Bakkerud crowned Euro RX Champion on 30th birthday.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media

Andreas Bakkerud was crowned FIA European Rallycross Champion for the third time in his career at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday.  

At first, the 29-year-old looked destined to miss the 2021 season after struggling to put the budget together, but with all the pieces of th puzzle falling into place. Andreas was able to ink an 11th-hour deal to join the grid in the Euro RX1 category with ESMotorsport.

Having clinched a podium finish at round one in Sweden. There were signs that Bakkerud had the potential to fight for victories, if not the title, but the question remained: Would he return for the full season? Well! As the weeks progressed it became fairly clear that he would return for a few more events, which in the end resulted in him completing the full season. 

With one podium finish under his belt, Andreas found himself in championship contention with one round remaining. The scene was set... the title would be decided at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuits. 

The ESmotorsport driver claimed the top qualifiers spots and won his respective semi-final setting the scene for a thrilling finale in the Ardennes. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

A lights-to-flag victory cemented a hugely popular title triumph for Bakkerud, as Pailler followed him home to seal the runner-up spot with Jānis Baumanis in the second ESmotorsport Škoda Fabia completing the top three in both the event and the championship standings.

"This is absolutely crazy!" Andreas Bakkerud said. "I owe ESmotorsport a big ‘thank you’ for giving me the opportunity to compete in Euro RX1 this year – it really didn’t look like that would be happening before the start of the season. Everybody in the team has done such a great job. I’m very proud of them all, and there’s more to come."

"Hopefully, we have an even brighter future together."

Bakkerud to make EuroRX return at Lohéac.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Championship

Fresh off the back of a third-place finish in the FIA European Rallycross Championship curtain-raiser at Höljes just over a week ago, Andreas Bakkerud returns with ESMotorsport at the Bretagne World RX of Lohéac this weekend. 

The Norwegian is eager to build on the momentum from round one, this weekend at Lohéac – a scene of two prior podium finishes at World Championship level and Euro RX victories in 2012 and 2013.

Bakkerud will replace Aleš Fučík at the ESMotorsport for the French round. 

"I’m stoked to be back in Euro RX1 again for Lohéac!" Bakkerud said. "It was awesome to return to racing at Höljes. I don’t like things being so last-minute like that, but I would always rather be a last-minute entry than staying at home on my sofa watching on the TV – that was a horrible feeling during the Barcelona weekend."

"I’m so thankful to ESMotorsport and all of my partners for making that happen – and now for Lohéac and Riga too. And in any case, my sofa is sold now so I guess I can’t stay home anymore...

"We took some big steps forward before the final in Sweden, and I think that showed with third place and fastest lap, which is really encouraging going forward – and we certainly need to be absolutely on top of our game, because the level in Euro RX1 this year is extremely high," he adds.

"I’ve raced against Thomas Bryntesson since back in our karting days, and he is one of the best drivers I’ve ever known. Unfortunately, he’s never had the budget to compete in the World Championship, but he’s definitely got the pace to do so. The same can be said for the Dubourgs – the effort DA Racing puts in and the professionalism of that team is really impressive. Then there are the Pailler brothers – every time I jump into esports to do some laps, they’re always there getting some extra practice in!"

The 2019 Vice-Champion has also confirmed his interest in participating in the World Championship with ESMotorsport in Portugal later this year. 

"From my experience of working with them so far, ESMotorsport is similarly a top team and one with great potential for the future," he said. "With that in mind, I’m keen to test the Škoda against the World Championship guys at some stage this season as well – maybe Portugal could be a possibility – but first, let’s focus on Lohéac."

ESMotorsport Team Manager Robertas Maneikis is delighted to have extended the relationship with Andreas Bakkerud after achieving the teams' first podium in Euro RX1. 

"The whole team has been lifted by Andreas’ result, but we are well aware that it will not be easy moving forward and we still keep finding small details on the car to improve its pace," Maneikis said. "We hope that we can complete the whole Euro RX1 season with Andreas to find even more synergy with the team for a bigger future next year."

Baumanis teams up with ESMotorsport in quest for second rallycross crown.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media

Former Euro RX Super1600 champion Jānis Baumanis to make rallycross return in the Euro RX1 series at Höljes next weekend, after joining forces with ESMotorsport to drive the team's Škoda Fabia.

Baumanis has been a familiar name on the international rallycross scene since 2014, when he contested the FIA European Rallycross Championship’s Super1600 category, claiming three wins in a SET Promotion Renault Twingo on his way to third in the championship.

The following year, he added two more victories and the Super1600 title, while simultaneously making his debut at Supercar level in Norway, in a Peugeot 208 running under the Hansen Talent Development banner – impressively reaching the podium at the first time of asking.

Additional World Championship outings the same season were highlighted by a fourth-place finish in the last round in Argentina, behind the wheel of a World RX Team Austria Ford Fiesta.

The Latvian remained with the squad in 2016, regularly progressing through to the semi-final stage and advancing to his second career final in Barcelona en route to a top ten championship ranking. He continued to score consistently over the subsequent two campaigns with STARD, before breaking through in 2019 as he ascended the podium in both Norway and Canada – going on to clinch the sixth spot in the end-of-season standings.

Following a year’s absence – as a result of budgetary issues. The Latvian finally returns to rallycross after making a one-off appearance in Projekt Eon's home soil last September. 

But you can't keep a quick racer away too long, as Baumanis returns in just a week’s time in place of Ramunas Capkauskas, and he has immediately set his expectations high.

"I’m very happy to be back on the grid," Baumanis said. "It’s been a while since I last competed in a rallycross event and it will be nice to see some old faces again and catch up with good friends. I’ve been in the World RX family since the beginning back in 2014, so last year felt very odd for me."

"It’s brilliant to be starting the season at Höljes because racing there is always special. Normally there are around 50,000 spectators cheering us on and the emotion they generate is amazing, and whilst numbers are limited this year, there will still be great competition in Euro RX1, which looks stronger than ever with a lot of very good names in the field, some of whom have shown their speed in the World Championship too.

The other circuits coming up are also amongst the best rallycross tracks in the world and I’ve scored quite good results at all of them in the past. My goal is to reach at least the final in every event and to fight for the title. That clearly won’t be easy, but I will do everything in my power and I know ESMotorsport will give me the tools to do the job."

Robertas Maneikis, Team Manager of ESMotorsport admits that he is looking forward to working with Baumanis for a long team, as they focus on the switch to electric power in 2022.

“Not only will we do our best to compete at the top level with our fellow competitors in Euro RX1 this season, but Jānis is the driver we expect to be working with longer-term. He has considerable experience of electric technology from driving the Projekt E car, and he brings feedback that will be essential to our development plans for next year’s transition into RX1e," he said

PREVIEW: The forests of Bikernieki will come alive to the sound of World RX.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media. 

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.  

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

youtube.com/RallycrossRXTV

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