Showing posts with label Spa-Francorchamps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spa-Francorchamps. Show all posts

Monday 10 October 2022

Kristoffersson on verge of fifth title after victory at Spa-Francorchamps.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool
Calm and calculated Kristoffersson has clinched a sixth victory of the season at the Benelux World RX of Spa-Francorchamps yesterday, and has taken a significant step towards a fifth championship.  

After maintaining his unblemished SuperPole record by a tenth-of-a-second from nearest challenger Timmy Hansen, Kristoffersson picked up a puncture in the first heat race. With smoke pouring off his right-rear tyre, the damage got progressively worse as the Swede wrestled his Polo RX1e around the circuit, with the tyre letting go completely on the last lap and ripping the right-rear car door off in the process. And after a stellar repair job by the Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS crew, Johan came out on top after a battle with Niclas Grönholm in heat two – which included a thrilling pass in the banked gravel corner – before winning his progression race.

The four-time World Champion subsequently fended off countryman Kevin Hansen in the second semi-final to secure pole position for the all-important final – and following a textbook launch, he was thereafter never headed, racing clear of his pursuers to take the chequered flag by 3.995 seconds. The result has extended his advantage at the top of the title standings to 41 points with only two race weekends remaining – a fact not lost on the four-time world champion.

"You need to be in the right place at the right time, and thankfully, we were," he said. "The team is delivering a perfect car every time we go out and we worked hard on our starts today, because they weren’t the best yesterday. That paid off in the final, and thankfully there was no squeeze into Turn One because the wall there is pretty unforgiving.

"From there, I saw there was some fighting going on behind and once I had established a gap, I could just cruise to the finish while taking care not to get any more punctures. It was a very good race."

"Big thanks to the team for making this possible. It's been hard work. Sometimes we have returned to the paddock almost with only the steering wheel in our hands," he added.

The Construction Equipment Dealer Team has continued to show progress, as Niclas Grönholm claimed second place behind Kristoffersson, but it was noticeable the PWR RX1e machines had stellar starts throughout the weekend.

”It was a tough day, but everything went well from the semi-final and onwards," Grönholm said. "I had good launch, and some great fights in the final. Yesterday we had the pace to challenge for the win, and it was a bummer that I made a mistake in turn one. From there on, it was hard to do anything. Today I played it smart in the first corner and was able to come out in second. Pace-wise, this was the best weekend so far. This is good to build on for the future."

Buoyed by his breakthrough podium finish  on Saturday, Gustav Bergström rebounded from a broken driveshaft in heat one to pull off a gutsy overtaking move on Grönholm in the final, and while he ultimately didn’t have quite enough pace to keep the Finn behind, he nonetheless impressed with another third-place finish.

"Of course I was keen on second spot as well, but I must be satisified with another podium finish," the Kristoffersson Motorsport driver said.

Kevin Hansen wound up fourth after sliding wide in the last corner – finding himself inadvertently clipped by Grönholm in the process – with Ole Christian Veiby classified fifth, he  failed to reach the checkered flag due to coming off worst in a first corner crunch with Bergström and Hansen in turn one that broke his Volkswagen’s steering.

Once more, 2019 world champion Timmy Hansen looked set to take the fight to Kristoffersson, but yet again luck was not on he's side, as he's Peugeot 208 took a knock on the rear in the semi-final which caused the Swede to miss out on a place in the final. 

CE Dealer Team's Klara Andersson was impressive yet again - pulling off some incredible starts, but unfortunately, she too failed to reach the final, whilst All-Inkl Munnich Motorsport's Rene Munnich couldn't quite keep the pace of the cars ahead and finished at the tail end of the field in the Ardennes.

The next stop on the 2022 calendar will be World RX of Catalunya, a weekend that could ultimately decide the drivers' championship should Kristoffersson reign supreme again. Can anyone stop the Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS driver? Time will tell!

ROUND 7 - FINAL RESULT: WORLD RX OF BELGIUM:

1. Johan Kristoffersson (Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS)

2. Niclas Grönholm (Construction Equipment Dealer Team) + 3.995s

3. Gustav Bergström (Kristoffersson Motorsport) + 4.932s

4. Kevin Hansen (Hansen World RX Team) + 9.305s

5. Ole Christian Veiby (Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS) + 5 laps

Tuesday 4 October 2022

PREVIEW: The championship fight heats up in the Ardennes.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool
The iconic Spa-Francorchamps will welcome the electrifying FIA World Rallycross Championship for rounds six and seven of the current campaign, as the battle for glory heat ups.

