Ekström wins after thrilling battle with Kristoffersson.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media

Mattias Ekström has beaten Johan Kristoffersson in a thrilling six-lap straight fight for victory in the second round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship in Holjes. 

The 2016 Champion has been Kristoffersson's biggest rival all weekend. Ekström admitted after round one (yesterday), that he could give Kristoffersson a proper run for his money in a straight fight. 

Ekström started on the second row of the grid after being beaten in semi-final 2 by his teammate Robin Larsson, whilst Kristoffersson started from pole having topped qualifying and winning his semi-final. 

In the final, Larsson had the best launch seeing him, and Kristoffersson fight for track position into turn one. Whilst they fought, Ekström opted for his first lap joker tactic that has worked for him all weekend and gained clean air with only Kevin Hansen behind. 

Larsson went on the attack in the early stages keeping Kristoffersson very honest at the front of the field, but by lap two, the chasing Swede, Timo Scheider, and Andreas Bakkerud took the joker lap. Thus promoting Mattias Ekström into second and clean air with no real distraction. 

From there he was able to post fastest lap after fastest lap reeling in Kristoffersson. On lap 4, Johan had a 2.175-second buffer to Mattias and on lap five responded with the fastest lap of the race to extend the gap to 2.711 seconds, but Mattias eeked closer taking a further four-tenths out of the round one winner. 

In an attempt to drag out a few more tenths, Kristoffersson pushed the limits of the joker lap, but the gap was not enough and he emerged behind Ekström. In a pursuit to try and muscle his way past, the double World Champion tried a number of different lines, but to no avail. 

The pair crossed the line split by 0.194s, but later Kristoffersson was handed a five-second time penalty for hitting two-track markers on the joker lap. 

"Today we made constant adjustments because of the weather, and I have to say that Robin [Larsson] was really contributing and did really good starts. He took me in the semi-final, but then I got clean air in the final, which was key to my win," Ekström said. "I had a clean run and the car worked fine. I heard the gaps to Johan and I could hear that I was reeling him in and then I knew just to bang every lap inch-perfect to beat him and it's quite a pleasure because it's quite a while since someone beat him in that car fair and square because it hasn't happened many times."

"We made a step over the last two years with them [KYB]. To win is what I love and today is a great win!"

Johan Kristoffersson was left with a big smile despite finishing in third-place. 

"It was such a fun final," he said. "First of all, Robin [Larsson] had a good start from there on we had a little bit of a wiggle, so lost a little bit of time in the beginning and then started to push and getting into the rhythm. The car was working fine, so I am happy with that. Then I got the gap to Mattias and I heard that he was really close and then I heard no the radio that I really need to push. Then I got told that I increased the gap a little bit and I am not sure if it was correct or not, and then I had the joker and I knew that I would have to do everything in the joker and I actually cut both the pillars and I was meant to do one, but it turned out to be two and then got a five-second penalty. That was a fight to enjoy!"

Despite his mighty charge in the opening laps, Robin Larsson slowed into the velodrome section, and Kevin Hansen took third with a ballsy outside move soon followed by Timo Scheider. 

"I was there all day challenging the guys ahead a bit, but just not quite enough," Kevin Hansen said. "Then I took advantage of Robin's mistake in the final, and I think it was a pretty bold move around the top (outside) when I did it. I was like... what am I doing? Am I completely crazy or what? It was mega fun. And to get home from Holjes with a podium is great. It's a good start for the team, but we need to keep working hard because we have two fast guys to beat."

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media.

The 2019 EuroRX Champion ended the final in fifth, while Andreas Bakkerud brought it home in a distant sixth +31.949 seconds behind Ekström.

A heated battle in semi-final two saw reigning World RX champion Timmy Hansen, Timur Timerzyanov, and Anton Marklund not making the cut. 

Timmy Hansen was later disqualified "unsportsmanlike behavior during competition" after pushing both Bakkerud and Timerzyanov in semi-final 2. 

Niclas Gronholm, Krisztian Szabo, and Anton Marklund also failed to advance to the finals. 

The question on everyone's lips after the thrilling final is: Will Mattias Ekström return for the full-season after winning in Sweden? 

