Marklund impresses in Holjes with GCK Bilstein.

PHOTO CREDIT: Eric Fabre/GC Kompetition.

Anton Marklund put down a fantastic performance at the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship doubleheader in Holjes, leading GCK Bilstein to fifth overall in the drivers' standings.

The season kicked off at the world-famous rallycross track in Holjes, Sweden. The home ground of 27-year-old Marklund who showed off the competitive pace of the GCK Megane R.S. RX by winning all three of his qualifying races. 

In the semi-final, the Swede fought his way to fourth-place only to be promoted to the final due to a post-race penalty. Following a torrential downpour ahead of the final, the Swede raced his way to third. However, he was handed a post-race time penalty and dropped to 5th overall. 

On Sunday (round 2), Marklund had the opportunity to redeem himself after coming short of a podium finish in round one. Q1 didn't go according to plan, seeing Anton finish in 12th overall with a rear puncture, but fought back with a fourth and seventh-place finish in Q2 and Q3. 

Marklund started on the second row of the semi-final, which provided to be a heated affair. A decision to joker on the 2nd lap and some engine issues proved costly for Anton, but it didn't end there. In a battle for the final spot in the final, Timmy Hansen, Marklund, and Timur Timerzyanov were bumping and barging each other in an attempt to try and get the upper hand on a slow Andreas Bakkerud, which meant the Swede would finish round 2 of the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship in 7th overall.

"I’m really really happy with the weekend overall because the work that GCK and Bilstein have put in over the weekend is really paying off. We can see the pace is very good, all the way from Free Practice 2 to the very ends, so I’m really proud of all the work they’ve done," Marklund said.

"Unfortunately, we missed out on the final - the first two corners weren’t great and we lost some time, plus some engine issues had us running low on power, and then of course carnage ensued."

"The Megane is certainly carrying its battle scars today but I cannot wait to go to Finland. The pace we’ve shown this entire weekend, especially on the loose surface, is really competitive and Finland should have pretty slippery surface also, so I can’t wait to show you what we can do there."

Written By - Junaid Samodien

"We expected to have slightly better pace" in Holjes - Kenneth Hansen.

PHOTO CREDIT: Jaanus Ree/Red Bull.

Team Hansen did not have the easiest of starts when the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship season finally got underway in Sweden, with Kevin Hansen leading the team's charge in fourth and reigning champion Timmy Hansen finishing eighth in the drivers' standings after two rounds.  

The reigning champions' hopes were high for a strong result during the return of World RX after an extended break. And while there were signs of strong pace at times, the team's key focus is to find improvements ahead of the third round of the championship this weekend in Finland.

Ultimately circumstances conspired against either reigning world champion Timmy Hansen and his younger brother, Kevin Hansen, from scoring a top result in round 1 on Saturday. Both drivers faced a similar fate at turn two, as Kevin was pushed wide into the joker lap in his semi-final and Timmy spun around in the final.

After overnight fine-tuning for the second round of the season in Holjes, Kevin got off to a much better start compared to his brother who started on the outside in Q1 and ultimately got caught in traffic. Whilst Kevin was consistently in the top five throughout the three qualifying sessions, Timmy worked his way out of the dropzone to ninth place, to qualify for the semi-finals.

Kevin Hansen had a much smoother run in the semi-final compared to his brother who got pushed wide by Andreas Bakkerud on lap one and took the joker lap. Whilst Marklund jokered to cover off Hansen. The GCK Bilstein driver emerged alongside Timmy and the two fought for track position with Hansen coming out on top. Timmy later recovered to fourth-place but after colliding with Andreas Bakkerud and Timur Timerzyanov in an attempt to get the final spot in the final, he was disqualified from the semi-final.

In the thrilling final, Kevin took the joker lap right behind Mattias Ekstrom on lap one in an attempt to jump traffic. A lap later, Robin Larsson, Timo Scheider, and Andreas Bakkerud took the joker lap. With a hard push, Kevin was able to jump Scheider and Bakkerud but emerged from the joker lap on par with Robin Larsson and the two fought all the way around the lap. On lap 5, Larsson ran into some trouble, and in a bold move around the outside of the KYB Team JC driver exiting the velodrome, Kevin took third place, which became second when Johan Kristoffersson was given a five-second penalty for a track marker infringement.

14-time European Rallycross Champion and team boss, Kenneth Hansen believes that despite struggling in some conditions on Saturday (season-opener) and encountering some unexpected issues, the team figured out the issues and were better prepared for the second round on Sunday. 

"I think we adapted very well. Kevin got into a good rhythm and his pace was very stable, pushing really hard. We weren't completely on the pace today (Sunday) but once we make some small adjustments, we'll be there," Kenneth Hansen said. "We continued to learn the upgrades we'd developed and tested; we didn't quite get that right [on Saturday] but today (Sunday) we started going in the right direction."