Last year’s Spa winner Johan Kristoffersson currently leads the way as he hunts for a fifth World Championship crown, but while the Swede’s record of four victories out of five this season might look daunting for the opposition, the statistics do not tell the full story.

At Montalegre last time out, it was Niclas Grönholm who claimed the Construction Equipment Dealer Team’s breakthrough World RX triumph, as Kristoffersson was penalized for a clash with Timmy Hansen.

The 2019 Champion came off worse in a clash with Johan on the second day in Portugal after taking the lead at the start of the final, while his younger brother overtook the four-time world champion not just once but twice during the course of a single race. 

The Hansen World RX Team could – and arguably should – have won both rounds a fortnight earlier in Rīga too, so they will be motivated indeed to open their victory account for the year in Belgium.

Ole Christian Veiby leads Kevin Hansen in Portugal.
PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool.
With four podium finishes from five starts since making his return to World RX, Ole Christian Veiby has been getting ever-closer to his Kristoffersson Motorsport team-mate, and with the potent Volkswagen RX1e underneath him, the Norwegian – now up to second in the standings – will undoubtedly be in the mix for silverware again this weekend.

Gustav Bergström has continued to impress with he's lightning launches – and two final appearances to-date demonstrate that he is clearly benefitting from the tutelage of Kristoffersson and Veiby alongside him.

In much the same way, Klara Andersson has been making waves of her own, advancing to the final on her series debut in Hell and racing to an historic podium finish at Montalegre. That result will surely fire her up for a repeat performance at Spa, where she first joined the World Championship package 12 months ago, impressing with a fourth-place finish in RX2e.

René Münnich completes the field in his SEAT Ibiza RX1e. The German – who both runs and drives for the team is getting closeer to the outright pace with every event.

THE PERMANENT TEAMS:

Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS: Johan Kristoffersson and Ole Christian Veiby

Hansen World RX Team: Timmy Hansen and Kevin Hansen

Construction Equipment Dealer Team: Niclas Gronholm and Klara Andersson (first gender equal team.)

THE CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER - JOHAN KRISTOFFERSSON:

"We are carrying lots of points into this event so we are not in a position to take any big risks. The first turn is a bit hazardous, can be risky on the outside and on the inside there is a concrete wall. All our drivers are up to it and the cars are working well. We have now had races with high and low grip, dry and wet surface. We don't seem to have an Achilles heel."

THE CIRCUIT: CIRCUIT SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS (BELGIUM)

THE TRACK:

The challenging, purpose-built 913m track located at the heart of the famous Ardennes venue is characterised by significant elevation changes and incorporates one of the most iconic corners in world motorsport, not to mention the ultimate test of bravery – the daunting Eau Rouge.

The spectacular ascent of the Raidillon and its 15% gradient is followed by a tight hairpin bend, before cars hurtle back down towards Eau Rouge. There is also a stadium section that features an extra-wide, banked corner designed to allow drivers to adopt various racing lines. There are parallel jumps in the standard and Joker Laps.

The amphitheatre atmosphere around the circuit offers fans a full view of the action from wherever they are watching.

TRACK LENGTH: 913m

PREVIEW WINNER (2021) - Round 6: Johan Kristoffersson (KYB EKS JC)

FASTEST LAP: Johan Kristoffersson 30.672 (in semi-finals)

ASPHALT/DIRT: 60%/40%

JOKER LAP LOSS: 2s seconds (approximately)

FORMAT CHANGE:

The Qualifying heats will be renamed Heat 1, Heat 2, Heat 3 instead of Q1, Q2, Q3. There will be three heats only as opposed to the four that have existed over the last eight years. Heat 1 starting positions will be decided following a Superpole timed session instead of a draw.

Heat 4 will be replaced by a Progression Race to add one more decisive stage in the progress of the event towards access to the Semi-Finals. Starting position distribution for this Progression Race will be determined according to ranking after the 3 Heats. The Final phase remains with Semi-Finals and a Final, but with five-car starts. The highest qualified driver will have a free of starting position. Other changes include five laps in all races (Qualifying, Progression Race, Semi-Finals, Final) and no use of the Joker Lap allowed in Lap 1 if the Joker Lap is in Corner No.1.

CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (for 2022 onwards):

Championship points will be awarded based on the final  classification on the Competition on the following basis: 

1st: 20 points

2nd: 16 points

3rd: 13 points

4th: 12 points

5th: 11 points

6th: 10 points

7th: 9 points

8th: 8 points

9th: 7 points

10th: 6 points

11th: 5 points

12th: 4 points

13th: 3 points

14th: 2 point

15th: 1 point

- The Teams’ Championship is open to World Championship teams fielding two cars, and includes all points scored by both of the team’s drivers at each event.

THE 2021 WORLD RX OF BENELUX RESULTS (FINAL)

1) Johan Kristoffersson (KYB EKS JC) 3:10.857

2) Kevin Hansen (Hansen World RX Team) + 2.601s

3) Krisztián Szabó (GRX-SET World RX Team) + 5.338s

4) Timmy Hansen (Hansen World RX Team) + 5.663s 

5) Enzo Ide (KYB EKS JC) + 6.119s

6) Anton Marklund (Hedströms Motorsport) + 6.648s

World RX Entry List - Benelux World RX of Spa-Francorchamps 

*GCK Motorsport’s Lancia Delta Evo-e will not be ready to race in Hell due to the extensive development work required to incorporate the new technology into the car, it will appear on-track in World RX later in the season.

*The second All-Inkl.com Munnich Motorsport Seat Ibiza RX1e is currently being built.

2022 FIA World Rallycross Championship Standings (Drivers):
Johan Kristoffersson (Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS) 91 points
Ole Christian Veiby (Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS) 70 pts
Timmy Hansen (Hansen World RX Team) 66 pts
Kevin Hansen (Hansen World RX Team) 62 pts
Niclas Gronholm (CE Dealer Team) 60 pts
Klara Andersson (CE Dealer Team) 52 pts
Gustav Bergstrom (Kristoffersson Motorsport) 50 pts
Rene Munnich (ALL-INLK Munnich Motorsport) 44 pts

2022 FIA World Rallycross Championship Standings (Teams):
Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS 161 points
Hansen World RX Team 128 pts
Construction Equipment Dealer Team 112 pts

ROUNDS 6 AND 7 - BENELUX WORLD RX OF SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS (CAT TIMES). 

SATURDAY:
PRACTICE: 09:05
SUPERPOLE: 10:30
HEAT 1: 12:10
HEAT 2: 13:40
PROGRESSION RACE: 15:12
SEMI-FINALS AND FINAL: (from) 17:00
GRID WRAP UP SHOW: 18:00 [RX+ only]

SUNDAY:
PRACTICE: 09:05
SUPERPOLE: 09:35
HEAT 1: 11:10
HEAT 2: 13:25
PROGRESSION RACE: 15:05
SEMI-FINALS AND FINAL: (from) 17:00
GRID WRAP UP SHOW: 18:00 [RX+ only]

All of the on-track entertainment and off-track features will be broadcast live on RX+. Event passes are available for €7,99, with the full season pass on sale for €49,99. More information can be found here.

Wednesday 13 October 2021

PREVIEW: Will Kristoffersson take the championship lead or will the Hansen's fight back in Portugal?

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool
After a 2-year absence, the picturesque Montalegre track returns... and is set to host round 7 of the 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship this weekend (16 to 17 October).

The 2021 championship has taken a swing in the direction of three-time World Champion Johan Kristoffersson who trails Timmy Hansen by 12-points at the head of the drivers' standings after a difficult start to the season. 

Having clinched a second victory of the season last time out in Spa-Francorchamps, Kristoffersson will look to surpass his Swedish rival this weekend. But, the Hansen brothers' will certainly aim to extend their advantage at the top.

"I'm looking forward to Portugal where the circuit should suit our car a bit better. And I don't have to wait long either which is great!" Timmy Hansen said. 

Just three points behind Johan, the younger Hansen brother, Kevin will aim to reclaim second in the championship, whilst the GRX-SET duo who have shown an impressive turn of performance in recent rounds will aim for the top step of the podium in Portugal. 

Krisztián Szabó finally broke his podium duck last time out in Belgium, whilst Niclas Grönholm had a weekend to forget after being muscled out in a few races. The Flying Finn is hungry for a second victory?