"It was only planned for here [In Sweden]," Ekström said. "I will speak to Joel [Christoffersson] when I get back [to the garage]. I still have other commitments, which is clashing with other weekends. Finland, I admit would be nice, but then afterward it looks really difficult unless some of my bosses, friends or partners would like to contribute for me to continue, but for the time being that is not the plan."

Written By Junaid Samodien 

Kristoffersson takes second straight TQ in Holjes.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media.

There's just no stopping the double FIA World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson, who has taken the TQ (top qualifier) position for round two of the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship season in Holjes-Sweden.

Kristoffersson took the quickest times in Q1 and Q3 in Holjes. 

Whilst from the outside it might have looked like smooth sailing for the double World Champion, but once again he was made to work for it after Mattias Ekstrom was quickest in Q2 to briefly topped the intermediate classification. 

With an alternative strategy in Q3 Race 4, Ekstrom immediately took the joker lap, a tactic he used throughout the qualifying races. Unfortunately, it did not work for him this time around as he came out behind Anton Marklund and could only get past his fellow countrymen once he took the joker lap on the final lap of the race. 

Kristoffersson crossed the finish line over a second ahead of Ekstrom to clinch his second straight top qualifiers spot.  

"We had a good start again, and I could get out first. From there on the car felt much better than it did in Q2. We didn't really have the pace there. But I was not really sure about the pace of Mattias [Ekstrom] because he was very fast in Q2, but it's so nice and your adrenaline is pumping when you have the nice fights with Mattias," Kristoffersson said. "I am really enjoying it!"

After a disappointing first-round for Andreas Bakkerud. The Swede has shown a glimmer of promise with fifth overall finish after Q2, but with a strong drive in Q3, he was able to jump up the order to third overall in the intermediate standings. 

Bakkerud's teammate on the other hand has had another tough day filled with mechanical issues despite leading most of his qualifying races only to have it slip away due to issues with his Renault Megane R.S. RX. 

KYB Team JC's Robin Larsson has taken the fight to Marklund and the Hansen brothers seeing him in fourth overall ahead of Kevin Hansen (Team Hansen RX) and Krisztian Szabo for GRX SET. 

And after a strong performance from Anton Marklund in round 1 (yesterday). The Swede finds himself in seventh with ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport’s Timo Scheider in eighth after claiming two qualifying heat race wins.

Reigning World RX champion Timmy Hansen finds himself ninth-place struggling with the balance of his car, and not having the best position on the grip to capitalize on the ultimate pace of his Peugeot 208 WRX.

A fast Niclas Gronholm finds himself right down the order after getting stuck in traffic, while GRX Taneco teammate Timur Timerzyanov drops down the order to eleventh overall after a mechanical issue in Q3.

Scheider's team boss Rene Munnich brings up the rear with a strong performance in Q3 Race 2 finishing in second behind Scheider. 

Written By - Junaid Samodien

Kristoffersson wins on return in wet-weather masterclass.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media.

Two-time World Champion Johan Kristoffersson picks up where he left off one year ago, by winning the 2020 Swecon World Rallycross of Sweden (round 1). 

Kristoffersson did what he does best and made it look effortless by winning all but one qualifying session. But it was not all smooth sailing for the Swede, as Mattias Ekstrom fought back to win Q2 with smart team tactics. 

The semi-final was a similar affair with Johan and Mattias battling at the front and winning their respective semi-finals, which meant they would start alongside each other in finals. 

To spice things up, the heavens opened just before the final, which meant teams were forced to make quick set-up changes and tyre selections. Moments later the rain stopped and the racing resumed.

Johan took the hole shot off the line with Ekstrom in second. While a close fight behind saw Marklund and Hansen collided sending the 2019 champion into a spin, and while Hansen lost out Marklund hung onto third with Timo Scheider right behind in fourth. 

Once Timmy got it all gathered up he was joined in the joker lap by Niclas Gronholm who was left on the line after stalling his car. On lap 4 of 6, Hansen's race ended prematurely in the gravel.

As the final progressed Johan was able to inch away from Ekstrom, lap after lap eventually crossing the finish line 5 seconds ahead of Mattias Ekstrom, Anton Marklund, Timo Scheider, and Niclas Gronholm. 

