Hansen brothers secure 1-2 finish in Höljes as hard work pays off.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool.

Timmy Hansen won the Swecon World RX of Sweden in Höljes, leading home team-mate Kevin Hansen in a 1-2 finish for the Hansen World RX Team.

It all looked set for a humdinger of a weekend in Sweden, as championship leader Kevin Hansen led the championship with reigning champion Johan Kristoffersson looking to claim his first victory of the season but, the Hansen's had other plans. 

Johan might have won Q1 on Saturday, but Timmy Hansen fought back to level things out on Sunday. 

Having battled through Q3 and Q4, Timmy Hansen led the intermediate rankings ahead of the reigning champion Kristoffersson in second followed by an impressive Kevin Abbring, Krisztián Szabó, Niclas Gronholm, and Kevin Hansen. 

In the first semi-final, Timmy led home a fast charging Abbring and Juha Rytkönen to seal a place in the final, whilst Kristoffersson failed to finish due to a front-right puncture that ended his weekend rather prematurely. 

Round one winner, Kevin Hansen capitalized on Johan's disappointment winning semi-final two ahead of Szabó and Belgian Ide also qualifying for the final.

The Hansen brothers locked out the front row of the final on used tyres, with those behind bolting on new tyres. 

From pole position, Timmy had a very good start with Kevin holding the outside line into turn one. Opting for an alternate strategy, Kevin Abbring and Enzo Ide took her jokers on lap one. Whilst Timmy led Kevin followed by Rytkönen and Szabó.

As the Hansen brothers' pulled clear of their nearest rivals, Rytkonen and Szabó came under pressure from a charging Abbring. 

The Dutchman ultimately jumped both of them as the race progressed, with Timmy and Kevin taking their joker on the final lap to record another 1-2 and claim an 11th career race win. 

It wasn't all smooth sailing with constant adjustments and tweaking (including a gearbox change for Kevin Hansen) throughout the weekend to unlock more speed. 

Timmy Hansen fully credits the Hansen World RX Team mechanics for victory in Höljes today. 

"Our mechanics are the winners keeping our cars together. Sometimes we take it for granted and it is a reminder of the incredible work they are doing. I am so, so happy. 1-2 again," he said.

The 2019 World Rallycross Champion now holds the lead in the championship after two rounds (on 57 points) six points ahead of Kevin Hansen, with Szabó third followed by Abbring with reigning champion Kristoffersson down to fifth.

Swecon World RX of Sweden - FINAL RESULTS

GRAPHICS CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross

FIA World RX Championship Standings after Round 2. 

O'Donovan and Knapick joins 10-car field for World RX of France.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

The entry lists for the FIA World Rallycross Championship at Lohéac on 3-5 September have been released, setting the stage for a thrilling weekend on French soil.

Following the Barcelona curtain-raiser last month and this weekend’s outing at Höljes, the World Championship title fight will be heating up by the time drivers and teams arrive in France for round three of the 2021 season – and aside from the usual suspects, the return of ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport’s Timo Scheider is sure to mix up the order after the pace the German showed in Catalunya.

Former British Rallycross Champion and Euro RX podium-finisher Ollie O’Donovan will return after almost four years away. He will drive his Ford Fiesta Supercar.

KYB EKS JC not entirely satisfied despite podium finish in Catalunya.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

Three-time World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson was the man to beat in the Catalan heat having set the pace throughout the weekend and claimed a podium in his first start with the KYB EKS JC team, despite disqualification from the first qualifier.

The 32-year-old set the fastest time in the first free practice session of the season and then won both Q1 and Q2 on Friday evening. However, a problem with a cable connecting the FIA data logger led to disqualification from the Q1 race, leaving him down in 15th overnight.

Could Kristoffersson fight back on Saturday? He sure did. The Swede set another pair of fastest times, climbing to sixth overall to secure a second-row spot on the grid for the semi-finals. 

The second place in the semis was followed by a battle for race victory in the final, where Kristoffersson finished third. 

"I had a big fight back after the penalty, but we were the fastest in all qualifying rounds and set the fastest lap time in the final," Kristoffersson said. "The team has worked really hard and the car has been a dream to drive. Unfortunately, we could not finish on top this time, but we had great pace and I really enjoyed driving the Audi."

After round one, Kristoffersson lies third in the drivers’ standings, nine points off the lead.

"Now we just have to keep pushing. Even if you are fast on the track, there is a lot that can happen in rallycross, as we have seen," he adds. "This was the first round and even though we were very fast here, it’s important to continue working on every detail and always develops."

"Things change quickly and I need more time in the car to work with the team to find exactly the right setup for all conditions. But, I already know that the car's performance is very, very good and we look forward to Höljes."

Johan's teammate Enzo Ide, racing in his first full World RX season had a decent pace, winning a qualifying heat race. However, a crash in Q4 meant that even though he made it onto the semi-final grid, he retired from the race.

