PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX |
Saturday 19 September 2020
Grönholm edges Kristoffersson to take TQ.
Friday 18 September 2020
PREVIEW: The forests of Bikernieki will come alive to the sound of World RX.
After four thrilling rounds, the FIA World Rallycross Championship is back! This time around the action-packed championship heads to the Latvian capital, Riga for rounds five and six. PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media.
And, guess what? For the first time this season, spectators will be allowed to attend a World RX event, but in limited numbers though (a maximum 3000) with strict coronavirus control measures in place.
The Neste World Rallycross of Riga features two separate FIA World Rallycross Championship events, one full event – comprising three rounds of qualifying races, semi-finals, and the final – taking place each day.
WORLD RX CHAMPIONSHIP:
The start to the season was initially delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic but thus far four championships rounds have been completed across two venues; Holjes (Sweden) and Kouvola (Finland).
Returning double world champion Johan Kristoffersson has led from the front, and has established a healthy 17-point lead at the top of the championship standings, his closest rival being Mattias Ekstrom.
Ekstrom (the 2016 World Champion) has returned to the championship this year with KYB Team JC after Jānis Baumanis was hit by financial issues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Swede claimed victory at round two of the championship on home soil and has firmly cemented himself in championship contention (second-place overall).
Earlier this week, KYB Team JC announced that Ekstrom will return for the Latvian double-header alongside Robin Larsson who is currently sixth in the championship.
Finn Niclas Gronholm heads to Latvia with a good boost after winning his home round in Kouvola and currently holds third place in the drivers' standings. His teammate, Timur Timerzyanov who is currently in tenth-place, is hoping for better pace this weekend.
While reigning world champion Timmy Hansen has not had the start to the season that he had expected but hopes to take steps forward this weekend after three days of testing in Sweden. Timmy and younger brother Kevin Hansen are currently in fourth and fifth place in the standings.
Timo Scheider (ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport) claimed a third-place finish in Sweden (round 1) and is placed seventh after being in the final at three of the first four rounds. His teammate Rene Muennich has had a more difficult start to the year and is 16th after four rounds.
Andreas Bakkerud has also had a tough start to the season, but has made it to the final in rounds two and four and is eight in the standings, while his Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel teammate Liam Doran will be hoping for better fortunes in Latvia after suffering from a series of technical issues, which sees the Brit bringing up the rear in 21st place.
GCK Bilstein's Anton Marklund had a strong start to the season in Sweden, but faded away in Kouvola, claiming an 11th and 12th place finish, which sees him currently placed ninth, while the UNKORRUPTED pairing of Rokas Baciuska and Guerlain Chicherit will be aiming for stronger results in their newly developed Renault Clio R.S. RX supercars.
Jani Paasonen is back for more in his Ferratum Team’s Ford Fiesta as is Krisztian Szabo who raced in Sweden and holds 12th place in the standings with GRX SET.
Latvia star Reinis Nitiss will make his World RX return with ESmotorsport Eigesta WRX Team this weekend driving Skoda Fabia EVO WRX.
ROUND FIVE - Q1 DRAW (GRID)
THE TRACK
The World RX track is constructed within the historic race circuit that threads its way through the forest at Bikernieki. Created for the 2016 World RX in Riga – the first time the championship visited Latvia – the rallycross track is 1295m in length and consists of 60% unsealed and 40% asphalt surfaces, with a track record time of 48.485s. The track includes three jumps, two of them on the joker lap. Meanwhile, the joker and standard lap runs parallel to each other.
Turn Three: This fast, wide-radius left-hander requires pure commitment but also a bit of patience. A quick exit is crucial to avoid being overtaken on the long run to a hard braking zone at turn four but the wall on the exit has caught out several drivers in the last four years.
Turn Five: It's hard to make up time here, but it's very easy to lose it. This seemingly never-ending right-hander is one of the few gravel turns on the track and anyone who gets greedy with the throttle is likely to slide wide and leave the door open for anyone lurking behind them.
The Joker Merge: It's often elbows-out at Latvia's joker exit, which is located at the final corner of the lap. Drivers on a joker lap have the inside line for the corner, but those on the standard lap can take more speed out of the turn. That often leads to side-by-side jostling to the finish line in close races!
BROADCAST TIMES and SCHEDULE for Rounds 5 & 6 of the Neste World RX of Riga-Latvia (CET):
The livestreams for the events will be carried on the official World RX Facebook page and YouTube channel:
facebook.com/fiaworldrallycross
Schedule:
Round Five (19 September 2020)
Free Practice: Saturday 7:30 am
Q1: 9:20 am
Q2: 10:45 am
Q3: 12:10 pm
Semi-Finals and Final: 15:00 pm
Round Six (20 September 2020)
Warm-Up: 8:00 am
Q1: 8:40 am
Q2: 10:10 am
Q3: 12:10 pm
Semi-Finals and Final: 15:00 pm
Written By - Junaid Samodien
Thursday 17 September 2020
Team Hansen hope "to take a step forward" in Riga.