"I think these conditions have been the trickiest that we could get when we came back to rallycross. The weather was changing all day. You are always trying to do your best, but not really sure," Kristoffersson said. 

"The conditions like this when you come back and not 100% confident, but after the semi-final, I felt pretty good and in the final, I dropped the clutch the launch was so good, and from there on I felt okay. Then I just had to do my laps and it's such a big advantage to have a clear windscreen and then from there six good laps." 

The double World RX champion says he is happy to have ended on a high in WTCR after winning in tricky wet conditions from P22 and returns to World Rallycross with a win in similar conditions.

"It feels good, but I am also happy with the win at Sepang (in the wet) with WTCR and started with a win in World RX. So, it ended on a high [in WTCR], and starts on a high [In World RX]," he adds. 

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media.

Whilst Kristoffersson dominated the rain-hit final, Mattias Ekstrom is happy with a second-place finish but says he would have given Johan a proper run for his money in the final. 

"P2, you can't be satisfied in one way. But 10 or 15 days ago, I got to know that I will drive here, and to have a good day and good pace, I couldn't ask for more," Ekstrom said.

"I wouldn't have expected that, but I was hoping for it to stay dry [in the final] because we had a full dry set-up, and I was hoping to give Johan [Kristoffersson] a battle. In the end, we didn't have the right boots on the car for the final, but Johan did everything right and his very good in the race and knows that I can give him a run for his money when we are all equal. Congratulations to him. They did well!"

Following the World RX final, the stewards determined that Anton Marklund "did not respect the car on the right-hand side of turn 2" and thus handing the GCK Bilstein driver a 30-second time penalty demoting him to fifth-place overall. Whilst All-Inkl.com Munnich Motorsport's Timo Scheider was promoted to a podium finish in his Seat Ibiza. 

2019 runner-up Andreas Bakkerud and teammate Liam Doran, had a torrid day. The latter suffered with a broken propshaft, which caused significant damage to his Renault Megane. While Andreas Bakkerud had a number of problems throughout the qualifiers stalling in Q1, a slightly better start saw him finish second in Q2, and the Norweigan finally won his third qualifying heat. They ended day one in thirteenth and seventeenth respectively. 

Written By - Junaid Samodien

Ekstrom fights back to take TQ in Holjes.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media. 

Mattias Ekstrom took the quickest time in Q2 at the first round of the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship to take the top qualifiers position.

On a drying track in Q2, the 2016 World Champion Ekstrom took the lead in Race 4 ahead of Johan Kristoffersson, but with smart team tactics, Robin Larsson was able to push his way ahead of Kristoffersson to lead into the joker. 

With Kristoffersson right behind Larsson throughout the race, we weren't able to see the double world champions true pace in the session, but Ekstrom capitalized on this and set consecutive fastest laps to have a clear gap when he eventually took his joker lap to emerge in the lead ahead of Larsson and Kristoffersson. 

Third in the current order after Q2 is Swede Anton Marklund who won both of his qualifying races, and is the fastest GC Kompetition driver by far, with KYB Team JC's Robin Larsson hot on his hills. 

Finn Niclas Gronholm is comfortable in his GRX Taneco Hyundai i20 Supercar, while his teammate Timerzyanov got his weekend off to a bad start with a right front wheel suspension issue in Q1. 

Defending World RX Champion Timmy Hansen has not had the best starts thus far and is currently seventh in the overall standings after Q2 with younger brother Kevin Hansen right behind in eighth. 

The real shocker thus far is seeing 2019 runner-up Andreas Bakkerud in thirteenth overall after stalling in Q1, and a bad start in Q2, but the Norweigan will fight back. Bakkerud's teammate Liam Doran was unable to start the Q2 after his Renault Megane R.S. RX caught fire in the paddock at the end of Q1. 

One qualifying session remains followed by the semi-finals and finals for the first round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship double-header in Holjes. 

Written By - Junaid Samodien

World RX launches Champion Fast Start Award for 2020 season.

PHOTO CREDIT: GRX Taneco. 

The FIA World Rallycross Championship has announced the launch of the Champion Fast Start Award for the 2020 season.

In previous years, World RX had the "Monster Energy Supercharge Award" that took an unexpected backseat in 2019, but will return in 2020 with the official World RX Lubricants Partner, Champion Lubricants.