"It hasn’t been an easy event for me," Ide admits. "I had some technical problems in Q1 and Q2, which the team fixed for Q3. Then in Q4, I crashed out, hard. I drove a little too aggressively, charged too hard over the jump and something in the car broke. The guys did an incredible job to fix big damage at the front of the car to enable me to start the semi-finals, but after a few laps the car lost power and I had to stop."

"Overall I'm happy with the speed, but I'm still struggling to put all the pieces together."

The 30-year-old Belgian driver admits that having Johan Kristoffersson as a teammate is a dream come true. 

"It’s difficult to compare with Johan, he is, in my opinion, the best rallycross driver we have ever seen and puts all the details together, always," he said. "Having him as a teammate is a dream come true. Even though it was his first race in the car, he is incredibly fast, and he helps me develop and feel more comfortable in the car."

The Swedish squad leaves round one of the FIA World Rallycross Championship third in the teams' standings. 

Joel Christoffersson (team principal) admits that a third-place for Kristoffersson was "not what we wanted considering the speed" but admits after the disqualification from Q1, his team can be "very happy" with the result. 

"Johan was unstoppable on track in qualifying and it feels very sad not to fight for the victory in the way we wanted. Even if what happened wasn’t our fault, we are of course responsible and must take the consequences," Christoffersson said.

As for Enzo Ide, Christoffersson was happy with his performance over the course of the weekend despite a crash in Q4. 

"The semi-final was his goal this weekend, so we have to be happy with that. Both Johan and Enzo have shown that they are fast, and the whole team really can’t wait for the next race in Höljes," he said.

"It feels really good to have shown the speed like this in the season-opener and Johan is feeling more and more at home in the car. Now we have some stuff to perfect and will be ready to fight on in Höljes."

Szabó claims best-ever World RX finish, as Grönholm crashes out.

PHOTO CREDIT: GRX-SET World RX Team

Hungarian Krisztián Szabó claimed a career-best result at round one of the 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship at Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona. 

Starting his first full season with the GRX-SET World RX Team, Krisztian improved every time he went on track through the course of the event, and from the second row of the semi-final grid, he then started on the second row of the final on his way to fourth.

"To be fourth in the final is my best result in World RX so that is very good as a start to the new season, and hopefully next time I can take a step higher onto the podium," Szabó said. "I’m finding more confidence in the car all the time, I’m finding more rhythm in myself and we fine-tuned the car through the weekend. The pace in the semi-final was fast, then in the final, I missed a little, but the guys in front of me were the very fast guys in the championship, so I am pleased."

Teammate Grönholm on the other hand had a difficult weekend, despite the Finn battling hard and delivering a strong performance to make the best of a challenging situation. He carried a small technical issue from the opening practice sessions that despite all of the experience of the Gronholm RX and SET Promotion engineers, couldn’t be resolved at the circuit.

Marcus Grönholm hinted that his son suffered from anti-lag and turbo issues, which the team later refuted. 

Despite that, Niclas delivered fast lap times, and managed to qualify fourth overall for the semi-finals, only for the weekend to be compounded by contact that sent him into a concrete wall at the second corner of the semi, putting him out and with damaged the car.

"It was a difficult weekend overall. I struggled since practice with finding pace in the car and driver. I think we found a bit more pace for Saturday, the car was feeling a bit more how I wanted and we were doing a bit better launches, but ultimately, we didn’t really have enough at any point in the weekend to close the gap to the top spots," Grönholm said. "It sadly ended in the semi-final with a crash into the wall. The car is in quite bad condition now, but we will fight back."

Jussi Pinomäki (team principal) has been left impressed by Krisztián Szabó's performance at Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona.

"Krisztian did a solid job for himself and the team this weekend. He proved that with a little more experience racing against the competition he can be right up there fighting for podiums on a regular basis, so I am pleased with his performance," he said.

Whilst his team did not achieve their desired results this weekend, the Finn admits that his team will do everything they need to, to be ready for round 2 in Holjes next month. 

"As a team we have high hopes for World RX this year and with Niclas missing a bit of the pace we expected, it didn’t go to plan at all," Pinomäki said. "But, it’s not how or why you go down, it’s how you pick yourself back up again that counts and we have a great group of guys who I know will do everything we need to do in this short gap now before the next race in Sweden to make sure we are as ready as we can be."

'We should have good pace straight out of the box' - Timmy Hansen.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has proven to be a happy hunting ground for Timmy Hansen having taken wins for the last two years running.

Timmy’s 2019 performance was especially dominant, winning every session on his way to victory ahead of younger brother Kevin, who secured a historic 1-2 finish for the team. 

Having ended the curtailed 2020 season at the same circuit with a victory, the 2019 World Champion is confident he will be similarly competitive at the beginning of the 2021 season.

"It's been a really long break leading up to this round of the championship, so I hope I can get up to speed quickly now that we're back! But our preparations for this season have gone really well and I'm confident we should have some good pace straight out of the box," Hansen said.

