy it. It definitely feels good.”

Written By - Junaid Samodien

Ekström to make RX return for season opener in Holjes.

PHOTO CREDIT: JC Raceteknik.

Former World Rallycross Champion Mattias Ekström will make a return to World RX for the 2020 season-opener in Sweden this weekend with KYB Team JC, replacing Jānis Baumanis. 

Having announced his retirement from World RX at the end of the 2018 season. Ekström made his rallycross return last year at the World RX of Benelux with JC Raceteknik in his 2016 championship-winning Audi S1. Later that year, he also raced in the RallyX Nordic finale at Tierp, alongside Robin Larsson who he will race alongside this weekend. 

Baumanis will not be able to take part in the full World RX season with KYB Team JC due to the economic effects of the Coronavirus [COVID-19] pandemic creating budget problems for the Latvian driver.

Mattias Ekström has won twice before on his home circuit, in 2014 and 2015, and won the World RX Drivers’ title in 2016, which makes him the ideal candidate to replace Baumanis.

"Since we have a vacant Audi S1 ​​EKS Supercar for Holjes, I contacted Mattias," Joel Christoffersson, KYB Team JC Team Principal said. "He has been a guest driver in the team twice before and thought, just like us, that it would be great fun to drive in his home race. Mattias will be a strong addition to KYB Team JC. He is a driver with many tips and tricks and if there is anyone who knows these cars, it’s him. It will definitely be an advantage for both Robin and us as a team to have him with us."

"It’s sad that Janis won’t race in the full World Championship with KYB Team JC this year, I and the whole team had really looked forward to this collaboration. But given the situation around Covid-19, I think everyone understands that something like this could happen and I hope we can take up the collaboration with him again."

The 2016 World RX Champion will test at Dalarna in Sweden on Tuesday ahead of his rallycross return this weekend. 

"It's always fun to compete. Rallycross has, and has always had, fast and fun cars that I enjoy driving," Ekström said. "So, competing with Joel and JC again feels good, especially after the final round of RallyX Nordic at Tierp last season where I had the opportunity to give Robin some support. Robin has already won an event at Holjes this year, so is already in the groove."

"My biggest priority this weekend is to have as much fun as possible. But of course, the day I do not dream of winning is the day I stop competing."

"The goal is always a trophy, but then we will see what is realistic according to the conditions. Holjes is always special, but this year it will be something completely unique without the fans. It’s a strange feeling, but still exciting."

Written By - Junaid Samodien

Could GRX Taneco be 2020's dark horse?

PHOTO CREDIT: GRX Taneco.

Seen by many as not only the strongest team in 2019, but also the potential 2019 World Rallycross Champions, the GRX Taneco took the paddock by storm as they took 3 of the 10 victories throughout the season. The team also fought hard with Team Hansen RX, only to finish second in team standings after the World RX of South Africa. 

This year, however, GRX Taneco will again compete with its two-star drivers, namely Niclas Grönholm and Timur Timerzyanov, with an added third car entered for selected rounds. These will include Krisztián Szabó and Juha Rytkönen. 

Earmarked by many as the driver, who should have taken the 2019 title, Niclas took two victories in Norway (a career first) as well as South Africa. The Finn crossed the line first in Abu Dhabi, only to be stripped from the victory after he made a pass on Kevin Hansen. 

The Finn did well to keep his tabs on the championship, only to lose out to Kevin Hansen, Timmy Hansen and Andreas Bakkerud when he sat out of the Belgian and United Kingdom rounds due to an appendix operation. 

Niclas Grönholm and Timur Timerzyanov celebrating at 2019 Cape Town season finale.
PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media.

Teammate, Timur Timerzyanov broke his 6-year streak of bad luck to claim his first-ever World RX event win at Spa-Francorchamps. 

Grönholm jumped back onto the scene in Hell (Norway), with a win after Anton Marklund was disqualified for a technical infringement. 

As the season progressed, the fight between Timmy Hansen and Bakkerud grew more fierce, while Grönholm still managed to set up a consistent points haul. 

Heading for the last round in South Africa, Grönholm still had a mathematical chance of taking the title, yet would have needed to win all his heats and finals, with his three competitors not taking a single point from the weekend. 

From the start, this was a difficult task and although Grönholm evidently knew that this was not possible, he still raced for the win. The Finn raced extremely hard, while Timerzyanov helped the team to a double podium in the end. 

Unfortunately, the Hansen brothers also raced extremely hard, with both brothers also seen in the final. This meant that Team Hansen RX took the teams-championship by a slender 43 points. Grönholm in turn won the event, but his victory was strongly overshadowed as Timmy Hansen and Bakkerud ended the season equal on points and had to debate the end-result in the stewards' room, post-race. 

Although Timerzyanov is yet to be seen in his race car this year, Grönholm already showcased a strong form at Hell during the RallyX Nordic "All-Star Magic Weekend" event. 

A new season will see more progress, but also more competition as Bakkerud will join a very strong GCK team, the Hansen brothers are promised to be more competitive, and Johan Kristoffersson rejoins the grid after a one-year hiatus. 

2020 will certainly be one of the most anticipated seasons in FIA World Rallycross history and the GRX Taneco team promises to be at the head of the field. 

2020 GRX Taneco pre-season testing. 

VIDEO CREDIT: GRX Taneco

Written By: Franco Theron

“I aim to turn the pressure into a positive” - World RX Champion Timmy Hansen.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool.

Reigning World Rallycross Champion Timmy Hansen will have a target on his back this season as he returns to defend his crown in the FIA World Rallycross Championship.

The 2019 season was the closest fought season in the history of the world championship with both Timmy and Andreas Bakkerud ending the season on equal points, but with a count-back of wins, Hansen was declared the victor.