Team Hansen has not had the start to the season that they had hoped for after being crowned champions in 2019. However, after a 3-day test in Sweden, the team aims to take a step forward in Latvia. PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool.
The Hansen brothers have claimed two podium finishes thus far in 2020, with Kevin picking up a second-place finish in Sweden (currently fifth place in the drivers' championship), and reigning World RX champion Timmy scoring third place in finish Finland (ranked fourth in the championship). Their combined efforts have put Team Hansen only 19 points off the top of the teams’ championship with more than half the 2020 season to go.
Latvia will mark the half-way point of this year’s World RX season, as it hosts the third double-header event of the year.
During the three-week gap since the previous round at Kouvola (Finland), the Hansen's have been hard at work making refinements to their Peugeot 208 WRX Supercars, conducting a three-day test at Lidköpings Motorstadion with their two drivers.
"The start to this season has been a little bit difficult at times but overall it's still been a positive beginning," Timmy Hansen said. "We did a three-day test near the workshop to evaluate the areas we'd been struggling with so far this year, as well as developing some new things. Hopefully, that'll pay off this weekend."
"We've definitely done everything we can to take a step forward for now and although this season is tricky, with there not being much time between the races, the test went well, so I'm excited to see what happens this weekend."
Timmy Hansen returns to Riga, a venue with fond memories after claiming a third-place finish in 2016, and a victory in 2019, which was key to his championship fight.
"I won here last year which was a key point in taking the world championship, so I'm excited to be coming back to Riga and see how we fare," he said. "With this being another double-header round, we need to be sharp and on the pace from the beginning, as there's no time to make any significant changes between the rounds."
With a return to a track expected to suit the team's Peugeot 208 better than the opening four rounds, the team is hoping for a first win of the year.
"Riga is a very nice track. It has suited us very well in the past; it's more of a high-grip circuit like Loheac, Abu Dhabi and Barcelona, which is the type of circuits we're best at," Kevin Hansen said. "Johan has won here twice in the past of course but I feel that we've got a good car for this track and it should suit us more compared to the tracks we've raced on so far this year."
“We've been testing recently to make improvements in specific areas and we feel like we're arriving in Riga with fewer question marks, which should hopefully bring us a little bit more performance from the first race of the weekend. It looks like it'll be a dry, warm weekend, and it's great to have fans safely back at the track for this event.
“Riga feels a bit like a street circuit; its corners are tight and twisty, with some fast stretches in between, but more than anything you need to watch out for the walls and barriers everywhere," the Swede adds. "There are plenty of run-off areas in Höljes and Kouvola but here, it's a bit like we're competing at the Monaco of rallycross."
The purpose-built Biķernieki circuit in Latvia features the longest lap of the year in both distance and time, with a lap length of 1.295km and a track record time of 48.485s.
"Riga is a bit more like circuit racing compared to what we had in the first two rounds," says Kenneth Hansen, Team Boss. "It's a challenging track because of how different it is, with it being the longest lap of the season and also the hard jump early in the lap, which requires a delicate set-up balance between softness to cope with the landing but stiffness for grip elsewhere in the lap."
Written By - Junaid Samodien
Rytkönen to make World RX return with the Ferratum Team.
Reigning Finnish rallycross champion Juha Rytkönen will make his World RX return with the Ferratum Team at the World RX of Barcelona-Catalunya on 17-18 October. PHOTO CREDIT: ferratum Team.
Rytkönen, well known for his success in the Finnish rallycross championship made his World RX debut in Kouvola two weeks ago, and impressed right off the bat having won a heat race and a semi-final, before claiming a second-place finish behind Kristoffersson in round three of the championship.
Following on from his debut in round three, Juka won two more heat races in the Finland double-header and only failed to make the final as a result of a track limits penalty in the semi-final.
Having driven the GRX SET team's Hyundai i20 at the World RX of Finland, Juha will return to the championship with the Ferratum Team in Barcelona behind the wheel of a Ford Fiesta that Jani Paasonen has used for the first two race weekends of the 2020 season, and again this weekend in Latvia.
Rytkönen has already tested the car in Finland last week and will return to action at the World RX of Barcelona-Catalunya.
"Rallycross requires a lot of resources, both money and partners, for a layman. I really appreciate the cooperation opportunity with Ferratum. For me, it indicates that we did the right things with our team and our hard work paid off," Rytkönen said.