The Champion Fast Start award will recognise and reward the World RX drivers who make the fastest start and are the first to reach the Champion Lubricants markers before the first corner in every qualifying race, semi-final and final at each round of the season.

At the end of each event, the drivers who have led the most times will get Champion Fast Start points: 10 points for the most successful driver, five points for the second, and three for the third. Drivers’ reaction times at the start of each race will also be recorded and used as a tie-break should two or more drivers have led in an equal number of races.

The most successful driver on the Champion Fast Start leader board, collecting the most points over the course of the season, will be crowned Fast Start winner and receive an end-of-year award. 

"The Champion Fast Start Award was born out of a desire to create an additional exhilarating and rewarding spectacle for fans and drivers alike," Frédéric Decroix, the Global Marketing Director of Champion Lubricants, said.

"In line with our brand promise to ‘release the full potential,’ it creates the ideal incentive for maximum synchronisation between car and driver as a means of achieving the best possible start during this initial full throttle sprint. This is why both the drivers’ reaction time and the performance of car and driver in the race from the starting line are considered, with the drivers who are most successful in mastering this powerful yet complex association being awarded Champion Fast Start points."

The Champion Fast Start award will debut at this week’s double-header event at the Swecon World RX of Sweden.

"I'm really stocked to be back" - Andreas Bakkerud

PHOTO CREDIT: GC Kompetition. 

One of the most popular drivers in the FIA World Rallycross Championship, Andreas Bakkerud returns with renewed determination after finishing the 2019 championship in the runner-up spot.

A new chapter will open in Andreas Bakkerud's fight for FIA World Rallycross Championship glory, as he joins GC Kompetition in 2020. But wait, there's more! 'British Bomb' Liam Doran will return with GCK as well. So, does that mean the RX Cartel are back?

Yes, the Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel are back and ready for glory with two latest specification GCK Mégane R.S. RX Supercars. 

Bakkerud had his first taste of the GCK Mégane R.S. RX at Killarney (Cape Town), a day after the 2018 championship ended, and admitted to being quite pleased with the car. He noted that the Mégane has alot of potential, and is capable of running at the forefront of the grid.

Ahead of 2020 season, the GCK Renault Mégane R.S. RX underwent further developments, including updates on the 2-litre ORECA engine and new Bilstein dampers. 

We can finally say the most famous words in rallycross: "Today is a good day because today is a race day", a phrase coined by none other than Andreas Bakkerud. Yes! The FIA World Rallycross Championship will finally get underway this weekend in Holjes, Sweden, and Andreas is ready to dust off some cobwebs 

"It's been a long break now since Cape Town last year where we fought for the Championship Gold - 8 months!," Bakkerud said. 

"It took all of 4 months of winter holidays and 4 months of Coronavirus to get me back into a Supercar again, so it was a little rusty today. It took a little time to get up to speed and get the pace but overall, I'm very happy."

"It's great to see the progression we're making and it shows there's huge potential in both me and the car and I'm really looking forward to the race in Höljes now," he adds. 

"It's going to be a lot of fun and good to see the whole grid together and how we can perform under real pressure. Other than that, I'm just really, really stoked to be back."

Written By - Junaid Samodien

PREVIEW: High-octane, action packed World RX returns this weekend.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media.

The long-awaited sixth season of the FIA World Rallycross Championship will finally get underway this weekend in Höljes, Sweden. 

Originally, the 11-round season was due to start in April at Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona. Instead, a 10-round, seven-venue schedule including three doubleheaders, with the first doubleheader at this weekend's season opener. 

The 2020 World RX season will remain within the European borders, visiting Finland, Latvia, Belgium, Portugal, and Spain with the championship concluding in mid-December in Germany. 

Due to the current challenges around the Coronavirus. The FIA, the governing body of world motorsport, has developed protocols and procedures to manage the risk associated with the resumption of motorsport amid the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The FIA has used what they have learnt from the resumptions of the Formula 1, Formula E, and World Endurance Championships to benefit the FIA World Rallycross Championship and in collaboration with IMG, they have developed a Return to Racing Event Plan which is specific to rallycross and in line with FIA procedures.