Slipstream SA spoke to Timmy Hansen ahead of the 2020 season opener. 

In all forms of sport, defending a title always comes with added pressure. So, we asked the reigning champion if he feels any added pressure as he heads into the season with an aim to defend the title(s), and how he aims to turn that added pressure to a positive?

“Well, the pressure is always there as a race driver and I think mainly about myself. I always want to perform and I am here because it's a huge challenge and that is what I love about it, so yes,” he said

“I do aim to turn the pressure into a positive but I wouldn't say it's more pressure. I would rather say I put less pressure on myself now because I have won the world championship already and I have achieved my goal in that way, and it feels like I don't have to do it again, but I definitely want to and I most of all I want to improve as a driver and drive faster than I've done before.”

The 2020 World RX season has been condensed into a ten round calendar, with 3 venues hosting double-headers this season, and no fly away events due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Whilst there was some downtime for many, it does not mean that racing drivers or any athletes for that matter used the downtime to relax. They often use it as downtime to improve themselves both physically and mentally for the challenges ahead, and this is no different for Timmy Hansen. With a condensed calendar in 2020, it will add enormous pressure on teams and drivers to perform from the get-go.

“This break has been a huge help to prepare myself on the physical and mental side,” Hansen said. “I feel really strong after all the training. I haven't been traveling so training has really been uninterrupted and I've done all the training that I planned to do. So, I feel really strong physically and mentally.”

“I've been able to set aside what happened last year and really find my motivation to perform and to continue to push myself as an athlete, so yeah. I feel great! I feel better than before any other season.”

Timmy will embark on the challenge of retaining his World RX crown in 2020 with heavy hitters returning to the championship, the likes of double World RX champion Johan Kristoffersson and Euro RX champion Robin Larsson in a former EKS RX Audi. 

2019 runner-up Andreas Bakkerud will switch to GC Kompetition machinery in a Renault Megane R.S RX Supercar alongside Liam Doran in Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel.

In the pursuit of perfection and improving, teams will refine their cars and update them to solve flaws of previous seasons and this is no different in World Rallycross. At some 2019 events, the Peugeot 208 WRX had the tendency to struggle on loose surfaces and excelled on high grip tracks. This year, the team has made changes to both the engine and to solve the grip issues, as Kevin Hansen revealed in an interview with Andrew Coley (World RX commentator).

“We're not a factory team anymore, and we do have a great car so I don't want to overextend what we're doing, but with that said of course as a team we want to continue to improve and there are several areas in which you can improve: teamwork, me as a driver, set up, performance of the race car, and the engineers have worked hard and have had in many ideas,” Timmy said.

“Together as a team, we had many ideas at the end of last year and we were working on them and hopefully, we have fine-tuned the car even better for 2020.”

Timmy Hansen leading his brother and Timo Scheider in Cape Town.
PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool.

The 2019 World Rallycross Championship was a tense affair and went right down to the wire between Andreas Bakkerud and Timmy both vying for top honors. The season finale was won by Niclas Gronholm after Bakkerud and Hansen collided in the tight gravel hairpin in Cape Town. Hansen spun and lost track position crossing the finish line in fourth behind the event winner. That meant the pair were equal on points and a countback would seal the title for Hansen having won four events in 2019.

Rivalries make sports very interesting for fans, and with old champions returning there is no doubt we’ll see new rivalries form in 2020. So, who does Timmy think will be his biggest rival this season?

“I mean Kristoffersson, of course, he is a two-time world champion and he will be on the grid and in the same machine that he used so on you know, looking at it that way I'm looking forward to race against him and again to really measure myself against him, after all the work we have done and how far we've come as a team,” he said. “But Andreas, you know, we ended on equal points last year, and I know he hasn't been lazy (during off-season) and, Gronholm as well, he was super strong last year and I know they've been working very hard to do you know there are four drivers or three drivers apart from me and Kevin and then.”

“You know, you have to be very humble before these the start of a season. I think is very important to know that your competitors will be strong but mainly focus on your own performance.”

The 28-year-old Swede has also added two eSport titles to his belt during the off-season. He claimed the World RX eSports Series and Race of Champions Virtual titles. We asked him if simulator racing was a good tool to sharpen his racing skills during the off-season.

“I don't know, time has to tell if I improved by doing that or not, you know, motorsport practice and training it's very hard to measure and like when I'm out running or in the gym do I become faster by doing that, you know for like one session doesn't make a difference, but all the sessions combined.”

“I'm sure that it makes a difference and I think it's the same with eSports. I've been racing and I have been keeping sharp so I wouldn't say there's anything particular I've learnt apart from being in that racing zone and mentally it was a big challenge which I could carry some lessons from so yeah, it was it was a good way to spend the break. And fun of course.”

Whilst many countries are still battling the Coronavirus pandemic, and some are still under partial lockdowns. The reigning champion shared a few words with motorsport fans.

“We are all in this together and even if I am a racing driver or you know, a CEO of a large company or an employee of a large company or anybody else in the whole world have an equal part in fighting this, you know, it's all about social distancing and we can do it and I can only encourage people to continue to stay, you know, stay socially distant,” he said.

“I've been staying at home. I've been going to work and really limiting what I'm doing so yeah, I'm not better than anyone. I don't have a bigger responsibility, but we're all equally responsible and yeah, this is something that the world is really doing together never before have I seen the entire world like this acting in the same way for the same goal to save our elderly, you know family mainly as well as everyone else in risk.”

“And motorsport is starting again soon, so you'll be in entertained if you're at home.”

The 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship season is now just a week away with a double-header at Höljes in Sweden.