"I want to show my support to Ferratum by driving the best I can. I have always thought that this is what I want to do, and I want to be at the top. I did not expect the start to be this good, though."
"In the future, I want to establish my position in rallycross, and especially in the world championship level."
Whilst the team remains mum on further plans with the Finn, Motorsport.com has learnt that Juha is likely to complete the season with the Ferratum Team.
Written By - Junaid Samodien
Kouvola wins gives GRX Taneco 'good boost' ahead of Latvian double-header.
PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media. |
"I really can’t wait to race again in Riga," he said "It’s a very long, fast and technical track with big jumps and a beautiful environment. I can say that this is my favorite venue of the season and it will be great to race in front of rallycross fans."
"I had a chance to test here in the very beginning of the year with the Hyundai i20 Supercar, so I feel confident and I'm hoping for a good result."
Written By - Junaid Samodien
Wednesday 16 September 2020
20 cars set for eRX2's inaugural season in 2021.
The inaugural season of the FIA eRX2 Championship – the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship – will see up to 20 drivers racing wheel-to-wheel for the honor of being crowned the first electric rallycross champion.PHOTO CREDIT: FIA eRX2 Championship.
Preparations are well underway ahead of eRX2’s eagerly-anticipated debut next year, with the championship primed to electrify the international rallycross scene. Testing is well underway, and a full grid of 20 cars is scheduled to be built between now and the first race – setting the scene for an electrifying maiden campaign of competition.
eRX2 will join the FIA World Rallycross Championship for six events in 2021 – with the calendar to be released in due course – the cars will mark a significant step forward in both power (+24%) and torque (+14%) compared to the existing Supercar Lites car, further bridging the gap to the headlining Supercar class.
"We are delighted to be able to reveal more details about the new FIA eRX2 Championship, which has already attracted a high degree of interest. Our testing programme is yielding very positive results, and the car is showing its potential to be even quicker and more exhilarating both to drive and to watch than the existing internal combustion vehicle," Pere Gonzalez, Project Manager for the FIA eRX2 Championship, said.
"We understand that there are some misgivings – and misapprehensions – about electric rallycross, but our extensive experience and success in electro-mobility leaves us very confident that this is absolutely the way forward for the sport and that the final product will be the most dynamic, advanced and future-thinking car ever to grace a rallycross track.
"Not only that, but with drivers able to play a greater role than before in setting up and calibrating the car, even a few seconds before starting the races, the action is sure to be fast, exciting and thrillingly unpredictable – a true level playing field in which the cream will inevitably rise to the top," he adds.
In a first for rallycross – drivers will have three key parameters to play with before and between races, injecting an extra element of skill into the equation.
From inside the cockpit, competitors will be able to manually adjust the amount of torque produced by the front and rear motors, the total torque deployed by all four wheels during the launch, and the degree of regenerative braking on the front and rear axles.
On the outside, the noise will be generated by the drivetrain running at more than 12,000rpm as well as the gravel spray and tyre squeals so synonymous with rallycross..
The total cost to enter a full season of eRX2 in 2021 is between €150,000 and €160,000, which includes the provision of one mechanic per car – trained in electro-mobility by sector specialist QEV Technologies – and a comprehensive engineering service, composed of one chassis engineer and one electric engineer for every four cars.
Charging, tyres, and other consumables such as brake pads are included in the full-season cost. Hospitality will also form part of the package, as will regular educational workshops on electric technology. The cost to enter a single event is €30.000.
Earlier this month, it was announced that Henrik Krogstad will be one of the first drivers to race in the new FIA eRX2 Championship in 2021 as prize for winning the 2020 RX2 International Series.
Written By - Junaid Samodien
Ekström to continue championship charge with KYB Team JC
2016 World Champion Mattias Ekström will continue with KYB Team JC this weekend, at the Latvian double-header in Riga. PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool.
Ekström was drafted into the team just before the first rounds of the season in Höljes after Jānis Baumanis was hit by financial issues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier this week, Ekström was announced as the first driver for the new Cupra-backed Abt Extreme E team for 2021, and he will continue to race with KYB Team JC after being given permission by Cupra to race in the Latvian double-header this weekend.
"It’s been a pretty cool week for me, with the launch of the Extreme E programme with CUPRA for 2021," Ekström said. "That’s really exciting, and big thanks to ABT and CUPRA for allowing me to go to Riga for the next World RX races."
The Swede's return after a one-year hiatus has been first-class having won the second round of the championship in Höljes, and lies second in the Drivers' Championship only 17 points behind Johan Kristofferssson.
"The first four races turned out pretty fine with three podiums, so being second in the championship and to be leading the Teams’ Championship, I’m in a situation I didn’t expect," the double world champion said. "I felt a bit obliged to do my very best to go to Riga, I want to continue supporting the JC team as much as I can."