The Barcelona rallycross track is 1,125m in length with competitors tackling a sweeping left-hand Turn One (which saw tons of action in 2020 involving Johan Kristoffersson). Before a quick run uphill to the transition to dirt/gravel at turn 2 before a quick right into turn 3 followed by a left, which marks the entrance to the Joker lap, followed by a long, sweeping left-hand turn incorporating the back straight. The second of the two gravel sections then has an intricate entry before running through a fast downhill right kink, with a tight left-handed turn leading to the finish line.

"Barcelona is a high-grip circuit, which has always worked well for us and our car," he said. "There's one exception to that though – the last corner, which is my favorite. It's usually super slippery on entry and all the grip is on the exit, so the driving style through there is really different." 

"You end up almost backing the car into the final corner and wait for the grip to arrive on the exit. Anyone who's played DiRT Rally will know this style very well!"

"The joker lap on this track – where the exit speed is so high – introduces some unusual strategy and makes it very open, so while our car is fast, we will need to be clever and make sure we are getting everything right to perform well."

Whilst its yet to be determined who wins at Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona this weekend, but there is no doubt that the Hansen brothers will be ready to fight for glory! 

PREVIEW: The scene is set for a thrilling World RX curtain-raiser in Catalunya.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media

The long winding road is almost over. In less than three days' time, the FIA World Rallycross Championship will kick into life at Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona for the eagerly-anticipated 2021 curtain-raiser - World RX of Catalunya - as the battle begins for the series' final petrol-powered champion. 

287 days since the World RX championship last race in Barcelona, excitement levels are fever-pitched. 

It all seems new with the arrival of Rallycross Promoter GmbH, the new liveries, testing completed, and 17 of the best drivers heading to Spain. 

Not only are there new faces in new places, but the Barcelona track itself is also set to post drivers a fresh challenge, with the notoriously tight Turn One left-hander that saw tons of action in 2020, now replaced by a wider, sweeping first corner. 

But wait, there's more!! The format has also undergone a shake-up, with the action due to kick off in the afternoon and continue into the evening on both days. 

PHOTO CREDIT: JC Raceteknik.

The king is back in town! Defending world champion Johan Kristoffersson leads the line-up, but the Swede – three times a title-winner in rallycross – has switched cars over the off-season. 

No Volkswagen Polo in 2021!

The Swede is preparing to fight for his fourth Drivers’ title behind the wheel of an Audi S1 Quattro, fielded by the KYB EKS JC outfit, which claimed the Teams’ trophy in 2020 at its first attempt.

Kristoffersson will be partnered by ever-improving Enzo Ide, while siblings Timmy and Kevin Hansen similarly have their eyes fixed on the main prize for family-run squad Hansen World RX Team.

Timmy, the older of the two Swedes lifted the laurels in dramatic fashion in Cape Town two years ago and – like Kristoffersson – was a winner in Barcelona back in October, so is sure to be a threat from the outset. 

Younger brother Kevin, meanwhile, has reached the rostrum on seven occasions over the past two campaigns and is bullish about his prospects for success behind the wheel of the team’s proven Peugeot 208.

Niclas Grönholm might not be a world champion YET but the Finn has come extremely close in 2019 when an early-season bout of appendicitis almost certainly cost him a shot at the crown, and in Hyundai i20, he has a potent package at his disposal. The same can be said for team-mate Krisztián Szabó, as the Hungarian returns for his second full season at the highest level.

After impressing in a number of one-off appearances – even leading the final on his debut in Norway two years ago –  Kevin Abbring, at last, gets his big break in rallycross this season in an UNKORRUPTED Renault Mégane R.S. RX, while two-time DTM champion Timo Scheider achieved his maiden World RX podium in Barcelona in 2017 and is fired-up to produce a repeat performance in his ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport SEAT Ibiza.

If you are looking for another potential dark horse, look no further than Juha Rytkönen. In Kouvola last summer, he dueled with Kristoffersson before going on to finish an excellent second. 

The flying Finn is back for another crack in 2021, rejoining the fray in a Betomik Racing Ford Fiesta, and is determined to show that his scene-stealing debut was no flash in the pan.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media

Fresh in 2021, the supporting FIA RX2e Championship, fans will get a glimpse of the sport’s new era as an intriguing mixture of young stars and experienced hands go door-to-door in the quest to secure the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship title before the World Championship follows suit from 2022.

So, let's learn a bit more about the new RX2e car.... The RX2e 'pocket rocket' incorporates a motor on each axle that together delivers 250kW (335bhp) of power and up to 510Nm torque is certain to produce some superb racing as it puts driver skill firmly at the forefront.

WHERE DO I WATCH THE ACTION?

Racing is set to begin at 15:45 CET on Friday afternoon (23 July), with all of the action across the board to be livestreamed in glorious HD quality via the new RX+ broadcast platform. 

The Full Season Pass is currently on sale for the special launch price of €29,99, representing a 40% discount on the regular price of €49,99 and guaranteeing access until the end of the year. The Event Pass for World RX of Catalunya is currently available for €4,79 (using promo code RXPLUS40), again representing a 40% saving on the regular price of €7,99.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT RX+ HERE: fiaworldrallycross.com/world-rx/i/info/

WITH A NEW PROMOTER COMES CHANGE... Change is something that no one really likes, and having enjoyed hours, upon hours of free live streams and TV broadcasts. At first glance, it appears that the luxury has come to an end as no broadcast deals have been announced (yet).