UNKORRUPTED's Kevin Abbring was on course to win the World RX of Spa-Francorchamps last weekend, but after being turned around by Timmy Hansen at the Raidillon hairpin. His chances were over... Can the Dutchman fight for victory? He certainly can! 

KYB EKS JC's second driver Enzo Ide achieved his goal on home soil last weekend reaching the final, and will look to do the same this time out. 

The battle is on... Can Kristoffersson take the championship lead? Or will the Hansen brothers' extend their lead at the top of the drivers' standings? Find out this weekend!   
THE TRACK:

Portugal’s picturesque and historic Montalegre track formed part of the original FIA World Rallycross Championship calendar back in 2014, and its undulating layout and unpredictable weather has produced many breathtaking battles over the years.

The 945m track is located 1,000m above sea level, requiring engines to be finely tuned to deal with the altitude. From a long start/finish straight, drivers brake hard for the first corner – a tight right-hand hairpin – before taking a little bit of kerb as they flick through the left-right chicane that follows.

A fast left-hander then leads downhill into a right as the surface turns from asphalt into the loose and sandy gravel that characterises Montalegre before a steep uphill climb precedes another left followed by a long, fast right-hander. The final section of the lap is marked by a tricky surface change and a series of chicanes – inviting drivers to brush the barriers on both sides, but without getting too close...

Track Length: 945m

2018 Winner: ROUND 2: Johan Kristoffersson (PSRX Volkswagen Sweden)

Fastest lap: Johan Kristoffersson 38.064s (in semi-finals)

Asphalt/Dirt60%/40%

Joker Lap Loss: 3.9s seconds (approximately)

2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship standings (drivers):

Timmy Hansen (Hansen World RX Team) 151 pts

Johan Kristoffersson (KYB EKS JC) 139 pts

Kevin Hansen (Hansen World RX Team) 136 points

Niclas Gronholm (GRX-SET) 123 pts

Krizstian Szabo (GRX-SET) 108 pts

Kevin Abbring (UNKORRUPTED) 97 pts

Timo Scheider (ALL-INLK Munnich Motorsport) 75 pts

Enzo Ide (KYB EKS JC) 72 pts

Juha Rytkonen 52 pts

Mattias Ekstrom 37 pts

Hervé Knapick 18 pts

Rene Munnich (ALL-INLK Munnich Motorsport) 16 pts

Oliver O'Donovan 16 pts

Anton Marklund 14 pts

Attila Mozer 13 pts

Peter Hedstrom 11 pts

Tamas Karai 9 pts

Oliver Bennett (Xite Racing Team) 8 pts

Dan Oberg 7 pts

Mandie August (ALL-INLK Munnich Motorsport) 4 pts

Patrick Guillerme 2 pts

Round 7 - Cooper Tires World RX of Montalegre (CET Times)

SATURDAY:

PRACTICE: 10:30

Q1: 13:06

Q2: 16:06

SUNDAY:

WARM-UP: 11:00

Q3: 12:06

Q4: 15:36

Semi-Finals and Final: (from) 18:00

Grid Podiums and Wrap Up Show: 19:00 [RX+ only]

FREE LIVESTREAM

Red Bull TV (FINALS) ROUND 7 [Sunday] - at 17:45 UTC+2 - https://www.redbull.com/int-en/events/fia-world-rallycross-championship-portugal

Monday 11 October 2021

Kristoffersson's title resurgence continues with Spa victory.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool
Three-time World Champion Johan Kristoffersson continued his championship fightback at Benelux World RX of Spa-Francorchamps, celebrating a second consecutive victory.

The Swede had never competed around the challenging Spa-Francorchamps track prior to this weekend, but the KYB EKS JC driver did not let that hold him back. Second in the intermediate classification after the qualifying stages, he proceeded to win the semi-final before sprinting into the distance in the all-important final to cap off a close to perfect score that has carried him to just 12 points behind the championship leader (Timmy Hansen).

"This was a successful weekend and victory feels great. I think it suited us very well that they have turned the gravel at Spa into a harder surface because even if I hadn’t driven here before, I felt comfortable from the first practice. We had a very good Saturday but I didn’t get the best start in Q3, which meant we were not able to be top in qualifying," Kristoffersson said. 

"In the semi-final and final we had incredible speed, the car really came to life and it felt really good. In the semis, I got off to a good start and was able to lead all the way, and in the final, we got an incredibly good start too. From there it was just a matter of taking the car to the finish. We are only 12 points behind Timmy [Hansen] now, that is good."

