Timur Timerzyanov: "We’ll need to be stronger for the next race"

PHOTO CREDIT: GRX Taneco Team.

The GRX Taneco team held high hopes for the Norwegian round at the Hell circuit. Timur Timerzyanov clocked the fourth-fastest time in Q1, while Niclas Grönholm settled for ninth position.

Grönholm managed to move up the standings by the end of Q2, but Timerzyanov saw his hopes of a front-row qualification for the semi-finals dashed when he stopped following a collision with Sébastien Loeb. “I had to make a quick decision going into the first turn,” said Timerzyanov. “I chose to follow the leaders and took a knock on my steering rack in a collision with Loeb. I ended up against the wall.”

Grönholm stamped his ticket for the fourth time in Q4, while Timerzyanov saw his weekend brought to an early end due to transmission failure.

“I’m really disappointed,” the Russian said. “A mechanical problem inside the gearbox prevented me from taking the start in Q4. It’s a pity because we have lost a lot of points."

Timur has improved at every round, and has made it into every semi-final to date .but it was a different story in Norway. "It’s the first time this season that I’ve missed out on the semi-finals and it’s the first time I’ve not been a finalist at Hell," said Timerzyanov. "We’ll need to be stronger for the next race. In my opinion, Sweden is the toughest track of the season.”

In the second semi-final, Grönholm got off to a poor start and had to settle in behind Timmy Hansen and Mattias Ekström on the first lap. Opting to play his joker on the sixth lap, Grönholm emerged in fourth place behind Kevin Hansen. 

“At the start of the semi, I didn’t have enough revs and stalled for half a second,” said Grönholm. “It was long enough for everyone to pass me. I did my best to qualify for the final. It was just a small mistake, but the start was disastrous. We have never been as close to the top qualifiers in terms of times. 

The GRX Taneco drivers are feeling more comfortable with their Hyundai i20 Supercars, but are unable to reap the rewards when it counts. "We are not getting our just rewards but it has made me all the more determined, and I can’t wait to get to Sweden!," says Grönholm.

After the first five rounds of the World Rallycross Championship, GRX Taneco retains its fourth place in the Team standings. Grönholm, meanwhile, lies in seventh place in the Driver rankings, ahead of Timerzyanov who is twelfth.