The 'Voice of World RX' Andrew Coley will not return to lead commentary in 2021 after a completely new presenting line-up was announced a few weeks ago. Martin Haven and Nick Fellows will lead commentary, with Hal Ridge joining them as the expert commentator. Joining them are Neil Cole, Molly Pettit, and Ben Constanduros who will share studio and paddock reporting roles. 

Riga to host World RX double-header in September.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media

FIA World Rallycross Championship competitors and fans can look forward to a double dose of action in Riga later this year, with the formal confirmation that the popular Latvian event will become a double-header in 2021, increasing the overall number of rounds to nine. 

The decision to add an extra round to the Riga race weekend was taken in order to protect the calendar should any circumstances change against the backdrop of the ongoing global pandemic.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media

The Biķernieki track has been a fixture on the World RX schedule since 2016, with a long gravel section through the wooded infield and no fewer than three jumps making it an instant favourite amongst both drivers and fans.

In evidence of the circuit’s challenging nature, the six rounds held there to date have all been won by World Rallycross Champions Johan Kristoffersson, Mattias Ekström, and Timmy Hansen, and nine-time FIA World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb.

September’s doubleheader will offer drivers two chances to add their names to that illustrious winner's list.

"The Latvian organisers proved last year that they are more than capable of successfully staging a double-header event, and it means fans can look forward to even more exciting action this season around the Biķernieki circuit, which has invariably generated spectacular racing since joining the World Championship in 2016. We have no doubt that September’s event will deliver more of the same," Arne Dirks, Executive Director, Rallycross Promoter GmbH, said.

Raimonds Strokšs, the Director of the World RX of Riga-Latvia admits that despite the additional work coming with a double-header, he is sure that his team and partners are ready to tackle the challenges that come with hosting a double-header event.

"There is much greater responsibility when organising a double-header event – an increased number of races accordingly increases the amount of work required for everything to run smoothly – but I believe that we, our partners and all our service providers are more than ready to bring their best and maintain the high-quality standard set by the events hosted in Latvia," Strokšs said.

The Hansen brothers aim high in final combustion-engined season.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

Heading into the final season in the combustion-engine era, Timmy and Kevin Hansen are aiming high in 2021, after unveiling a striking new livery on their Peugeot 208 WRX Supercars. 

The closely-knit family team has achieved a lot of success in rallycross, with the most successful driver in rallycross history, Kenneth Hansen leading the team (father), having clinched 14 European RX titles. Whilst, Susann Hansen (their mother) is the only female driver to have won a European title in rallycross. 

Their eldest son, Timmy clinched the World Championship crown in dramatic fashion in 2019 with younger brother Kevin racing to glory in FIA Euro RX, RX Lites, and the Junior Rallycross Cup.

This season, the Hansen brothers are hoping to continue their momentum into 2021, targeting more victories and competing for both the drivers’ and teams’ world championship titles.

"I’m super excited to start this season. I hope now the work we are putting in will pay off, that in the beginning we can be there and fight for wins right from the start, and if we keep doing that through the season hopefully, we’re thereabouts to fight for the championship," Timmy Hansen said. 

"We’ve got a short season again. It’s very different from 2020 because then it was all very unexpected. Now for 2021, we know we’re coming into this very compact calendar, with a lot of races in a short time."

The 2019 Champion is under no illusions that the 2021 season will be smooth sailing, and admits they need to be at their best to beat their rivals. 

"It’s going to be a very tough season; everyone’s working very hard and no one is leaving anything to chance. Kevin is strong, he’s growing year by year. Johan Kristoffersson is strong – he was the champion last year. I know Niclas Grönholm is super fast and his car is a weapon," he said. "I really hope this car will be competitive against both of them – they have really strong cars, and we need to be at our best to beat them."

Like his older brother, Kevin has increasingly established himself as a key player in recent years, claiming his first World RX win in Abu Dhabi in 2019 and collecting seven podium finishes.

The 23-year-old makes it clear that he has more silverware in his sights over the following months.

"We're coming into the last season of the petrol era and I really want to take the world championship title," he said. "Going into this season we didn't want to repeat any of our mistakes from last year. We want to enter the season well prepared, and I think that's what we're doing this year. We're testing a lot more and we're thinking about small details all the time, leaving no stone unturned. With this team behind us, we can aim for 1-2 in the championship."

"We've been the most successful team in rallycross history so far and we plan to close this chapter by winning both titles."

With the new electric RX1e era on the horizon, the Swedish siblings are excited about the electric future. 

"In 2022 we’re moving to electric rallycross, going to faster cars, more technically advanced cars, and stepping into the future," Timmy Hansen said. "It’s massively exciting to be part of something new like that." 

Kevin Hansen admits that there will be challenges incorporating the Kreisel electric kit, but his sure the team can solve any issue quickly.