Strict regulations on PCR pre-testing, temperature checks upon entry to the circuit, mandatory use of face masks, and social distancing have been applied along with the creation of team groups and sub-groups to minimize the risk of an outbreak spreading. Trace procedures are also in place along with containment measures in the case of a suspected case.

There are also changes to podium procedures and press conferences. The measures will vary from round to round and will depend on the guidelines and regulations issued by the relevant local health authorities.

"The FIA has undertaken a lot of work along with the World Health Organisation (WHO) our ASNs, event organisers and local health authorities in devising robust COVID-19 protocols to enable the return to motor sport in these challenging times," Professor Gérard Saillant, FIA Medical Commission President, said.

"I am delighted that the FIA World Rallycross Championship is resuming racing this weekend at Höljes, Sweden. We trust that the measures we have in place will be effective in ensuring the health and well-being of all those in attendance."

PHOTO CREDIT: Junaid Samodien

Reigning FIA World Rallycross Champion Timmy Hansen will begin the defence of the title he won in a tense season finale in Cape Town last year. Entering the last event of the year in a three-way battle for the title, Hansen ended the season level on points with Andreas Bakkerud, with the title being decided by the number of victories in the season. 

Hansen will again be joined by younger brother Kevin Hansen at Team Hansen RX. 

The season-opener in Höljes will see 17 drivers taking to the grid, including two-time World RX Champion Johan Krisoffersson returning with machinery that he is well acquainted with the Volkswagen Polo R Supercar. 

That's not all folks... 2016 World Champion Mattias Ekstrom returns as a super-sub for Janis Baumanis who has been forced to take a step back from a full-time drive due to financial issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Ekstrom will return for the opening round in a Supercar he is quite familiar with, the Audi S1 Quattro, and will race under the banner KYB Team JC alongside 2019 EuroRX champion Robin Larsson. 

Niclas Gronholm and Timer Timerzyanov won three events for GRX Taneco in 2019 and will return for more in 2020. Gronholm missed two events last year due to an appendix operation and would have been a championship contender had he not missed those two events. Joining them on the grid in a third Hyundai i20 Supercar for GRX SET in Höljes is multiple European Champion Krisztian Szabo.

While Andreas Bakkerud returns after he was left licking his wounds at the end of the 2019 season. He is hungrier than ever to lift the championship crown, and will partner Liam Doran at Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel. Bakkerud and Doran will race in a pair of Renault Megane R.S. RX Supercars this season. 

Swede Anton Marklund will go it alone this season in a third Megane under the banner GCK Bilstein, whilst former teammate Guerlain Chicherit returns in a Renault Clio alongside Rokas Baciuska at UNKORRUPTED.

Two-time DTM Champion Timo Scheider will return for another full-season with ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport, alongside team boss Rene Muennich in a pair of Seat Ibizas.

While 2019 World RX of Sweden winner Sebastian Eriksson returns to his home track this year with an Olsbergs MSE Honda Civic in a bid to repeat the win.

Finn Jani Paasonen is back for the full championship with his new Ferratum Team after acquiring a Ford Fiesta from Austrian company STARD.

In Sweden, the World Championship will complete rounds one and two with a full event, which requires a format change to the weekend schedule. Each World RX event will consist of three rounds of qualifying, semi-finals, and the final - taking place each day. 

While the supporting championships FIA European Rallycross and the Projekt E series will complete the usual schedule of one event taking place over two days, with two qualifiers on Saturday, the remaining two qualifiers, semi-finals and finals on Sunday.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media

Höljes also forms the opening event of the three-round FIA European Rallycross Championship for Supercars, which will include events in Latvia and Belgium.

Travel restrictions and other issues have reduced the 21-car entry list to 16 expected starters for the season opener.

Whilst Robin Larsson will not return to defend his crown in 2020. Both Jean-Baptiste (JB) Dubourg (Peugeot) and Thomas Bryntesson (VW Polo) will aim to lift the EuroRX title at the end of the season. 

Joining them on the grid will be two-time RX2 Series Champion Oliver Eriksson who will step up to EuroRX with a Ford Fiesta, and RX2 event winner Ben-Philip Gundersen in a JC Raceteknik prepared Audi S1. 