Written By: Junaid Samodien

Krogstad takes RallyX Nordic lead with first win in Arvika.

PHOTO CREDIT: ROBIN LINDQUIST

Henrik Krogstad has taken the lead in RallyX Nordic's Supercar Lites category, after claiming his first-ever round win at the third round of the season in Arvika, Sweden.

The Swede topped every practice session, three out of four qualifying rounds, and the first semi-final on his way to overall victory.

His most dominant run of the weekend was in the second qualifying round, where he went four seconds faster than any other driver; an unheard of advantage in a four-lap rallycross race, where races are often settled with gaps as small as tenths of a second.

After a second and fourth place at the season-opening Magic Weekend double-header at Höljes, Krogstad was fourth in the championship heading to Arvika. But a maximum points score from round three propelled him all the way to the top of the standings, tied with Jesse Kallio on 71 points.

"We were doing a lot of testing on Monday focusing only on our starts. I’ve been quick at Arvika before but never been able to get in clean air, and this weekend I nailed every start, which allowed me to just enjoy driving upfront rather than having to fight every lap," Krogstad said. "And this will be useful for the season finale at Nysum too, even more so than here at Arvika."

“I also had enough self-confidence to be able to enjoy being in the lead. I knew that even if the other drivers could follow me, they couldn’t pass me, because the speeds here are so high. Höljes has always been one of my weaker tracks so we worked really hard on the little details there, and kept that approach here. So now we’ve come here, to a track that suits me, and we’re extremely fast."

"We had a great setup on the car from the start. I don’t believe we changed anything on the car all weekend, at least nothing significant with the set-up. Eric and the guys used their experience with the Lites car and their baseline set-up was perfect out of the box.

"It’s been so great having Timmy here. He knows so much and he has the answer to everything that I ask. It’s not only down to the advice he gives about driving but his mental coaching, ensuring I have the right mindset during the weekend, which is so important as well."

Reigning World RX Champion Timmy Hansen, #YellowSquad's Head of Driver Development, was trackside to help Krogstad optimize his performance throughout the weekend. 

Hansen has revealed how impressed he is with Krogstad's performance. 

"Henrik's performance this weekend is one of the best I've ever seen in rallycross," Hansen said. "It's a one-make series and to be sometimes a second a lap faster than anyone else is absolutely amazing, especially considering these are the best drivers you can go up against in this class right now. And he was still in a league of his own."

A happy Timmy Hansen thrilled with what his seeing.
PHOTO CREDIT: ROBIN LINDQUIST

“From the beginning, he had fantastic pace and within the team, we didn't look too much at the others. Even though we were far ahead we still worked on the details and trying to get that perfect run together and race by race, we were still able to improve and find a bit of time here and there."

"Henrik drove with incredible confidence and seeing him in the semi-final and final, securing it with such a margin, is something that doesn't happen very often. It's a fantastic sporting achievement, so I must take my hat off to Henrik this weekend and to the entire #YellowSquad team. We were able to get the set-up just to Henrik's liking and all of the pieces came together this weekend."

"It's a lot of pressure performing at the end after such a good weekend; I know that myself from my own good races! But he was still able to put that run together when he needed to in the semi-final and final. So it was a massive performance, hugely impressive, I couldn't have done it better myself, so I'm very proud of him."

The #YellowSquad's next event is the RallyX Nordic season finale at Nysum, Denmark, on September 4-6. 

Written By - Junaid Samodien

Kristoffersson withstands Eriksson challenge to seal hometown Nordic RX win.

Johan Kristoffersson leads at the start of the Supercar final at Arvika.
PHOTO CREDIT: RallyX Nordic.

Johan Kristoffersson claimed a second straight victory in the RallyX Nordic series on home soil in Arvika, but Oliver Eriksson made sure he had to work for it. 

The two-time World RX champion asserted his dominance from the get-go with a clean sweep in all four qualifying sessions, semi-final, and went wheel-to-wheel with Oliver Eriksson in the six-lap final.

In the final, Eriksson braved it out around the outside of the first corner before snatching the inside line on the exit of Turn Two to lead.

For the next two laps, the Swede led the field and withstood every attempt that Kristoffersson made to get past. Time and again, the Volkswagen Polo driver pulled alongside, but the two-time RX2 Series Champion boldly hung onto the lead.

Unable to find a way past, Kristoffersson took the joker lap at the end of lap three to get some clean air in an attempt to jump Eriksson.

Eriksson knew he needed to get the hammer down if he was to retain his advantage. Unfortunately, a mistake at the last corner saw him tap the barrier on the inside, and the contact would ultimately leave him with a double puncture.

Kristoffersson powered to his second victory from three starts in RallyX Nordic this year, while Eriksson was going in the opposite direction. Linus Westman snuck past on the last lap to record an excellent second-place finish, with the  Eriksson having to properly get his elbows out to fend off Peter Hedström on the run to the chequered flag. Flashing across the finish line on only two rims, the third position marked an astonishing effort.

"I said all along that you need to be extremely sharp if you want to achieve a clean sweep," Kristoffersson said. 

"Oliver [Eriksson] was really on it in the final. I had a little bit too much wheelspin at the start and he pulled a great move up the inside of me and over the jump. After that, we had a fun battle for a couple of laps – it was only a shame it was cut short as I was looking forward to continuing the fight."

"Still, I’m very happy that we were able to put on such an exciting show."

Written By: Junaid Samodien

Citroën works driver Ostberg to debut C3 ERX in Sweden.

Citroën Racing driver Mads Ostberg will debut the all-new Citroen C3 ERX in the first round of the 2020 Projekt E Series in Holjes.