"To incorporate this kit into the current cars will be a challenge for everybody, but I believe Hansen World RX Team is not an inexperienced company. We know what we need to do, we'll get our heads down and figure it out quickly," Hansen said.

The 2021 World RX season will get underway with a Friday/Saturday evening showdown at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya next weekend (23-24 July), before rounds in Germany, Sweden, France, Latvia, Belgium, and Portugal completing an eight-round schedule.

Timerzyanov to make World RX return at Barcelona curtain-raiser.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Media.

Timur Timerzyanov will race in next month’s FIA World Rallycross Championship curtain-raiser in Catalunya on 23/24 July, in a third GRX-SET World RX Team entry.

The Russian is one of the most experienced drivers of the current rallycross generation - and, one of only three to have contested every World Championship event to date since the series' inception back in 2014. 

For the past three seasons, Timerzyanov has competed under the Grönholm RX banner alongside Niclas Grönholm, and he will once again line up for the Finnish outfit – now rebranded GRX-SET – in Catalunya in just under four weeks’ time, in what is currently labeled as a one-off appearance due to budgetary issues. If he does have only one chance to shine, the 34-year-old has every intention of grabbing it with both hands.

"Rallycross has always been such a big part of my life," he said "But the world has obviously changed a lot over the past year, and that in turn has led to sponsors re-evaluating their priorities and adopting different philosophies."

“It didn’t look like I would make the grid at all in 2021, and I need to thank my loyal partners and Jussi [Pinomäki – GRX-SET Team Principal] for working with me to make it possible for me to continue doing what I love doing – racing rallycross cars – for at least one more event."

"We only have an agreement for Barcelona at the moment, but if the opportunity presents itself to enter more rounds, I will of course take it because I really don’t want this wonderful story to end yet," he adds."Saying that, nothing is ever guaranteed and I will go out there and drive every race as if it’s my last, just in case it is – and I plan to enjoy every moment...”

Oli Bennett "XITEd" to make World RX return in Barcelona

PHOTO CREDIT: Oliver Bennett.

Oliver Bennett will return to the FIA World Rallycross Championship for the upcoming Catalunya curtain-raiser on 23/24 July, as the XITE Racing squad aims to showcase the improvements brought to their MINI Cooper Supercar since they last took to the track.

The 28-year-old's first full World Championship campaign came in 2019, reaching the semi-final stage at Silverstone and in South Africa, while he repeated the feat in his lone appearance last year in Barcelona.

Now, Bennett is looking forward to returning to the cockpit at the same circuit in just under a month’s time, as he prepares to put his upgraded MINI through its paces.

"I’m really excited to be back in Barcelona," Bennett said. "Because of coronavirus, Spain was the only World RX round I competed in last year. Even though I hadn’t been in the car much and it was my first time in the Mini, I still made it to the semi-finals."

Since the last outing for XITE Racing in October last year, his team has updated its Mini SX1. 

"The car’s had some updates and we should be getting more speed from the Mini, so I want to be looking to the semi-finals and beyond. I’ve had more seat time, done more testing, and have a really good feeling with the car," he explains.

Bennett is well aware of the challenges that he faces in the FIA World Rallycross Championship, having competed in 22 events across four seasons with his best result coming in Barcelona last year - 11th place overall. 

"Obviously, this is a world championship, so we know there’s going to be a lot of quality drivers out there. Let’s see who’s coming and what they’ve got. A top-10 would be a decent result, but I’m secretly chasing the top six," he said.

"Oh, yeah. Well, a top-six would be a mega result. The main thing for me is to get back in the car. I can’t wait to be back in the Mini – it feels like I haven’t raced it for a long time now. And I like Barcelona, it’s a cool place. It’s the place I first watched a WRX race. The fans are great, the atmosphere’s really nice and it’s a pretty sick track too."

XITE Racing has confirmed that they are considering an entry in World RX of Germany at the Nürburging on July 31-August 1.

Later this season, the British team will focus their attention on the all-American Nitro Rallycross series, starting with a September season-opener in Salt Lake City. The all-American series is a five-round, coast-to-coast tour that includes action as far west as Glen Helen Raceway in California and The FIRM, Florida in the other direction.

"Nitro Rallycross is really exciting for us," Bennett says. "We’re working very hard with XITE Energy in North America right now and the chance to go out there and take the brand and the car on a tour through some of the coolest tracks in America is something I’m very excited about."

This year’s Nitro campaign is just a precursor to the real deal, as XITE Racing confirms that they are the first team to sign up for next year’s all-electric NRX series.

"The main focus of our NRX effort is looking forward to the FC1-X. The Extreme E Odyssey 21 all-electric racer is a cool thing, but this RX car is just insane," he says. "When the lights go green at NRX next year, we’ll be fired into the future by the electrical equivalent of 1000bhp." 

Rytkönen makes World RX return with Betomik Racing.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Media

Juha Rytkönen has announced his return to the FIA World Rallycross Championship with the Betomik Racing team. 