Kevin Hansen kept his own title aspirations on track with a solid run to second.

"The first couple of laps in our semi-final were hectic and it's really unfortunate that it turned out the way it did for a couple of guys. But this is rallycross – the luck can be both for and against you. We got through and were able to convert our front-row grid slot into a podium finish," Hansen said. 

A delighted Krisztián Szabó claimed a maiden podium finish (a third place). The Hungarian has reached the final in every round to date this season and produced a defensive masterclass behind the wheel of his Hyundai i20 to keep Timmy Hansen, Enzo Ide, and Anton Marklund at bay right to the chequered flag.

"FINALLY! This feels good," Szabó said. "This weekend I was maybe not the fastest out there, but I was in the right place at the right time and you have to always be there in rallycross."

Championship leader Timmy Hansen won the first semi-final but was handed a 5 second time penalty for "pushing and overtaking"  at the hairpin which resulted in Top Qualifier Kevin Abbring hitting the barrier and finishing the semi-final dead last. 

The Dutchman was in outstanding form and deserved better results, but he proved that both he and the UNKORRUPTED squad will be a force to be reckoned with over the remaining three rounds.

Kristoffersson's team-mate Enzo Ide claimed a fifth-place finish on home soil.

"I’m very happy with the weekend and the result. To make it to the final was always the goal for me, so to do it at home and to hear all of the Belgian fans in the stands was a wonderful feeling. My best rallycross memory was fourth place in Holjes, but now this is top of the list. It wouldn’t be possible without KYB EKS JC," Ide said. 

Swede Anton Marklund made his rallycross return in the Hedströms Motorsport's run Hyundai i20, and clinched sixth place in Spa. 

There was disappointment, however, for GRX-SET's Niclas Grönholm - who was forced wide at the start of the second semi-final.

"There was a lot of crashing and banging this weekend which is unfortunate but we just need to move forward. Now we go to Montalegre next week," Grönholm said. "That is a nice track, a proper old rallycross track which will be much nicer to go to, so I’m looking forward to that."

FINAL RESULT - Benelux World RX of Spa-Francorchamps: 

1. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) 6 laps

2. Kevin HANSEN (SWE) + 2.601s

3. Krisztián SZABÓ (HUN) + 5.338s

4. Timmy HANSEN (SWE) + 5.663s

5. Enzo IDE (BEL) + 6.119s

6. Anton MARKLUND (SWE) + 6.648s

Tuesday 5 October 2021

PREVIEW: The title fight intensifies at Spa-Francorchamps.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool
The battle for glory in the 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship is heating up as all roads lead to Spa-Francorchamps this weekend after the title fight was blown wide open in Latvia last time out.

The first three rounds of the championship all went the way of the Hansen brothers', but victories for Niclas Grönholm and Johan Kristoffersson in Riga mean just 23 points cover the four leading protagonists for the Benelux World RX of Spa-Francorchamps.

The Hansen World RX Team siblings are also the only two of the title-chasing quartet to have previously raced at Spa; Kristoffersson was absent in 2019, while Niclas was ruled out due appendicitis, whilst his team-mate Timur Timerzyanov clinched his first victory. 

KYB EKS JC's Kristoffersson is a three-time champion at the pinnacle of the discipline, and but for persistent ill-fortune, his current points total would be significantly greater. GRX-SET World RX Team’s Grönholm, meanwhile, was the highest scorer in Riga – form he is bidding to carry with him into the second half of the campaign.

There are a number of dark horses in the field, too. Grönholm’s team-mate Krisztián Szabó has been a model of consistency as one of just three drivers to progress through to the final in every round to date in 2021, and Kevin Abbring has shown flashes of speed in the UNKORRUPTED Renault Mégane

Enzo Ide in the second KYB EKS JC Audi S1 Quattro will carry Belgium’s hopes, while Timo Scheider is overdue a change of fortunes after proving to be on the pace but out of luck. Whilst All-Inkl Munnich Motorsport is hoping to have solved their driveshaft "supply part" issues that led to DNF's in Latvia. 

Anton Marklund is an intriguing addition to the entrylist. The 2017 FIA European Rallycross Champion rejoined the fray in Euro RX1 at Höljes and set the pace until his shocking roll in Q4. The Swede returns this weekend in a Hedströms Motorsport run Hyundai i20 and is sure to put up a fight.