Ostberg, the winner of Rally Portugal 2012, has experience in competing with the C3 R5, and won the World Rally Championship’s official support category – WRC2 – in the first two rounds of the 2020 Championship in Monte Carlo and Sweden with the car. The Norwegian’s experience and success in rallying has made him the perfect candidate to work on the development of the C3 ERX, and to also give the car its debut in the Projekt E Series at Holjes, where he will race against Ken Block and other drivers on the legendary Varmland circuit.

"It’s a really nice opportunity for me to take part in this project in Holjes," Ostberg said. "For sure everything will be brand new to me, the car, the track and I’ve never competed in rallycross before so I think it will be an amazing experience."

"To drive this car was so much fun already, it’s so powerful and so enjoyable. It will be really, really amazing to finally compete in rallycross. I’m loving to do it in the electric Citroen C3 ERX.”

The C3 ERX has been developed by STARD in Austria, supported by Citroën Racing, and is based on a C3 R5 rolling bodyshell. The C3 ERX will also use 80% of Citroën Racing's R5 components together with STARD's REVelution electric powertrain system. 

"Mads is one of the most talented drivers in the world of rallying, and he has been right at the front for many years now," said Michael Sakowicz, STARD CEO and founder. "He has a huge amount of experience working with manufacturer teams at a very high level and it has been very helpful to have his input and validation into our world-wide unique STARD REVelution powertrain as the Citroen Racing works driver that he is."

"He’s the perfect driver to race the C3 ERX on its debut in the Projekt E Series and his participation makes the line-up even stronger after Ken Block was announced to drive the Ford Fiesta ERX at the Holjesweekend yesterday."

The C3 ERX customer racing programme was revealed by STARD and Citroen Racing just days ago, with cars ready to buy and parts also available at the Citroen Racing Shop.

Written By - Junaid Samodien

Ken Block makes rallycross return for Projekt E season opener.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX.

Gymkhana, Rallycross, and Rally star Ken Block will compete in the inaugural Projekt E race at the World Rallycross Championship season opener in Höljes, racing an electric Ford Fiesta. 

The American will race an all-electric STARD-built four-wheel-drive Fiesta ERX, which uses three electric motors producing 450kW (613bhp) combined power with a top speed of 240km/h. 

The STARD developed REVelution electric powertrain will be used in all cars competing in the Projekt E series. 

Block last competed in a World RX event in 2017, driving a Ford Focus RS RX with his Hoonigan Racing Division team. But, at the end of the season, the team withdrew after Ford Performance announced that they will "take a break" from the championship. 

Earlier this year, Block drove the electric Extreme E Odyssey 21 on the final stage of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, and he was quite surprised by the instant torque. Whilst he briefly experienced the power of electric machinery in the Dessert. He will make his first competitive outing in an all-electric Projekt E car in the season opener later this month. 

"I am stoked to take part in the worldwide first-ever electric rallycross race in the Projekt E series in a STARD Ford Fiesta ERX!," Ken Block said. "The car is rad and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel in Höljes."

The brand-new Fiesta ERX that Block will race has been given a special VIN, 043 in honor of Block’s debut in the car.

"We are very much looking forward to having Ken racing our Ford Fiesta ERX at Holjes," said STARD CEO and founder Michael Sakowicz. "Not just because he is one of the most famous race drivers in the world and it shows the potential of Projekt E that the class is able to attract drivers like Ken, but also because he has vast experience of motorsport and rallycross and it will be very interesting to get his feedback."

"Ken has driven and raced in all kinds of crazy cars, but I really think he will be very impressed with the Fiesta ERX."

Last year, STARD revealed the first Projekt E electric rallycross car, a Ford Fiesta which underwent a number of tests and refinements. The Fiesta ERX also became the first electric rallycross car to compete in an event. STARD entered in a round of the Hungarian Rallycross Championship with Stohl Group President, Manfred Stohl behind the wheel. History was made when Stohl claimed victory ahead of a 600-hp ICE [Internal Combustion Engine] Supercar. 

Ford Performance have announced their intentions to support the Projekt E series, whilst STARD announced earlier this week that Citroën Racing will join the series supplying C3 R5 chassis equipped with the REVelution electric powertrain kit for the all-new electric Projekt E Series. 

Written By - Junaid Samodien

Electrifying new FIA eRX2 Championship revealed.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media. 

The new all-electric World Rallycross Championship support series eRX2 has been officially revealed. 

eRX2 is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) will replace the RX2 Series on the support bill in 2021. The new series is a joint venture between Spanish electro-mobility specialist QEV Technologies, Olsbergs MSE, and RX Promotion, the company that operates the current RX2 International Series and will be run by FIA World Rallycross Championship promoter, IMG.

The vision for the FIA eRX2 Championship is to provide a pathway to the top of the sport for aspiring rallycross stars. RX2 – like its predecessor RX Lites – has served as an excellent training ground for drivers on their way up the ladder to the pinnacle of World RX, and eRX2 is now set to raise the bar even further by embracing the discipline’s electrification and focussing firmly on the future.

"We are delighted that through the launch of the FIA eRX2 Championship we are able to provide a cost-effective entry point for younger drivers to become part of rallycross’ electric future," said Gyarfas Olah, FIA Off-Road Commission President. "We look forward to making further announcements about the championship over the coming months."

 

Having won the FIA’s tender to develop the ‘arrive-and-drive’ eRX2 concept – based around a bespoke, lightweight four-wheel-drive electric rallycross car with a spaceframe chassis and 32kWh battery producing 250kW (335bhp) of power – the QEV has spent the past nine months working hard behind-the-scenes in preparation for its launch.