Rytkönen's rallycross journey began in 2018, where he immediately marked himself out as one to watch. He contested the autocross class of the Finnish Championship, where he made history by taking maximum points from the season, winning every single race he started to lift the title at the first time of asking.

With all the boxes ticked, the Finn stepped up to the Supercar category a year later behind the wheel of a Ford Fiesta RX. 

Taking into account the adaption period with switching cars, he was quickly on the leader's pace and claimed victory in the final round at Honkajoki was enough to secure his second title in as many seasons.

Last year, Juha continued his progression up the rankings, making the switch to World RX at the Kouvola double-header with GRX-SET behind the wheel of a Hyundai i20 Supercar. 

He impressed from the offset, claiming fourth in the intermediate standings, then going on to win his semi-final, and finish second behind multiple World Champion Johan Kristoffersson – outpacing the likes of Timmy Hansen and Niclas Grönholm in the process. 

Rytkönen was on the pace again the following day, only for a track limits penalty to rule him out - but his results over the course of the weekend were enough to place him 12th in the classification. 

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Media

He returned to top-flight rallycross earlier this month when he entered the RallyX Nordic double-header at OuluZone and claimed a double podium finish behind the wheel of the Betomik Racing prepared Ford Fiesta fighting the likes of Niclas Grönholm. 

 

The 29-year-old will be one to watch closely this season, as he prepares for a World RX return with Mikko Ikonen's led squad, having confirmed his return for the Catalunya curtain-raiser and Nürburgring rounds, with further outings to follow later in the campaign.  

"It was a big relief to get everything sorted out, and it is fantastic to be back in the FIA World Rallycross Championship after such a great start last year. The tracks will be new for me so it will be a steep learning curve, but I’m ready to do my job," Rytkönen said.

"I don’t have any major targets, but of course it would be great to make it into as many finals as possible. The most important thing is to get all the kilometres and data out of the races. The results will come if we can drive solid races without big problems."

"We will definitely enter four events in World RX this season," he adds. "The first two in Barcelona and at the Nürburgring are certain, and we will decide the remaining two later on. The aim is to drive even more rounds if we can make it happen..."

Kristoffersson joins forces with EKS JC in pursuit of fourth crown.

PHOTO CREDIT: JC Raceteknik

Three-time World RX Johan Kristoffersson has confirmed his return to the FIA World Rallycross Championship this season, trading the Volkswagen Polo for the EKS JC prepared Audi S1 Quattro.

Kristoffersson has enjoyed a lot of success in the world championship with 36 World RX podium finishes to his record, with 24 of those winning. He has not only claimed three World Rallycross Championships, but also three titles in the Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia, two Scandinavian Tour Car Championship titles, and one Superstars International Series title. 

Having both made their World RX debut in 2014, Johan has had his fair share of on-track duels with Mattias Ekström. With the latter coming out second best in the 2017, 2018, and 2020 World RX seasons. 

In 2021, the reigning champion returns with a new set of wheels and he has full confidence in his new team, especially given their own impressive results last season.

"If you can’t beat him, join him – it’s as simple as that," said EKS JC Team Owner Mattias Ekström. "I have had many great battles with Johan and I think everyone can agree that he has a unique skillset, so, for me, he is a perfect fit for EKS JC’s 2021 campaign to once again challenge the rest of the field for the both – Team’s and Driver’s – titles."

The 32-year-old Swede has enjoyed a lot of success behind the wheel of the Volkswagen Polo in recent years, but things are set to be a lot different this season, with the Swede is looking forward to the new challenge ahead. 

"First of all, I’m very pleased that I can do a full FIA World RX season. And to do it with a new team is like a new challenge for me," Kristofferson said. 

PHOTO CREDIT: JC Raceteknik

After two days of testing behind the wheel of the Audi S1 Quattro Supercar, he admits that there is a lot that he and the team can learn from each other as they target the drivers' and teams' titles in 2021. 

"EKS JC knows how to win races and championships and after the first two test days, we see that we can learn and gain from each other. Joel Christoffersson and the whole team are very passionate and motivated to achieve the goal of me defending the Driver’s title and, together with Enzo, also the Team’s title," the Swede said. 

"The target when you enter a championship as the reigning champion is always to win it again, but that’s certainly no easy task. It’s a position I’ve been in twice already, and we will do whatever it takes to fight for the crown this year."

Johan will partner Enzo Ide in the KYB EKS JC team behind the wheel of the newest generation Audi S1 EKS RX Quattro Supercars.

PHOTO CREDIT: JC Raceteknik.

Joel Christoffersson is under no illusion that having Kristoffersson in the team alongside Ide will help the team develop at a faster rate.

"Johan is the most successful World RX driver to date and I am very happy, that with a support from Red Bull, Ravenol, KYB, and Blåkläder we can have him in our team next to Enzo. His experience and knowledge will help us to develop further and also for Enzo this will be a great opportunity to learn from the very best," EKS JC Team Manager, Joel Christoffersson said. "We will continue testing before the season and I am sure we will give a hard time to our competitors."

