Kristoffersson hopes to extend championship lead "without taking big risks" in Barcelona.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX

Two-time World Champion Johan Kristoffersson heads to Barcelona with a seventeen point lead in the FIA World Rallycross Championship and aims to take no big risks with just four rounds remaining this season. 

The championship is now at a crucial stage with just four rounds to go, two of them being a double-header at Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona this weekend, and Johan aims to collect as many points as possible. 

"60 points up for grabs. My idea, as usual, is to collect as many points as possible without taking big risks," said Johan Kristoffersson.

In the hunt for a third title, Kristoffersson got off to a winning start in Sweden but has not had it all his own way. The Swede has won the opening round of each double-header, with Mattias Ekström, his championship rival often taking the win on the second day (next round). 

While Ekström is seventeen points behind the Volkswagen Dealearteam BAUHAUS driver ahead of rounds seven and eight, Niclas Grönholm isn't too far away either, only 49 points behind the championship leader.

The Swede is aware that while Mattias is his toughest opponent this season, but admits that the Hansen brothers, Niclas and Robin Larsson are just as strong. 

"Mattias is closest in the standings and will be a tough opponent, but Timmy and Kevin (Hansen) were strong in Spain last year and then there is Grönholm and Robin (Larsson) as well," he said

Johan won his last event in Barcelona, in 2018, and even though Ekström was first over the finish line, he was later penalized for an incident with Petter Solberg in the first corner. 

The launch (start) in Barcelona can be very decisive this weekend. 

"Since they moved the start forward it has become somewhat hazardous," he says.

At the last race, in Riga, there was a lot of talk about tyre strategy. Tommy Kristoffersson, the Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS team boss thinks that the tyre strategy/tactics might be less decisive this weekend.

"This track is not that demanding for the tyres, but if you are unlucky with the draw for Q1 you might have to sacrifice a set of tyres to get back into the game," he said. 

Tommy is confident ahead of Barcelona, as the team is coming into the event with a good points advantage and admits that his team has sorted a few things out on the Volkswagen Polo R Supercar.

"We don't have to chase. Since Riga, we have sorted things out on the car and found some good solutions," Tommy Kristoffersson said. 

During the break between Riga and Barcelona, while some of his rivals have been out testing other machinery or even their supercars, as they aim to close up on the championship leader. Johan made two guest appearances in the Carrera Cup Scandinavia series and picked up two podium finishes. 

While Johan Kristoffersson has been fairly dominant on the opening round of a double-header weekend, the question remains: Can secure a double win? We will surely find out this weekend!

Written By - Junaid Samodien