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| PHOTO CREDIT: Junaid Samodien. |
The unfazed Swede arrived in Cape Town on Thursday evening ahead of the season finale. Upon arrival at the Killarney International Racing on Friday morning, he discovered that the teams equipment and cars had not arrived yet.
A cargo ship transporting the Polo R Supercars were two days late docking due to bad weather at the Cape Town harbor. But, in a dramatic race against time, the team got the cars prepared for the first qualifying session.
Kristoffersson joked on Friday in the press conference that if his car does not arrive, he will race the electric golf kart: "Our biggest struggles at the moment is not let the golf kart be underweight."
Johan did not have it easy in the first qualifying heat and finished 16th overall after suspected turbo failure. But would the Swede allow turbo failure to stop him claiming the top qualifiers spot? The answer is simple.... NO! He came back firing and claimed victory in Q2 and moved up to sixth overnight.
Heading into the final day of racing, Kristoffersson held nothing back and claimed wins in Q3 and Q4, which then put him on level pegging with Sébastien Loeb. The Swede claimed his eighth top qualifier spot after a count back.
The unbelievable Swede sailed to victory in semi-final 1 by 1.909s to Team Peugeot Total's Timmy Hansen. Johan would start on pole position for the final.
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| Kristoffersson celebrates victory in Cape Town. PHOTO CREDIT: Junaid Samodien. |
“What can I say? Winning is what we are here for, but this win really means a lot – and I know I said that every time I won a race, but it’s really true!," says Kristoffersson. "When you come to the last race of the season, it’s really important to go to the winter with a win. We all know you’re only as good as your last result, so to start round one in 2019 off the back of this is nice."
Johan Kristoffersson joined PSRX Volkswagen Sweden in 2017. He claimed seven wins and the 2017 FIA World Rallycross Championship in his maiden season with the team, but it did not end there, the Swede returned in 2018 and successfully defended his crown.
“This team is so special," the Swede says. "Everything I have achieved this year has come because of the hard work all of the guys, everybody has put in – all the team in Torsby; everybody in Volkswagen Motorsport in Hannover and, of course, with the great support from Volkswagen Sweden."
"Talking now, I actually feel really quite emotional – the title has sunk in a little bit and this win is such a nice way to end a fantastic, fantastic season."
The Swede was deprived of a clean sweep of victories by Team Peugeot Total's Sébastien Loeb who claimed victory in Belgium.
“Winning 11 from 12 is really nice – makes me a little bit frustrated about [World RX of] Belgium where [Sébastien] Loeb won – but that 100 per cent record gives us something to work towards next year! I’m just joking…" says Kristoffersson.
The Swede has been in incredible form this season, and his teammate Petter Solberg came close to victory in America, but a slight mistake cost the Norwegian, and Johan slipped through to claim victory.
And, if you did not know.... Johan Kristoffersson also claimed the 2018 Scandinavian Touring Car Championship this year. Yes, his a double champion in 2018!
With victory in Cape Town, Johan equaled Sebastian Vettel's [Formula 1] record of nine wins in a nine races set back in 2013.
"To make nine wins in nine races is also something special for me; I remember watching Sebastian Vettel winning the last nine races of the 2013 [Formula 1] season and just thinking how incredible that feeling must be, to have so much success in one season," the Swede said. “And now I did that. Unbelievable."
"I will never forget this season, it’s such a special one.”
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