"This is a tremendously exciting time for electric motorsport, and here at QEV, we all firmly believe that the FIA eRX2 Championship can play a major role in helping to shape the future of rallycross’ electric landscape. Since winning the tender back in October, our team has worked tirelessly to develop the new eRX2 car," said Joan Orús, COO, QEV Technologies.

 

"With short, sharp races, rallycross is the ideal discipline for electric cars, and we are confident eRX2 will generate more dynamic and spectacular action than has ever been seen before."

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media. 

"Not only will the degree of torque available make the car considerably quicker than the current RX2 model, but it will also be more challenging to drive, especially on the limit, which will be a key factor in helping to prepare competitors for the subsequent step-up to Supercar level."

 

"One of the aspects I like most about the eRX2 car is all of the additional areas in which the driver can make a real difference, from the distribution of the torque to brake bias, which simply isn’t possible with an internal combustion engine vehicle," Orús adds. "Being able to manually balance the car and its performance mid-race, while traveling side-by-side at speeds of up to 150km/h will truly showcase a driver’s skill set and technical understanding."

The first iteration of the eRX2 car – featuring an interim ‘prototype’ composite bodyshell on top of RX2’s existing Supercar Lites chassis – was exclusively unveiled during RallyX Nordic ‘All-Star’ Magic Weekend at Höljes in Sweden earlier this month.

 

The battery – which has been fully safety-tested – is mounted next to the driver in the centre of the car to ensure optimum, 50/50 weight distribution, while power is supplied evenly to the front and rear wheels by a pair of motors and inverters, all of which benefit from a cooling system to prevent excessive temperatures.

"We are delighted to be working with QEV Technologies to develop the new eRX2 Championship and car. QEV’s experience and expertise in the electro-mobility domain speaks for itself, with sustained success both on and off-track – they are truly a pioneer in the sphere," said Andreas Eriksson, CEO, Olsbergs MSE. 

 

"It is that same pioneering spirit that earned them the tender for the FIA eRX2 Championship, and their eagerness to innovate and push back boundaries truly resonates with all of us here at OMSE. They have been very open in acknowledging that this will be their first foray into rallycross, but they have shone in every other motorsport discipline they have entered and are learning fast. They are an excellent partner in every respect."

 

"There is no question that the future of motorsport is going to be electric, and as far as I am concerned, there is no question that QEV is going to set the pace in rallycross’ bright new era."

 

The eRX2 car will be able to run for up to 25 minutes, with recommended 20-minute recharges between sessions over the course of a race weekend. 

 

"We understand how important it is for drivers progressing to international competition to race at World Championship events," said Paul Bellamy, Senior Vice President for motorsports events at IMG, the FIA World Rallycross Championship promoter. "It’s exciting that the next generation of drivers will be able to drive bespoke electric race cars and be at the forefront of the electrification of rallycross."

The final car is set to be officially presented towards the end of this year, and six European events are planned for the FIA eRX2 Championship’s first season, with the full calendar to be released in due course.

Written By - Junaid Samodien

Finnish RX champion Rytkönen joins GRX for home round.

PHOTO CREDIT: GRX Taneco.

Double Finnish Rallycross Champion Juha Rytkönen will race the third GRX Hyundai i20 Supercar in his home rounds of the FIA World Rallycross Championship at Kouvola.  

Rytkönen, who has spent the majority of his career in rallying, has spent the last two years competing in various rallycross events and has claimed two Finnish Rallycross Champions’ titles.

Whilst Krisztián Szabó will race the third GRX SET Hyundai i20 at Höljes, Rytkönen takes the wheel of the GRX-built Hyundai i20 Supercar for the second double-header at Kouvola on August 29-30.

 

"I am extremely grateful to have this opportunity to race in the highest level of rallycross," he said. "Even more so – to race in Finland, at my favorite track, and with a Finnish team is very exciting." 

"After two years of racing at the national and regional level, I feel I need to take the next step. Sure, to have one of the best cars at my disposal for this race also brings great responsibility, but I am ready to learn from the experienced GRX drivers and engineers and give my best at every single moment."

"Juha's experience from various different cars in the past, combined with his humble attitude, will give him a solid base to continue developing further. We as a team will try to help him with our experience in the best way we can, and hopefully we are able to progress through the weekend and have a solid race together," says co-founder of SET Promotion and GRX Taneco Team Manager, Jussi Pinomäki. 

 

The FIA World Rallycross Championship season will kick-off on 20-23 August with a double-header in Höljes, Sweden.

Written By - Junaid Samodien

World RX reveals Sweden double-header entry list.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media.

Two former Drivers’ Champions and eight World RX event winners are included in the 17-car field for the season-opener, where the reigning World RX Drivers’ Champion Timmy Hansen will run with the number 1 on the side of his Peugeot 208 for the very first time. His teammate and brother Kevin Hansen will also have a new number for the 2020 season, number 9, as Team Hansen begins the defense of its 2019 Teams’ title.

Double World RX Champion Johan Kristoffersson makes his return in a Volkswagen Polo, racing as an individual entry with Kristoffersson Motorsport. While 2019 runner-up Andreas Bakkerud will make his debut in a Renault Megane in the Monster Energy GCK RX Catel team, together with teammate Liam Doran. 

Anton Marklund will return in 2020 in a Renault Megane R.S. RX, under a new banner "GCK Bilstein" whilst GC Kompetition's owner and driver Guerlain Chicherit and Rokas Baciuksa join forces in GCK Unkorrupted in a pair of Renault Clios. 

Niclas Gronholm and Timur Timerzyanov remains with the GRX Taneco in a pair of updated Hyundai i20s and will be joined by a third car at Holjes, driven by Krisztian Szabo. The other two cars teams are in the form of KYB Team JC, running a pair of Audi S1s for Robin Larsson and Janis Baumanis.

ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport returns with Timo Scheider and Rene Muennich in a pair of Seat Ibizas. Also on the Swecon World RX of Sweden entry list is the winner from 2019, Sebastian Eriksson, driving a Honda Civic Supercar from Olsbergs MSE.

World RX of Abu Dhabi CANCELLED

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Media.

The World RX of Abu Dhabi at the Yas Marina Circuit has been cancelled, the event organizers announced. 

Abu Dhabi was set to host a double-header on 29-31 October but following the release of the updated calendar from World RX rightsholders, IMG, the event was dropped to a single round, and Sweden, Finland, and Latvia would host double-headers this season. 

The announcement today means that there will be a two-month gap between the penultimate round in Spain (Barcelona) on 17-18 October, and the season finale in Germany (Nurburgring) on 11-13 December. 

"In light of the continued global health concerns regarding COVID-19 (coronavirus) the World Rallycross of Abu Dhabi, scheduled to be hosted at Yas Marina Circuit on 30-31 October, will unfortunately not take place this year,"

"The health and safety of everyone involved remains the priority as we navigate these unprecedented circumstances. We very much look forward to welcoming the drivers, teams, and fans to Yas Marina Circuit for this world-class event in 2021."

The Updated 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship Calendar.

Written By - Junaid Samodien 

Eriksson returns to defend hard-fought World RX Höljes crown – in a Honda.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media.

Sebastian Eriksson, the defending race winner from the 2019 World RX of Sweden will return to the FIA World Rallycross Championship with his eyes firmly set on back to back victories in  Höljes.

The 27-year-old Swede had made only three starts at World RX level prior to his appearance at Höljes last summer, but in a high-caliber, 25-strong field, he was unbeatable from Q4 onwards. 

 

This year, he will return to the field in defense of that hard-fought triumph behind the wheel of Olsbergs MSE’s Honda Civic with which he claimed six podium finishes – including a race win – in GRC in 2016/17. 

As he prepares to return to the scene of his breakthrough World Championship achievement, it is clear that he has more silverware firmly in his sights.

 

"It felt like everything just went our way at Höljes last year. It was the race I wanted to win more than any other and the biggest result of my career, and it was nice to see the reaction of everybody in the paddock – that meant a lot," Eriksson said.

 

"I’m really excited to be going back again. Höljes is the most iconic rallycross track in the world, and this year, we get double the chances to win and double the fun. It’s the first time the World Championship has staged a double-header so the regular drivers might not be so used to that format, but I did a lot of it in GRC back in the day so hopefully, that might give me a little bit of an advantage."

 

Whilst the Ford Fiesta that Eriksson used to triumph in Höljes last year was in its development stage and suffered from overheating issues, he was able to keep a charging Kevin Hansen behind, but this year, the Swede will return in a machine that he is quite familiar with. 

The Swede is keen to see how the Honda Civic will perform at the World Championship level and admits that OMSE has been hard at work updating the car over the recent months. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Olsbergs MSE. 

"It will be interesting to see how the Honda shapes up on the World Championship stage. It’s obviously a completely different shape and has different characteristics to the Fiesta, but in testing, we’ve achieved very similar lap times with the two cars," he said. "We’ve worked hard to update the Civic in recent months, which should make it a bit more competitive so I’m positive we can be up at the sharp end again – and how cool would it be to win back-to-back in two different cars?!"

 

"I might be the guy with the target on my back as the defending race winner, but I actually don’t feel under any pressure. For me, this is a one-off event so I can just go all-out. The drivers entered for the full season need to be a bit more conservative and think about the points situation, but for me, points don’t matter."

Eriksson is also aware of the challenge that awaits him in Höljes with an extremely competitive field filled with RX race winners and champions targeting victory at the season-opener and admits that he's ready for the fight.

 

"I haven’t seen the full entry list yet, but there’s no question that it’s going to be fiercely-contested – this is the pinnacle, after all," he adds. "Johan Kristoffersson is back in the game, we saw how quick Niclas Grönholm and Robin Larsson were at Höljes in RallyX Nordic earlier this month and then, of course, you’ve got the likes of the Hansen brothers and Andreas Bakkerud so it’s clearly going to be an extremely tough field – but I’m definitely up for the fight!"

Written By - Junaid Samodien

Jani Paasonen returns for European-based races in 2020 World RX campaign.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ferratum Team. 

Former WRC driver Jani Paasonen returns to the FIA World Rallycross Championship for all European-based rounds this season with his new team. 

The former works Škoda and Mitsubishi driver has prior experience of racing in the European Rallycross Championship in a variety of Skoda's over the last 15 years and competed in five World RX events with STARD last year. 

Paasonen bought a Ford Fiesta from Austrian based team STARD, and together with his all-new Ferratum Team, they have rebuilt the Fiesta with several new technical innovations. 

"We think we have something new with our Ferratum Team Ford Fiesta which we can bring to the World Championship," said Paasonen. "The engine side is built in Finland, it has some new ideas about how the engine works."

"There are big questions about what the potential and speed is, but we hope and trust that we have a fast car. But, we will finally see what our potential is when we are in the first race and next to other cars on the same start line."

The Finn will compete in selected rounds this season, but aims high with his eyes firmly set on the finals in every race they enter this year.

"Of course the target is to go to the finals in every race this year, collect good points and finish as high as we can in the World Championship," he said. First, we go step-by-step to Holjes, Kouvola, and Riga and we will see where we are."

PHOTO CREDIT: Ferratum Team.