The EuroRX entry list also includes former WRC-2 Champion Pontus Tidemand, 74-year-old Swedish motorsport legend Per Eklund and Tobias Daarbak.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media

The new all-electric series, Projekt E will join the World RX support package this season with four events. The first event in Sweden followed by Latvia, Belgium, and Germany. 

Projekt E will incorporate the traditional values of rallycross by allowing teams to create cars using a wide range of production models, but the battery and powertrain kits are required to be purchased from Austrian company, STARD.

The powertrain kit comprises of three electric motors, two used on the rear axle, and one on the front, that produces a 450kW racecar with 1000Nm of torque.

The landmark first event will feature three cars, the entry list led by Ken Block who is joined by British rally driver Natalie Barratt and Austrian rally champion Hermann Neubauer. All three will drive Ford Fiesta-based cars. While the debut of the new Citroen C3 ERX has now been postponed until round two in Riga.

The FIA World Rallycross season-opener will undoubtedly create big talking points and answer a few questions we might already have. The likes of can Team Hansen RX successfully defend their titles. Is Robin Larsson a title contender? What can RX Cartel achieve in 2020? And, finally, will GRX Taneco return stronger than before?

We will most certainly get a few answers to these questions at Höljes doubleheader this weekend. 

The action will begin from 10:30am on Saturday and 09:50am on Sunday, with live streaming carried on the official FIA World RX Facebook and YouTube channels. While South African fans will be able to watch the live broadcast of the semi-finals and finals on pay-TV channel SuperSport  from 15:00pm on Sunday afternoon.

Written By - Junaid Samodien

Motorsport gets dedicated home on SuperSport.

PHOTO CREDIT: Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport. 

On 1 September, SuperSport will launch a new channel line-up to give your favourite sport a dedicated home of its own. Motorsport is one of them. 

The days of channel hopping to find your favourite form of motorsport is coming to an end. In the past, motorsport was often scattered across a number of channels, but from 1 September a dedicated new channel called "SuperSport Motorsport" will be launched. 

"There are two main reasons for the change. There is so much sport and some gets ‘lost’ amid the deluge," Clinton van der Berg, SuperSport Senior Manager Communication said.

"Exhaustive market research has also shown that sports fans would find it easier to enjoy the sport of their choice on a dedicated, named channel. Fans can get frustrated jumping around the remote. In the early days, this wasn’t a problem, but with a dramatic increase in content, the need arose for a more seamless, customer-centric approach."

Motorsport has long been labeled as a fringe sport with football, cricket, and rugby often taking priority, whilst Formula 1, MotoGP, etc. were often shuffled across multiple channels. The new motorsport channel does raise a few questions, and we have sought some clarification from SuperSport regarding the new dedicated motorsport channel. 

There are so many different motorsport disciplines from F1, WEC, World RX to MotoGP, which are broadcast on SuperSport, and this poses a unique challenge to the dedicated SuperSport Motorsport channel because some events are likely to clash. 

However, Clinton van der Berg reassures us that "clashes will be accommodated with any spillover content going onto one of the ‘Variety’ channels. These will be clearly cross-promoted."

Written By - Junaid Samodien. 

Three for the price of one as GC Kompetition increases World RX presence.

GC Kompetition is back, and bolder than ever. Three new teams with one objective to win the FIA World Rallycross Championship. 

GCK are renowned for “changing the rules” wherever they go, and this season it will be no different. 

The French squad will field five permanent entries and a part-time entry for Kevin Abbring at selected events. Swede Anton Marklund will return in a Renault Mégane R.S. RX, whilst two of the biggest names in rallycross, Andreas Bakkerud and Liam Doran will trade their hired EKS Audi S1’s for a pair of Mégane R.S. RX supercars this season. 

Will Guerlain Chicherit (GCK team owner) return this season? Of course! The Frenchman has made the biggest change this season switching from the longer wheelbase Renault Mégane to the slightly shorter Renault Clio R.S. RX, and joining Guerlain on the grid in the newly formed “UNKORRUPTED” squad is Rokas Baciuška.

Let’s take a look deeper look into these three new teams...

PHOTO CREDIT: GC Kompetition.

