Kristoffersson has 17 reasons to remain focused in America.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Media.

Seventeen is the magical number heading into the World RX of USA, because seventeen points would be enough for defending FIA World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson to claim a successful title defense in America. 

The Swede is a master at claiming the top qualifying spot, so one more of those and a semi-final start would hand Johan the title. 

If the title defense was enough, Kristoffersson claimed the 2018 TCR Scandinavia Touring Car Championship title, last weekend with victory in race one and fifth place in race two at the series’ final round at Mantorp Park. 

Despite the PSRX Volkswagen Sweden drivers record breaking run of success, he is trying to remain focused on the job at hand.

"You know I say all the time that I’m not thinking too much to the championship and really just focusing on the races that are right in front of me," says Kristoffersson. 

"Honestly, I try not to think too much about what could happen, what might happen if this happens or that happens. But then when you are in the gym or sitting on an aeroplane for a long time, then your mind wanders a little bit and, of course, you think a bit to this thing."

Kristoffersson heads into the weekend with a 73 point advantage, but admits that he will not change his approach, despite being on the cusp of claiming his second title. “What won’t change is my approach. OK, I have some gap (73 points) to the guy in second, so I can maybe afford to take some more risks with the races," the Swede said. "But I want to drive clean, stay out of trouble and do what we have to do."

Three questions for Mercedes-AMG Petronas boss Toto Wolff.

Toto Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport lead the Constructors' Championship by 37 points, Lewis leads by 40 points in the Drivers' standing. How does this change the approach for the rest of the season? 
"It's obviously better to have a lead than to not have it, but there are six races remaining and plenty of points to score, so it doesn't give us any comfort. We will continue to concentrate on every single session, trying to optimise the car in every possible area - and we will go for the race win. There is no naïve optimism about our situation within the team: our mind-set is very positive, we are energised, the factories are buzzing and we're excited for the fight that we will certainly have in the next six races." 

What are the chances of seeing Esteban and George in a Formula One cockpit next year? 
"There are many good drivers who merit a drive in Formula One, both young ones and more experienced ones, but at the moment cockpits are a limited commodity. Both Esteban and George certainly deserve to be in Formula One; we are still working on options and will carefully decide what's best for them. If that means having to play the long game, then we will continue to prepare and develop them." 

Valtteri currently holds P4 with only a very slim chance of fighting for the Drivers' Championship. What does that mean for a driver? 
"For every racing driver, that's a very difficult situation to be in because everything you dream about and everything you work for is winning the World Championship. When you realise you're not in the hunt any more, that's very difficult to handle. But Valtteri has shown that he has the speed, the talent and the work ethic to win in a Mercedes. He has always been a team player and that is one of his greatest character traits. Valtteri could have won races this year, but the odds were against him. However luck isn't just a one-way street; and I know that Valtteri has every ingredient it needs to win at this level. He just needs to keep working hard to improve and trust that the tables will turn for him." 

Content Supplied By - Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport 

Solberg keen to go racing at the Circuit of the Americas.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Media.

FIA World Champion, Petter Solberg is raring to go racing on American soil. 

Solberg attended the official launch at the Circuit of the Americas early this year, and had the chance of driving the circuit.  

“I was out there for the launch earlier this year and the track looked really good," said Solberg. "It’s going to be a fast one, which is what the drivers really like and it looked like a real challenge with some interesting corners – hopefully some good places to overtake."

The Circuit of the Americas track is 806m in length, with a mix of 63% asphalt and 37% gravel.

Petter and son Oliver [Solberg] will be visiting Houston to see NASA’s Johnson Space Centre, ahead of the World RX weekend. 

The Norwegian is ready to go racing on the new track in Texas. “There’s always something special about a new track and a new venue, but being there at the first time for the championship and the team to compete in America will be a nice experience," says Solberg. 

"As well as the track layout, I think we should be in for a good atmosphere with the fans as well – it’s nice to be there to introduce America to World Rallycross."

GRX Taneco targets the final at the World RX of America

PHOTO CREDIT: GRX Taneco.

GRX Taneco are feeling positive about their achievements heading into the final stages of the World RX season. This is the first time that the Hyundai i20 Supercars have been entered for a full season while still undergoing development. 

