The FIA World Rallycross Championship’s (World RX) first-ever visit to Finland delivered high drama, heartbreak, and a second victory for Ole Christian Veiby, who narrowly edged out his team-mate and reigning champion Johan Kristoffersson in a chaotic final at the all-new KymiRing. What began as a textbook performance from Kristoffersson on Saturday turned into a thriller on Sunday, where unpredictable weather, bold tyre strategies, and raw speed shook up the leaderboard.
PHOTO CREDIT: Kristoffersson Motorsport
From the opening laps of Qualifying on Saturday, Kristoffersson made clear why he's the benchmark in World RX. Metronomic in his pace and flawless in execution, the Swede delivered nearly identical lap times in his KMS Volkswagen Polo RX1e across both Q1 and Q2, showcasing the clinical precision that has brought him seven world titles. But home hero Niclas Grönholm wasn’t about to let him walk away with it. Firing off the line in Q1, the Finn snatched the early lead to the delight of his home town fans who packed Finnish hillsides, only for Kristoffersson to claw back the advantage with a perfectly timed early joker and overtake just after the merge to win by half a second.
Their battle intensified in Q2 when Veiby added to the drama, forcing a squeeze into Turn 1 that tagged Grönholm and opened the door for Kristoffersson to strike again. Despite fierce pressure, Grönholm had to settle for second place once more — both in the heat and overall standings. Kevin Hansen, meanwhile, had a mixed day. After being boxed in during Q1 following contact, he bounced back in Q2, executing a perfect joker strategy to win the heat and end the day third overall. Veiby, who had started strong by winning his opening heat, saw his momentum interrupted by more contact in Q2 but still finished in fourth-place.
One of the biggest crowd-pleasers was Juha Rytkönen, the only driver in the field racing a sustainably-fuelled, ICE-powered Hyundai i20. The Suonenjoki native delighted the home crowd with daring moves — diving around the outside at Turn 1 and going wheel-to-wheel with Veiby to finish his day in fifth overall. Behind him, both Timmy Hansen and Klara Andersson struggled to find rhythm on the challenging, undulating circuit, finishing sixth and seventh respectively, though both showed glimpses of potential heading into Sunday’s decisive heats.
By Sunday morning, Veiby had powered his way to victory in Heat 3, climbing into the top three of the intermediate standings behind Kristoffersson and Grönholm. Rytkönen, Kevin Hansen, and Timmy Hansen also advanced to the final, setting up a six-car showdown with massive championship implications. Intermittent rain throughout the day added another layer o complexity, with tyre strategy becoming a make-or-break factor.
At the start of the final, it was Grönholm who launched best from the outside of the front row, determined to strike back and reduce the gap to Kristoffersson in the championship standings. But heartbreak followed almost immediately. Contact into Turn 2 — involving Timmy Hansen and Rytkönen — sent the Finnish fan-favourite spinning out of contention before the first lap was complete. Rytkönen, having started from the back, emerged in the lead in stunning fashion, with Veiby close behind and Kristoffersson shuffled to fifth behind the Hansen brothers’.
Niclas Gronholm leads the final before it all goes wrong.
PHOTO CREDIT: CE Dealerteam.
Timmy Hansen soon began to slow, his Peugeot 208 WRX visibly crabbing around the track. As he struggled, Kristoffersson picked his moment, diving past on lap two and quickly closing in on the leading duo. The battle mirrored the epic duel between Kristoffersson and Rytkönen in Turkey the previous season, but this time, the Norwegian had played his cards better. Veiby had already jokered and sat just 2.5 seconds off the lead in clean air. On lap three, Rytkönen took his joker, managing to rejoin ahead of the Hansen brother, but releasing Kristoffersson to build a gap before taking his own joker on the final lap.
It wasn’t enough though, as Kristoffersson emerged from the joker just behind his team-mate, who had matched his pace to perfection and crossed the line three-tenths of a second ahead — claiming his second career victory in World RX. Both KMS cars picked up punctures near the end, but such was their advantage that nothing could threaten their one-two finish.
“Getting another win feels fantastic,” said Veiby. “The final was wild — I had to fight through after being pushed wide early, but the joker strategy gave me clean air and I stayed close. When Johan jokered, I managed to come out just in front. That 1-2 is big for the team and big for the title race.”
While the top step eluded Kristoffersson this time, second place proved more than enough to extend his lead in the championship. He now holds a 15-point advantage over the luckless Grönholm heading into the Istanbul Park double-header finale. Veiby’s win elevated him to third in the standings, overtaking Timmy Hansen and putting him just four points off second place.
Kristoffersson was reflective but upbeat. “I had too much wheel spin at the start, and from there I got caught in traffic. Ole drove really well today. The cars have been running like clockwork all weekend, and we picked the right tyre strategy. I’m happy with how we’re positioned for the finale.”
Kevin Hansen, who was promoted to the podium after Rytkönen’s penalty, added: “Finally some silverware for me this season. A shame that it came about from a penalty for Juha [Rytkönen] but after what we’ve been through we can’t help but feel great about a podium. The team really deserve it after such a rollercoaster of a week. A massive thank you to the CE Dealer Team and Volvo Construction Equipment. Without them we wouldn’t have been here fighting for a podium in the first place and we really appreciate their support.”
As the dust settles in Finland, the championship momentum now heads towards Istanbul Park on 20-21 September. Kristoffersson may be in control, but with Veiby on form and Grönholm still hungry, the final double-header promises a spectacular showdown to close the 2025 World RX season.
NOTE: Thank You to CE Dealer Team, Volvo Construction Equipment and the PWR Group, for setting aside their rivalry to help Hansen Motorsport take the grid in Finland.