The Ferratum team has been hard at work preparing for the 2020 World RX campaign and plans at least one more test day before the season opener in Holjes next month. 

"We have done a number of test days and still before Sweden will do maybe one day, testing some suspension things, but we are quite happy with the car," he adds.

These test days will prove vital for Paasonen's team as they get up to speed with what is required of them for the World RX championship. "Almost all of the people in our team are new to the World Championship, only the engine data engineer has some experience. But the mechanics and some of the others have not so much experience in rallycross at the highest level. Local-level yes, but not so much at the highest level so it will be big learning for us."

Whilst Jani has high expectations for the season ahead, he is confident that the Ferratum team will remain in the sport beyond 2021 and could expand to a two-car team by next year. 

"It’s nice to come with a new team in the championship and I know, I believe we can continue into 2021 and the future," he adds."We’re planning to maybe build a second car and maybe run a two-car team next year, but we will see."

Written By - Junaid Samodien

Krogstad sets sights on victory at second RallyX Nordic round.

PHOTO CREDIT: YellowSquad.

#YellowSquad's Henrik Krogstad returns for the second round of RallyX Nordic, which takes place at the Swedish circuit Arvika on August 7-9. 

Krogstad is currently in fourth place in the championship points standings, only nine points behind the championship leader.

The Norwegian claimed a second-place finish in the opening round of the season at Höljes, coming through the field to finish second in his semi-final and then doing the same again from the second row of the grid in the final. He also made it through to the final of round two, also at Höljes, finishing fourth.

"I can't wait to get racing again," Krogstad said. "Arvika is a track I've raced at before so I'm looking forward to that, and keeping the good momentum going from Höljes."

"My goal for the weekend is of course to do better than last time, and there's only one place more to get: the victory. So that's the aim for the weekend. But, of course, we have to work hard and keep the rhythm going."

Krogstad's teammate Dan Skocdopole has been forced to skip the second round of the Nordic Championship after his country imposed travel restrictions due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemics. 

Written By - Junaid Samodien

Szabó to compete at selected WorldRX rounds with GRX SET.

PHOTO CREDIT: GRX Taneco.

Krisztián Szabó will compete in selected World Rallycross events this season, driving a third Hyundai i20 for GRX SET.

The Hungarian will line-up alongside GRX Taneco's permanent drivers, Niclas Grönholm and Timur Timerzyanov, in an identical Hyundai i20 Supercar, prepared and serviced by SET Promotion.

The five-time European Champion has experience on his side. Three of the five titles he claimed was in autocross, and two in the European Rallycross Championship (2016 and 2017 in the Super1600 category). 

Szabó made his Supercar debut in 2018 with several FIA Euro RX rounds and completed a full FIA World Rallycross Championship season last year, taking his best result of the season, a fourth-place on debut in Abu Dhabi and finished 10th in the Drivers’ standings. 

For 2020 Szabó plans to compete at the season opener at Höljes next month, with the rest of his schedule yet to be announced.

 

"2020 has come with its own challenges and I am really happy that despite everything I can be a part of the FIA World RX grid for multiple events this year," he said. "Even more so – I will be driving one of the best and most advanced cars in the championship, supported by a very experienced and professional team."

"My main focus will be to have a consistent and competitive pace from race to race and to prove myself as a driver, who can challenge the main “players” of the sport."

 

Jussi Pinomäki, the team manager for GRX Taneco believes that his team can help Krisztián take the next step in the championship.

 

"Krisztián is a very perspective and a talented young driver who has worked hard and achieved a lot throughout his career. He has vast Super1600 class experience not only on-track, but also the humble and family-like life in the paddock, and I really see him fitting right in at our team," said SET Promotion co-founder and GRX Taneco Team Manager Jussi Pinomäki.

"We are here to help him to take his performance to the next step, and hopefully, we’ll see him fighting with the top drivers in the championship."

 

Written By - Junaid Samodien

"The biggest rival is myself" - Kevin Hansen.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media

Claiming two titles in 2019, Kevin Hansen will most certainly have his eyes on the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship title.

Coming from a rallycross family steeped in success;  Kenneth Hansen, a 14-time European Rallycross Champion and, Susann Hansen (mother) being one of the most successful women in rallycross having claimed the 1994 European Rallycross title; Kevin has experience and knowledge on his side. 

The Swede competed in rallycross since 2014 and knows what it takes to become champion having won titles in every championship entered, apart from the big prize in World Rallycross. 

Hansen joined the World RX field in 2015 and only received a full-time drive in 2017 with Peugeot. In 2019, he finally had equal machinery to his brother Timmy Hansen, the 2019 FIA World Rallycross Champion. While 2019 was a challenging season for Team Hansen, Kevin brought some joy by winning the inaugural Abu Dhabi RX event following a penalty awarded to Niclas Gronholm. The same success did not go for brother, Timmy, who suffered from a DNF at this point.

And while Kevin wants more “proper wins” in the premier class. He admits that leading the championship in the early stages of the 2019 season was very hard and as the season progressed he believes that Silverstone was a turning point in his championship fight having spun on the joker lap. 

The condensed 2020 season will leave no margin for error. And, while the risks are high. Kevin admits there are a few key factors that he can improve upon for the upcoming season. 

“I’ve picked up some key factors to improve in my driving, that will unlock some extra tenths that could be crucial in the long run,” he said. “Also the key to becoming world champion is all within me, and continuing to work very closely together with Timmy will again make the lives for the other competitors even harder!” 

Whilst the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship is yet to get underway due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, motorsport drivers require strict training, dietary allowances, etc. to keep them in tip-top shape. Hansen is keeping himself mentally and physically prepared for the season ahead by: “enjoying life, taking care of my body, and spending as much time as I can with friends. Also driving as much simulator, karting, and crosscars as I can to stay in great shape.”

