Neuville and Hansen to lead new team at RallyX Nordic.

PHOTO CREDIT: Hansen Motorsport 

Reigning FIA World Rallycross champion Timmy Hansen and World Rally Championship star Thierry Neuville will lead Hansen Motorsport's new CrossCar team "LifeLive Nordic" at the upcoming RallyX Nordic 'All-Star Magic Weekend' in Höljes on July 2-5.

Neuville will make his international rallycross debut at the RallyX Nordic 'All-Star Magic Weekend', the first major rallycross event since the COVID-19 outbreak, and it also marks Timmy's first competitive racing miles this year, as the opening round of the World RX season has been postponed until August.

"I’m very excited to get this 2020 race season started, finally!," Hansen said. "It’s the first proper race of the year after loads of esports races. I can’t wait to do the real thing again. It’s not in a Supercar this time, but that sensation of the g-forces, the jumps, and just driving Holjes in itself is magic. It is the Magic Weekend, and for many different reasons."

LifeLive Nordic TN5 CrossCar.
PHOTO CREDIT: Hansen Motorsport

"I’m happy that we’ll do not only one race but two races, so that means loads of starts, loads of laps to get that race feeling back in the body, finally to prepare for coming back to Höljes for the world championship in August."

Both Hansen and Neuville will race under the LifeLive Nordic banner, a new partnership between Hansen Motorsport and Belgian CrossCar manufacturer LifeLive, one of five brands authorised to build FIA-approved CrossCars.

“It’s also a great opportunity to get our TN5 into Nordic competition," Neuville said. "It’s a big premiere for us. We are very aware that it’ll be a huge challenge for our team and for LiveLive Nordic, to brings the cars there, and especially to make the cars quick. We’re coming to get the product over there, to get a first impression about its speed, the improvements that need to be made and the development that needs to continue."

"I want to show that we’ve made improvements. It’s a very special market: usually everyone is running with the same brand of car, and we would like to change that in the future," the Belgian adds. "That’s why we have to come over and get mileage on special tracks like Höljes, which is probably one of the best rallycross tracks in the world."

CrossCars is an affordable entry-level category for off-road racing, which Hansen Motorsport already has experience with through its #YellowSquad junior team.

"Being in the CrossCar category will be very tough. I’ve followed it closely, especially through #YellowSquad last year, and I know the level is very high," the Swede said. "The young guys are extremely fast and experienced in that category, so I have to stay very focused, as I do with any other race that I do, including the world championship, super focused on my performance and trying to get everything right in the race."

The Höljes track is an undisputed icon of rallycross, featuring a mix of almost everything. The first section of the track is quite technical due to it's twisty nature, while the second half is a sprint to the finish line. 

There isn't a single corner on the track that won't bring action and overtaking. 

"I’m very pleased to race on this famous rallycross track, and be part of the race weekend as well. I was able to follow it last year already and it was really interesting, so I’m really looking forward to taking part in it," Neuville said.