THE TRACK:

The challenging, purpose-built 913m track located at the heart of the famous Ardennes venue is characterised by significant elevation changes and incorporates one of the most iconic corners in world motorsport, not to mention the ultimate test of bravery – the daunting Eau Rouge.

The spectacular ascent of the Raidillon and its 15% gradient is followed by a tight hairpin bend, before cars hurtle back down towards Eau Rouge. There is also a stadium section that features an extra-wide, banked corner designed to allow drivers to adopt various racing lines. There are parallel jumps in the standard and Joker Laps.

The amphitheatre atmosphere around the circuit offers fans a full view of the action from wherever they are watching.

Track Length: 913m

2019 Winners: ROUND 5: Johan Kristoffersson (Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS)

Fastest lap: Johan Kristoffersson 48.099s (in semi-finals)

Asphalt/Dirt60%/40%

Joker Lap Loss: 1.4s seconds (approximately)

2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship standings (drivers):

Timmy Hansen (Hansen World RX Team) 130 pts

Kevin Hansen (Hansen World RX Team) 113 points

Johan Kristoffersson (KYB EKS JC) 110 pts

Niclas Gronholm (GRX-SET) 107 pts

Krizstian Szabo (GRX-SET) 88 pts

Kevin Abbring (UNKORRUPTED) 79 pts

Timo Scheider (ALL-INLK Munnich Motorsport) 64 pts

Enzo Ide (KYB EKS JC) 57 pts

Juha Rytkonen 43 pts

Mattias Ekstrom 37 pts

Rene Munnich (ALL-INLK Munnich Motorsport) 16 pts

Attila Mozer 13 pts

Peter Hedstrom 11 pts

Oliver O'Donovan 10 pts

Herve Knapick 9 pts

Tamas Karai 9 pts

Oliver Bennett (Xite Racing Team) 8 pts

Mandie August (ALL-INLK Munnich Motorsport) 4 pts

Patrick Guillerme 2 pts

Dan Oberg 1 pt

Round 6 World RX of Benelux Schedule (CET Times)

SATURDAY:

PRACTICE: 09:30

Q1: 14:06

Q2: 16:36

Grid Wrap Up Show: 17:39 [RX+ only]

SUNDAY:

WARM-UP: 09:45

Q3: 12:06

Q4: 14:36

Semi-Finals and Final: (from) 17:00

Grid Wrap Up Show: 18:00 [RX+ only]

FREE LIVESTREAM

Red Bull TV (FINALS) ROUND 6 [Sunday] - at 16:45 UTC+2 - https://www.redbull.com/int-en/events/fia-world-rallycross-championship-belgium

Monday 26 October 2020

The World RX of Benelux to be held behind closed doors.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX.
The World RX of Benelux set to be held at Spa-Francorchamps will be held behind closed doors, the event organizers have announced.  

World RX first visited Spa-Francorchamps in 2019 and quickly became a fan favorite with its wide banked dirt corner and Eau Rouge hairpin. 

The circuit was originally set to host the third round of the 2020 calendar, but the date was later moved to October due to the coronavirus outbreak. 

In September, the event organizers and IMG announced that the Belgian round would be moved in hopes that delaying the round until November would allow more spectators to attend the event. 

Organizers say that following decisions made by Belgian Authorities, the event will be held behind closed doors due to current circumstances surrounding the Coronavirus pandemic, despite hopes of welcoming the largest possible audience to the event next month. 

"Following the decisions of the Belgian Authorities, we will unfortunately not be able to welcome you during the 2020 edition of the Spa World Rallycross of Benelux which will be held behind closed doors," the event organizers statement said.

"This is a huge disappointment for the Spa World Rallycross of Benelux team, whose primary motivation has always been to welcome the largest possible audience and to offer them the best possible experience."

"Our number one priority remains everyone’s health! But given the current circumstances, the organisation of this event under regular conditions is impossible."

"Holding the race behind closed doors was therefore the only solution authorized by the Belgian authorities to preserve the sporting aspect of our event."

Spa-Francorchamps will now host the penultimate round of the 2020 World Rallycross Championship season, with the Nürburgring hosting the finale in December.

For more information on ticket refunds, etc. CLICK HERE

Written By - Junaid Samodien