Every driver is aware of what they need to find within themselves to achieve the ultimate result on a race weekend. And, in the pursuit of excellence drivers often come up against each other and rivalries form. 

We asked Kevin who he thinks will be his biggest rival in 2020. “The biggest rival is myself,” he said. “If I can concur, Kevin, then I know the rest will fall into place.”

It’s quite a task to balance racing in multiple series, as the Hansen brothers mastered in 2019 having competed in the Titans RX series and the FIA World Rallycross Championship. But in addition to this enormous balancing act, the Hansen brothers formed the “YellowSquad”, a young driver development programme. 

Kevin doesn’t see balancing the YellowSquad with his racing commitments as a challenge, because they have a well experienced former driver and team owner Eric Fären as the team’s manager. 

“I’m super stoked to enter the second year of the #YellowSquad. The ambition with the team is right where we want them to be, growing into RX2, expanding our capacity, working with great people that share the passion for RX just like we do,” he said.

“Eric Fären is the perfect team manager for the YellowSquad. We put a lot of trust into him on race weekends, which we feel very good doing. To have two mega fast drivers in Henrik Krogstad and Dan Skocdopole is making me very proud as a team principal. The work we have done during the winter with these two is just what we hoped to be doing. They will become greater versions of themselves, and they will work just like we do in Team Hansen.” 

Kevin leading older brother Timmy and Andreas Bakkerud in Cape Town.
PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross.

Whilst most motorsport championships are issuing provisional calendars and others canceling their entire season (ie. Titans RX). Some countries are reducing their lockdown restrictions thus allowing racing within strict rules with no fans allowed to attend. The RallyX Nordic championship is an example of just that. The series opener was held in the first week of July and has been the perfect test bench for many rallycross teams in the past. So, we asked Kevin if Team Hansen RX intend to compete in any other series or championships this year. 

“Our main focus is World RX for sure, though we are looking at more races in 2020, but at the moment it's really hard to know what will be!” he explains.

While at the end of the 2018 season Peugeot withdrew from the championship as a factory team. The Hansen family were able to secure funding to purchase two 2017-spec Peugeot’s with some 2018 updates. And, in order to remain ahead of the field Team Hansen RX require two supercars capable of giving their drivers the best possible opportunities, which means the team needs to solve or fix any issues they might have had in 2019.

Kevin admits that the team had some weaknesses on loose gravel, and in 2020 they will have small upgrades on the Peugeot 208 WRX. 

“We know our weak spots from 2019, and we believe we have touched on those problems over the winter together with our partners,” he said.

Hansen adds that the team is working continuously with Oreca on the engine for more power and starts, but admits that “we know where to improve, and that sounds easier than it is to identify something like that when the car you have was the best in 2019.”

With the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship season set to begin in August in Höljes, Sweden. Double World RX champion Johan Kristoffersson returns, and biggest rival Andreas Bakkerud switches to Renault machinery. Kevin predicts that the 2020 season could be a five-way fight.

Can Team Hansen RX come out on top in 2020? We will find out in just under a month!

Written By - Junaid Samodien

Co-Editor - Franco Theron 

Kristoffersson aims to replicate Höljes comeback victory as he returns for Arvika.

PHOTO CREDIT: RallyX Nordic.

Double world champion Johan Kristoffersson will return to action when RallyX Nordic races into Arvika on 7-9 August, after confirming his participation in round three of the series’ 2020 campaign at his home circuit.

 

The Swede made his eagerly-anticipated rallycross return at Höljes’ ‘All-Star’ Magic Weekend earlier this month – and straight out-of-the-box, he was on the leading pace.

 

Fastest in the first free practice session in the headlining Supercar class behind the wheel of his 2016 VW Polo Supercar, the two-time FIA World Rallycross Champion missed out on topping the timesheets in Q1 on Thursday by less than 0.040s. He went on to finish a close second in the round one final, right behind the winner and reigning RallyX Nordic title-holder Robin Larsson.

 

When the heavens opened on Sunday, Kristoffersson outclassed all of his rivals in Q4 as conditions deteriorated and then simply drove away from his pursuers in the semi-final, going more than six-and-a-half seconds faster than anybody else could muster. 

 

"It was so much fun to be competing in a rallycross event again – especially on Sunday when the rain came and gave us a sniff of victory," he said. "I love every aspect of this sport, and after a year away, it felt like coming back home."

 

"In many ways, Höljes was the perfect weekend with the mixed weather, and we learnt a lot. The Polo isn’t new to us, but we made a lot of changes to it over the winter so there was a whole list of things we wanted to try out and different set-ups we wanted to experiment with.

 

"In the wet, we were right on the pace – if not indeed setting the pace, which was really encouraging. I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of driving in conditions like that. In the dry, we discovered where we need to improve to make the car even more competitive, and we’ve been working hard to do that ever since.

 

Almost 20 months on from his last victory in the discipline, his sensational comeback triumph at Höljes proved beyond doubt that Kristoffersson is back in business on the rallycross scene – and now he is aiming to keep that success story going at Arvika.

"Arvika is my local track – literally just 5km from my front door – and it’s one of the first I ever drove in rallycross, back in 2013," Kristoffersson said. "We’ve tested there a few times recently, and it’s great news that RallyX Nordic is returning after a year away."

 

"As a circuit, Arvika always generates close racing, and the joker lap coming right at the end of the lap can make for interesting finishes, so I’m sure it will be exciting. Hopefully, we can pick up from where we left off at Höljes..."

Written By - Junaid Samodien