Timmy Hansen determined to 'write a new story' in World RX

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

Former World Champion Timmy Hansen has confirmed his return to World RX in 2021 with the family-run Hansen World RX Team and is determined to 'write a new story this year.'  

The 29-year-old has had a successful career having competed in World RX since its inception in 2014, and he is one of only three drivers' to have entered every round, achieving ten wins and 32 podium finishes at the wheel of a Peugeot 208. 

His 2019 campaign was his most accomplished to-date having claimed four wins from ten starts on course to secure both the drivers' and teams' titles for Team Hansen MJP alongside younger brother and team-mate Kevin Hansen, in a dramatic finale in South Africa, which saw Hansen and Andreas Bakkerud end the season on level points.  

A year later, it was a bit more challenging for Team Hansen, but after some thorough testing, they were able to find some improvements which resulted in a win and three podium finishes.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media

After Kevin's [Hansen] return was announced earlier this week, it was just a matter of time before we'd find out about Timmy's future, and his return to the World Championship is truly great news.

The Swede acknowledges all the challenges that his family-run team has had making it to the grid each season, and is very grateful to once have the opportunity to compete in 2021. 

"In the last few years since we've become a fully independent family team, being on the grid has never been a given each season. I'm very grateful I have the opportunity to come back and compete again this year," Timmy Hansen said.

"I love rallycross and it's always been part of my life, and it still is in a very big way. We run the family team every day and our involvement with rallycross goes back decades. It's in my blood since I was born so I'll always want to compete here."

Having recorded ten World Rallycross career victories, the Swede is more motivated to write another successful championship story in 2021. 

"Even though this will be my eighth consecutive season in World RX now, I'm as motivated as ever to write a new story this year: will we compete for the title, who will be fast this year, and how will we stack up?" Hansen adds. 

Could the Hansen's clinch the World RX title in the final season of the internal combustion engine? They certainly could, and Timmy believes that his team is better prepared this season than they were last year. 

"We've been working really hard ourselves and the car feels much better starting in 2021 than it did in 2020. All the great ideas and talented people working with us have made a big difference, even as a small team that's improving step-by-step," he said. "We might have a good shot at competing for the title this year, but let's see how it goes!"

Norway axed, Sweden delayed and Portugal returns in revised 2021 World RX calendar.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Championship.

The FIA World Rallycross Championship has today issued a revised calendar for the 2021 season due to the ever-changing global situation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. 

The Norweigan round originally set to host the season opener for the 2021 season in mid-June has been canceled, but the season will now begin at Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona in Spain on 23-24 July. 

"Earnest efforts were made by all parties to reach a resolution, but strict border restrictions and the lack of a suitable alternative date made it impossible to hold the event in 2021," the championships statement said.

Germany's Nürburgring will host rounds 2 and 3 (a double-header) at its new rallycross track based around the Müllenbachschleife amphitheater section of the illustrious circuit. Thereafter Höljes - the discipline's most iconic venue which was originally penciled in as round 2 has been delayed by seven weeks in hopes of accommodating a limited number of fans. 

"The challenges of the ongoing pandemic have required Rallycross Promoter GmbH to adopt a flexible and agile approach to respond to an ever-changing global situation," the championship statement adds.

"Following close consultation with event organizers and the relevant authorities in each of the host countries, an updated calendar has been put together that not only visits some of the best rallycross tracks in the world but also maximizes the likelihood of welcoming fans on-site where possible."

Thereafter, Lohéac in France, Riga in Latvia, and Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium will maintain all the dates as previously revised in March. 

Portugal's Montalegre track will host the final round of the 2021 campaign, returning after two years. 

“We all acknowledge the positive trend over the summer of the pandemic in Europe," Arne Dirks, Executive Director, Rallycross Promoter GmbH, said. "That’s why, after having liaised closely with our key stakeholders, we have taken the deliberate decision to delay the start of the campaign in the hope of being able to open the gates to fans at as many rounds as is feasible and safe, and have assembled what we believe is an irresistible blend of iconic rallycross tracks and state-of-the-art modern venues. We are confident we now have the best possible World RX calendar for 2021."

"To be able to confirm the return of Montalegre – a circuit that has always been a fan-favourite and never fails to offer World RX a warm welcome – is fantastic news for all concerned, and whilst we are obviously disappointed not to be able to race in Norway this year due to ongoing complications related to the pandemic, we are sure we will see Hell back on the calendar in the future as World RX races into a bright new era."

The first-ever FIA RX2e (electric) rallycross championship – will also join World RX in Spain, Germany, Sweden, France, and Belgium.

Enzo Ide commits to full World RX campaign.

PHOTO CREDIT: JC Raceteknik

Enzo Ide will contest the full 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship at the wheel of an Audi S1 EKS RX Quattro for EKS JC. 

The Belgian driver has had a successful circuit racing career having won the Blancpain Sprint Series and finishing third in FIA GTE. He then switched to rallycross in 2018 and has since contested selected rounds of World RX, RallyX Nordic, and British RX. 

Ide made his return to World RX in 2020 for the season finale Barcelona double-header in where he claimed a 13th and 12th place finish respectively, but this time around he will return for the full season. 