"I'm quite sure Timmy will be back at the front next weekend, especially as he struggled a bit with having to start on the outside for every race today, which isn't easy."

"We expected to have slightly better pace from the start but we've seen some small things in the car which changed its behaviour quite a lot. We also know that while Höljes is a home track for our team, it's also traditionally been quite a difficult one for us over the years."

The next stop in the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship is Kouvola, Finland. A track that last featured on the World RX calendar in 2014, and an unknown for the teams and drivers, which poses a unique challenge. 

"It will be very interesting to try this car in Finland, to see how well it works around Kouvola, how much speed we can gain there, and how close we can be to the Volkswagen and Audis, with the hope that we'll really give them a fight next week," Kenneth said.

Written By - Junaid Samodien

GRX Taneco face challenging weekend in Holjes.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media

The highly anticipated 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship finally got underway in Höljes-Sweden over the weekend. An event that was 8 months in the making after a delay due to the Coronavirus pandemic. 

After a strong 2019 campaign, GRX Taneco were the team to beat on paper, but the season opener(s) in Sweden proved to be a real challenge for the GRX Taneco drivers Niclas Grönholm, Timur Timerzyanov, and Krisztián Szabó (GRX SET).

The first round at Höljes proved to be a real challenge for every team and driver in the paddock with weather conditions constantly changing. Grönholm progressed to the finals, whilst teammate Timerzyanov failed to make the cut. Krisztián Szabó in his GRX SET Hyundai also failed to get beyond the semi-finals. 

Just ahead of the final, the heavens opened above the Höljes track, which meant that team mechanics were rushing to make the neccessary tyre and set-up changes. Unfortunately, the GRX were unable to change the set-up on Grönholm's car. 

The Finn stalled at the start of the final, meaning he was unable to reach the podium and would finish in fourth-place on the day. 

As wished by most of the Championship drivers, Sunday at Höljes stayed dry and partly cloudly, making the racing conditions stable and equal for everyone. Unfortunately, the weather conditions didn’t bring any luck to the GRX Taneco drivers.

Throughout the three Qualifying heats and the Semi-final, Niclas was stuck in traffic and unable to show his true pace.

“We just couldn’t get the starts right, even though I had a decent reaction time and that impacted the overall result on track," Grönholm said. "It’s not clear yet, why it was like this, but we have just a few days to sort it out before the next round."

"Above all that we were just unlucky at times. We have made a step forward with the car overnight and it feels much better than yesterday, but there are still some things I would like to work on."

"Next week we will race in Finland and I want to perform there, as that will be my home race," he adds.

Timur Timerzyanov had decent pace in the first two Qualifying sessions, but struggled to climb up the standings and set eighth fastest time in both sessions. In Q3, the Russian suffered a driveshaft issue and finished last. Despite that, he was able to secure a spot in the Semi-final, where he was fighting for the place in the Final, but was not able to make it and finished in P4.

"The Semi-final was one of the most action-packed in my career with door-to-door racing and “elbows out” attitude. Unfortunately, it was not enough and I was still unable to make it to the Final," he said. 

"I am happy that finally this season has started, but obviously, we also have some things that we need to analyze and improve for the oncoming race at Kouvola – a track that has been out of the Championship for several years."

Racing under the banner GRX SET, Krisztián Szabó steadily improved from Q1 to Q3  finishing in P10, P7, and P6 that allowed him to score the highest intermediate result amongst the Hyundai drivers. 

The Hungarian shared the semi-final with Timerzyanov and crossed the finish line ahead of him, but was served a 5-second penalty for breaching the track limits, he dropped to fifth-place.

"I feel very satisfied with my weekend at Holjes," Szabó said. "I did my best to adapt to the car, I was able to keep a steady pace and fight for positions. For sure a Final would have been nice, but I take it step by step, I learn from Timur and Niclas and the experienced team around me."

Whlie FIA World Rallycross Championship heads to Finland for round 3 and 4 of the season, GRX Taneco have confirmed that Szabó will return for the third doubleheader in Riga, Latvia in September.

Written By - Junaid Samodien

"I’m really proud of our performance" - Andreas Bakkerud.

PHOTO: FIA World RX Media

The second round of the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship, saw Andreas Bakkerud put down an impressive performance as he led the Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel into the final, only missing out on a podium spot due to a technical issue following contact in the earlier semi-final.

The Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel driver faced a number of setbacks in the opening round of the season on Saturday. It was no different for his teammate Liam Doran, who had a number of issues - prop shaft failure and driveshaft issues. 

It did not get any better on Sunday for the British Bomb who struggled with more technical gremlins as both prop shafts and the drive shaft broke leaving him without any gears or control and forced him to retire after Q3. 

Whilst Doran's weekend was plagued by issues, Bakkerud had a much better Sunday ranked third overall in the intermediate rankings after three qualifying heats. 