UNKORRUPTED

The name at first makes you wonder, why they chose the name "UNKORRUPTED". Because uncorrupted in the English dictionary means: “not subjected to corruption” or “free from moral corruption,” which has no actual link to the team. But with their aim to push the boundaries and disrupt the World RX order you could draw a parallel with the word “unkorrupted”.

UNKORRUPTED will field a pair of Renault Clio R.S. RX that have undergone massive developments in the offseason, including a new engine update from ORECA, new BOS dampers, and significant work on weight distribution. 

GC Kompetition was founded by former freeskiing Champion and motorsport athlete Guerlain Chicherit in 2017. While GCK only entered the FIA World Rallycross stage in 2018 finishing the season in 5th place in the teams’ standings. In 2019, the team expanded into two teams, the main team being GC Kompetition with Chicherit and Marklund, and another team for up and coming talent under the banner "GCK Academy" with a pair of Renault Clios.

In the compact 2020 season Guerlain will switch to the Renault Clio alongside Rokas Baciuška who had a limited World RX programme in 2019 after entering the championship with ES Motorsport, and later joining GCK as an independent entry. The 20-year-old Lithuanian claimed his best result in Loheac last year with a fourth-place finish. 

PHOTO CREDIT: GC Kompetition.

GCK Bilstein

Joining GC Kompetition in the second half of the 2018 season, Anton Marklund showed his trust in the team by committing to be a key part in the development of the Mégane R.S. RX. The Swede returned in 2019 for the full season, and crossed the line first in Norway, but was later disqualified for a technical infringement. A few rounds later, Marklund claimed GC Kompetition’s best ever result with a second-place finish at Loheac, France. 

This year Marklund will return as an independent entrant with “GCK Bilstein” with the sole focus of challenging for the Drivers’ World Title in a Renault Mégane R.S. RX.

The Mégane R.S. RX that Marklund hopes will propel him to the top of the standings has undergone additional developments on the engine and a new evolution of the Bilstein dampers for the 2020 campaign.

PHOTO CREDIT: GC Kompetition.

Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel

The Monster Energy RX Cartel took the World Rallycross stage by storm when they launched early last season with the objective of being fast on track and disruptive in the paddock. They certainly ruffled a few feathers along the way. 

While the 2019 season went all the way to the checkered flag in Cape Town, Andreas Bakkerud came out as the runner-up finishing on equal points to the World RX Champion Timmy Hansen, only to be split by the number of victories in the season which ultimately decided who would be the World Champion. 

This season, Andreas Bakkerud and Liam Doran have traded in their Audi S1 Supercars for a pair of GCK prepared Renault Mégane R.S. RX. Doran will return to machinery he knows quite well having driven the Mégane at three rounds in the 2018 World RX season. But, with their combined experience Andreas and Liam will undoubtedly be the ones to watch this season. 

We can not wait to see these three teams juke it out for victories in 2020! Bring it on! 

Written By – Junaid Samodien

KYB Team JC could be a force to be reckoned with in 2020.

Robin Larsson leads Niclas Gronholm in RallyX Nordic.
PHOTO CREDIT: JC Raceteknik.

KYB Team JC might be a new team on the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship grid, but with a proven car and three-star drivers, it might just be the team to be reckoned with in 2020. 

It’s a good week because it’s race week and the first one for the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship (World RX) season. While most of the 2020 field consists of familiar drivers (albeit in different teams and liveries), one of the most anticipated teams to take on the new season, will be that of KYB Team JC. 

Why, you might ask? 

Well, the team will see two spectacular drivers join the grid in former EKS owned Audi S1 machinery. One of the drivers being Janis Baumanis, who has always been a prominent figure on the grid and looked set to take the fight for the top position at the 2017 Cape Town RX. However, due to COVID-19 related funding problems, he will not race in the full World RX season with the team.

Mattias Ekström has been called upon to replace Baumanis for the Holjes double-header. The 2016 World RX champion came out victorious on two occasions previously and will certainly be ready to uphold the EKS name once again. 

Having raced with STARD, Baumanis has 34 World RX starts to his name since 2015 and has featured on the podium twice (Norway and Canada 2019). Yet, the Latvian is hungry for that first top-step position when he returns to racing. 

Janis Baumanis (left) and Robin Larsson (right) cars for the 2020 World RX season.
PHOTO CREDIT: JC Raceteknik.