He will also compete in the full RallyX Nordic series this year with EKS JC. 

"I’m very happy to announce my second championship campaign for 2021. Already last year I dreamed of racing in two full championships, but due to different circumstances, it wasn’t possible," Enzo Ide said. "I’m very happy to be able to drive a full season in both the World Championship and RallyX Nordic together with EKS JC this year in my Audi S1 ​​EKS RX. I know it will be tough because only the top drivers compete in World RX, but for me, it's just about gaining experience and learning by competing against these professional drivers."

Enzo has confirmed that his testing programme started with EKS JC last week. 

"We have started testing and it’s very exciting to be back in a rallycross car. I want to take this opportunity to thank both Joel (Christoffersson) and Mattias (Ekström) for believing in me. Without them, this would never have been possible. This is a dream come true and I will enjoy it one hundred percent. I hope I can have many years with this strong team, and continue to create memories with all the fantastic people that are part of it," he adds.

In 2021, Joel Christoffersson collaborated with Mattias Ekström’s EKS team to create a new team "EKS JC", and will race in World RX this year with Ide – who was announced last week as also racing in the RallyX Nordic season.

"It's fantastic that we can enter a full World Championship season with Enzo, and to be part of him making that step. He will race in two championships this year and I feel that we will be well prepared for both," Joel Christoffersson, EKS JC Team Principal, said. 

"RallyX Nordic will be good practice for him to help improve his pace as much as possible for World RX. Enzo showed a strong development curve last year and finished the season with two really good results. He definitely has the speed to be in the semi-finals and that will be the goal throughout the season."

The 2021 World RX season is set to take place over eight rounds at seven circuits, starting at Hell, Norway on June 12-13.

JC Raceteknik and EKS join forces for 2021 and beyond.

PHOTO CREDIT: JC Raceteknik.

Reigning FIA World Rallycross Teams' Champions JC Raceteknik have announced a merger with Mattias Ekström's EKS for 2021 and beyond.

The merger between the two Swedish squads comes off the back of a successful 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship campaign, which saw Mattias Ekström get the late call-up to replace Janis Baumanis at KYB Team JC. 

Whilst Ekström claimed two wins on course to claim second place in the drivers' championship. The Swede later announced that will not return to the World RX championship in 2021, as he aims to focus solely on the Extreme E series.

The two-time DTM Champion and 2016 World RX Drivers' Champion Ekström established the EKS RX in 2014 and went on to win both the Drivers' and Teams' titles in 2016.

Having stopped rallycross operations in 2018, the EKS squad returned a year later but not as an entrant, instead, they would provide maintenance and support to the Monster Energy RX Cartel who hired two Audi S1's for the 2019 season. 

In 2019, JC Raceteknik acquired a 2017 specification EKS Audi S1 Supercar, which they raced in the European Rallycross Championship with Robin Larsson at the wheel. Larsson went on to win the championship and thus earned a seat in the World Rallycross Championship for a one-off round.

Following the completion of the 2019 World RX season, JC Raceteknik announced the acquisition of two Audi S1 Quattro's and entered them in the World RX championship in 2020. Having announced their line-up, things soon changed due to the coronavirus pandemic seeing Mattias Ekstrom make a surprising return alongside Robin Larsson for the season. The Swedish duo went on to win the teams' championship for KYB Team JC.

"I founded the EKS team in 2014 with an ambition to win races and championships, and we achieved that in 2016, by winning Driver’s and Team’s titles. And during the 2019 & 2020 JC Raceteknik have taken our cars to the top of Nordic, European and World championships," Mattias Ekström said.

Joel Christoffersson believes that a shared mindset and attitude are the main reasons for the collaboration between JC Raceteknik and EKS for the foreseeable future.

"Me and Mattias share the same mindset and attitude for the sport. This is one of the main reasons why our cooperation has been so successful so far and that has become a solid foundation for joining forces for the future," Joel Christoffersson, the founder of JC Raceteknik, said.

The newly founded collaboration between the two Swedish teams will be headed up by Joel Christoffersson as Team Principal from his base in Kil, Sweden.

"From now on Joel will take care of all the EKS and JC Raceteknik joint racing projects – rallycross, rally, cross karts, and anything else we come up with," Ekström said.

The 42-year-old champion adds that EKS JC is evaluating the future of electric racing and aims to run electric cars in the near future. 

"We are also looking into the future of electric racing and sooner than later there will be a race car in our workshop that is purely driven by electricity," the Swede said.

Christoffersson has confirmed that the EKS JC will return to the FIA World Rallycross Championship in 2021, but has not confirmed the driver line-up as yet.

"For 2021 for sure we want to focus on FIA WorldRX and we want to win not only the Team’s title, but a Driver’s one as well. We are also looking into more projects to expand our operation in multiple disciplines," he said.

Ekström will drive a Skoda Fabia R5 in the newly rebranded EKS JC team in the Arctic Rally Finland World Rally Championship round at the end of this month. 

Written By - Junaid Samodien