In his three previous starts in Riga, Ekström finished second in the final every time (2016,17,18) and will aim to climb onto the top step of the podium this weekend.
"We are very happy to have Mattias back in the team," said Joel Christoffersson, KYB Team JC, Team Principal. "I didn’t know if it would be possible for him to come to Latvia, but I’m thankful to CUPRA for letting us have him in the team for the event. It’s great that we can continue with the same team setup that we have had so far this year because we were very successful in the first two weekends of the season."
Whilst Joel Christoffersson has one eye on World RX Teams' Championship, he admits that KYB Team JC are aiming to close the gap to Kristoffersson in an aim to claim both World RX titles this season.
"I’m looking forward to continuing the fight for the Teams’ Championship but obviously, we are second in the Drivers’ Championship too and we are not giving up that fight in trying to do our best to close the gap up to Johan [Kristoffersson]," he said.
Written By - Junaid Samodien
Kristoffersson aims to extend championship lead in Riga.
PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool. |
"Many points are up for grabs this weekend but I hope to keep the distance", Kristoffersson said.
With two doubleheaders, the first in Sweden followed by Finland two weeks ago, it has been a very demanding start to the season for all involved due to the compressed 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship calendar as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.
"I was really exhausted coming home from Finland, but during a bike ride a couple of days later I found my way back to normal," he said.
The Swede has not had it all his own way thus far despite a dominant performance in qualifying. In Kouvola (Finland), his Volkswagen Polo suffered from a mechanical issue, which the team was able to solve ahead of the semi-finals and final.
To get ahead of the double world champion, Ekström and Grönholm had to capitalize on joker lap tactics and mistakes from the Swede to get ahead and ultimately win.
While Kristoffersson rues these missed opportunities in Sweden and Finland, he is eager to get ahead of the game with a full analysis programme ahead of the Latvian doubleheader this weekend.
"I always do a lot of analysis and this track gives you a great output if you do your job right," he said. "Lately, my office has looked like a surveillance center, with all the screens, servers, and hard drives."
"There are a lot of details in this track, with a racing character, but more technical than for example Lohéac. I look at my own performances, but also analyze my competitors. We all have different backgrounds, from rally and racing to rallycross, and every driver makes their own considerations. You have to pick the best options."
Johan has great memories from the Bikernieki circuit, where he secured his first championship title in 2017 and returned for another win in 2018.
"17th September 2017, a day to be remembered, and coming back in 2018 was a special feeling as well," he adds.
Tommy Kristoffersson, the team boss of Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS is well aware of the importance of the weekend in Latvia and has bolstered the team with more personnel from Volkswagen Motorsport in a pursuit for the much desired third crown. A good result in Riga can put Johan in a great position for the rest of the season.
"We have boosted our team with even more knowledge from Volkswagen Motorsport, the best there is, which of course also includes our own guys, who have worked tirelessly so far," Timmy Kristoffersson said. "We are ready to fight!"
Written By - Junaid Samodien
Tuesday 15 September 2020
Portugal World Rallycross round cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic.
The Portuguese round of the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship calendar has been cancelled.
Montalegre was set to host the eighth round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship on 10-11 October (2020) after a one-year hiatus but the event has now been cancelled due to ongoing concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
"In light of continued global health concerns regarding COVID-19 (Coronavirus), the current evolution of the pandemic in Portugal, the new State of Contingency enforced by the Portuguese authorities starting September 15 th, which brings new freedom of travel limitations and stricter public gathering rules, the World Rallycross of Portugal 2020, scheduled to be hosted at Montalegre International Circuit on 10-11 October, will unfortunately not take place this year," the event organizers statement said.
"The health and safety of everyone involved remain the priority as we navigate these unprecedented circumstances."
Due to the ever-changing situation surrounding the Coronavirus, the 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship calendar has undergone a number of changes, and Portugal is one of them. However, despite the cancellation of the event this year. Montalegre will return to the calendar in 2020, according to the event organizers.
"We very much look forward to welcoming the drivers, teams, and fans to the Montalegre International Circuit for this world-class event in 2021," the statement concluded.
The revised calendar will see Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona hosting the fourth doubleheader (rounds seven and eight) followed by the World RX of Benelux at Spa-Francorchamps, which was moved to November in order to allow more fans to attend followed by the season finale at the Nurburgring (Germany) in mid-December.
Written By Junaid SamodienTuesday 8 September 2020
Will Mattias Ekström return for Riga doubleheader?
PHOTO CREDIT: JC Raceteknik |
Ekström jumps Kristoffersson to win in Sweden. PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool. |
Written By - Junaid Samodien