Despite damage in the semi-finals after contact with Timmy Hansen, Andreas showed his incredible driving skills defending and hanging onto P3 after coming under immense pressure from Hansen, Timur Timerzyanov, and Krisztian Szabo to progress to the final. 

Despite the team working hard to turn the Megane around in time for the final, the car’s broken driveshaft made a comeback in lap 2 of the final which meant Bakkerud had no chance to fight for a podium spot in Sweden, and ultimately finishing in sixth place.

"I’m really proud of our performance today," Bakkerud said. "We made massive steps and I can see where we’ll be able to go with the GCK Megane R.S. RX."

"I now hold the record for the only person having raced their way to the final in 5 different cars, so that’s not too bad either. I know we’re just a step or two away from the podium, so bring on Finland - I’m ready."

 Written By - Junaid Samodien

"You couldn't ask for more" as Kristoffersson walks away as Championship leader.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media. 

Johan Kristoffersson made an impressive return to the FIA World Rallycross Championship in Höljes-Sweden after a one-year hiatus from the championship. 

The double World Champion won the season-opening round in wet conditions by 4.201 seconds from Mattias Ekstrom. 

On Sunday morning Johan went on to win Q1 in the second part of the double-header. Whilst Mattias Ekström challenged hard and won the second qualifying session, but Johan restored his advantage in Q3 and finished as the top qualifier for the second time in two days.

In the semi-finals, Kristoffersson had a smooth run to the checkered flag after a great launch off the line.

"The launches were generally very good, both on dry and wet," Kristoffersson said.

In the final, the Swede had an average launch with Robin Larsson getting marginally ahead into turn one, but due to a tight left and right Kristoffersson was able to keep ahead and from there tactics came into play.

"I lost some time there but managed to take the lead", the 31-year-old Swede said.

With an early joker lap strategy and clean air, Ekstrom was able to close the gap to Kristoffersson. The pair were split by 2.174 seconds on the final lap, with Johan throwing caution to the wind and attacking the joker lap hitting two-track markers in the process earning him an automatic five-second time penalty.

Whilst Ekstrom emerged a few tenths ahead of Kristoffersson. The Swede went on the attack in an attempt to get past at the velodrome section, and the last corner but finished 0.194 seconds behind his rival and later dropped to third after the time penalty was applied. 

"I gave it all I had, but if you take the fight you have to be prepared to lose sometimes," he adds.

The double World Champion walks away from the Höljes doubleheader leading the championship by 2 points. 

"You couldn't ask for more. This was a really challenging weekend," Kristoffersson said. "Great fun to be back! And an incredibly good start to the season."

From Höljes it's straight off to Kouvola in Finland for the next doubleheader this weekend.

"We'll stay in the competition bubble now. On Tuesday we're on the ferry. Six days from now we have to be ready again."

Written By - Junaid Samodien

Mattias Ekström to continue World RX comeback in Finland.

PHOTO CREDIT: JC Raceteknik.

2016 World Champion Mattias Ekström will remain with KYB Team JC for the second double-header of the FIA World Rallycross Championship in Finland this weekend. 

Having retired from driving full-time at the end of the 2018 season, it became clear that Ekström has a renewed taste for rallycross after claiming his first rallycross win since 2017 in Sweden.  

The third and fourth rounds of the World RX will be held at Kouvola in Finland in the second double-header of the season in the space of eight days. 

In the first two rounds of the season, Ekström took a win and a second-place, and is currently second in the championship, two points off the lead and just ahead of teammate Robin Larsson. 

The Swede admitted that a full-time drive is unlikely as the condensed 2020 World RX season clashes with his other commitments, but hinted that "Finland, would be nice." 

Mattias Ekström will continue to partner Robin Larsson at KYB Team JC in Finland.

"It’s exciting to drive with KYB Team JC again in Finland. I've never been there and raced before, so I do not know what to expect from the track," Ekström said. "But, I look forward to another fantastic weekend with the team and go there with the same attitude as to Holjes - to do my best together with a good team."

Now that Ekström will continue his World RX comeback at the Kouvola circuit, having only initially planned to race at Holjes. KYB Team JC's goal is to continue picking up points in both the Drivers' and Teams’ World Championships this weekend.

"The idea from the beginning was that Mattias' entry would only be a one-off for Holjes, but now we have the opportunity to continue the cooperation in Finland too," Joel Christoffersson, KYB Team JC, Team Principal, said. "Mattias is very important in KYB Team JC, so getting him to race in the next two rounds feels really nice, both for Robin's sake and the whole team."

"We go to Finland with a victory and a second place in the bag, and a nice lead in the Teams’ Championship. We’ve all got the taste for that now, and the goal is to continue fighting for points in both the Teams’ and Drivers’ Championships."

Written By - Junaid Samodien

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