Joining Ekstrom and Baumanis in a similar Audi S1, will be Robin Larsson, who absolutely dominated the 2019 European RX season by winning 4 out of the 5 events. Re-joining the 2020 World RX grid, the Swede already knows the Audi S1 Quattro quite well as his flamboyant and spectacular driving style certainly suits the car. The Swede even took on the Latvian RX round in 2019 in a bid to support Andreas Bakkerud and fend off the chasing Hansen brothers last year. 

Also winning the RallyX Nordic series last year, while Bakkerud and Doran showcased the power of the EKS Audi supercar, Larsson will without a doubt also be able to aid Baumanis in getting comfortable with the new car. With the sole focus of lifting the championship trophy at the end of the season, both Baumanis and Larsson might just be the fiercest new “kids” on the block. 

However, with GCK broadening out and now including Bakkerud and Doran, while GRX Taneco will undoubtedly be stronger than ever, and lastly, the Hansen's coming back from a high, the 2020 class will not be an easy task for any new team. 

Yet, both KYB Team JC and it's drivers certainly has the knowledge to take on the others. 

Larsson, Ekström, and Baumanis are aching to start and we are anxiously waiting to see what they can do! 

Written By - Franco Theron (PedalFest SA & NamWheels) & Junaid Samodien

"Our expectation for this year is to continue where we left off in 2019" - Kevin Hansen.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool.

Kevin Hansen, the reigning TitansRX and NitroRX champion firmly sets his sights on the ultimate crown in rallycross having finished third in the drivers' championship last year. 

Despite winning the season-opener in 2019, the Swede wasn't able to convert his early championship lead into success, and he ultimately believes that spinning on the joker lap at the British round was a turning point in the title fight. 

Whilst heading into the season finale in Cape Town still in contention for the World RX title, Kevin decided to support his brother in his quest to be world champion and ended the season in third place in the standings. 

Kevin Hansen (yellow) and Timmy Hansen (blue) pictured together in photoshoot.
PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool.  

Ahead of the 2020 World Rallycross season-opener in Holjes this weekend, Team Hansen RX unveiled their 2020 livery, featuring the traditional Hansen Motorsport blue, plus light blue accents for Timmy Hansen, while Kevin's Peugeot 208 will feature yellow accents to distinguish the team's two cars this season.

"I think the new livery looks amazing," Kevin Hansen said. "We've tried to make the two liveries look more similar this year, so it looks more like the cars belong to the same team. We are the reigning world champions so we need to present a united front, even more, this year. Mine especially looks really great!"

Holjes is a happy hunting ground for Kevin. The Swede came within +0.338s of winning the World RX of Sweden last year and is excited that the season will kick-off on home soil. 

"To start the season with my home race is very exciting," he said. "We're used to doubleheaders and the team is as well, so this format won't feel like a surprise. It'll be very calm with no fans but if we do well in the final, the celebrations will feel a bit empty, with no-one in the grandstands. We feel all the support from our home fans and we hope they will share their feelings and emotions about World RX's return with us on social media." 

Despite the challenges that the 22-year-old Swede faced in 2019, he is ready for action this season and expects Team Hansen RX to continue where they left off in 2019 having claimed the drivers' and teams' titles. The Swede aims to achieve his ultimate goal this season - to be World Champion. 

"Our expectation for this year is to continue where we left off in 2019. We learned a lot from being in the lead of a world championship and fighting for wins, so I don't feel nervous at all. I feel very comfortable with who I am, what I can achieve, and what I'm capable of doing, so it's just about getting to the track and fine-tuning the car, extracting everything we can from every race. Becoming a world champion is the ultimate goal."

Kevin also explains the reasoning behind switching from race number #71 to #9 in the FIA World Rallycross Championship.

"I'm switching to #9 for only one reason this year: the qualifying grid draw. #71 has not performed well in these draws for the past few years, so I felt it was time to try and change that. Hopefully now with #9, which has the best average grid position for Q1 grid draws, this will help make things a little easier for Q1" he said. "I'll always keep #71 in my heart and use that number anywhere else I race, but I need to do everything possible to optimize my performance."

Written By - Junaid Samodien

“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