The team has qualified for the semi-finals each time, and are constantly improving, having claimed a place in the final on three occasions and clinched a worthy fourth place in Latvia. 

The World RX of USA is a new step on the learning curve for the Finnish team. Held at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas, the tenth round of the season is a highlight on the calendar, and all competitors will have set the bar high. 

“This is a brand new race for all of us, so we’re all on an equal footing. It is also set to be a tough race for the drivers and their cars," said Grönholm. "The circuit is a short 812 metres so we can expect it to be very closely fought with some fierce tussles."

The narrow track is 60% asphalt and 40% dirt, and covers just 812 metres. Temperatures are expected to be high, adding to the difficulty for the drivers and the cars in a race where resilience and consistency will be key to success.  

“The American race is a new challenge for all of us. It’s a very short, narrow, slippery track. Temperatures are going to be high so it’s going to be a very demanding weekend," said Timerzyanov.

Fourth in the Latvian round, Niclas Grönholm is keener than ever to make it onto the podium at the World RX of America. "It promises to be a thrilling weekend and after our performance in Latvia, we feel confident and raring to go," the Finn says. "We’re aiming for another place in the final.”

Timur Timerzyanov reached the semis in Latvia and currently sits ninth in the standings. He is hoping to bag a place in the final this weekend.

"After the contact in the semi-final in Latvia, there was quite a bit of damage to the #7 and the team has been working flat out to get the car ready on time," says Timerzyanov. :"So that’s one more reason to give it our all and reap the rewards from our efforts.”

Ekström believes that COTA should suit their EKS Audi Supercar.

PHOTO CREDIT: Audi Sport

This weekend, EKS Audi Sport heads to Austin (Texas) for the first FIA World Rallycross Championship (World RX) round in the United States.

Mattias Ekström knows the Circuit of the Americas primarily as a race track for Formula One and MotoGP events. “So far, I’ve only seen the rallycross track during a Facebook Live Session of the American championship. It appears to be very compact and should suit our small car well. In addition, there seem to be a number of cool jumps,” says Ekström.

In 2010, Ekström raced as a guest in the American NASCAR series twice. Last weekend, he competed in the Nitro World Games in Salt Lake City, in where took second place.

His teammate, Andreas Bakkerud, has contested a rallycross race at the Circuit of the Americas before. “That was in 2014, as part of the X Games,” says Bakkerud. “It was extremely hot and we had unusually high grip at the start. For all the drivers and teams, developing the best strategy at the start will be a new challenge. I’m looking forward to new fans and a couple of barbecue steaks – after all, Texas is famous for them.”

The Circuit of The Americas, World RX circuit is the shortest on the calendar with a length of 812 meters is located in the stadium area of the Formula One circuit between Turns 12 and 15, and features a spectacular jump. 

Mattias Ekström and Andreas Bakkerud intend to defend positions two and three in the drivers’ world championship at Austin.

PREVIEW: World RX to break new ground at the Circuit of The Americas.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Media

The FIA World Rallycross Championship will break new ground this weekend, with Texas’ Circuit of The Americas set to host the first-ever World RX of USA.

Fifteen permanent competitors will take to the track, going door-to-door around the new permanent rallycross circuit that incorporates part of COTA’s Formula 1 layout. The field is headed by defending World Champion Johan Kristoffersson, who will clinch his second consecutive Drivers’ title this weekend should he score 17 points or more.

In World RX, however, nothing can ever be taken for granted, with myriad twists, turns and unexpected dramas all part-and-parcel of what is renowned as one of the world’s most thrilling championships.

Whilst PSRX Volkswagen Sweden’s Kristoffersson has unquestionably been the class of the field this year, his rivals – a number of them World Champions in other high-profile series – are redoubling their efforts to halt his charge.

Just six points blanket second to fifth in the classification after nine of the 12 rounds, and the drivers filling those spots – Mattias Ekstrom, Sebastien Loeb, Andreas Bakkerud and Petter Solberg – are some of the biggest names in international motorsport.

EKS Audi Sport’s Ekstrom and Team Peugeot Total ace Loeb arrive in the USA buoyed by top three finishes last time out in Latvia, and both have title-winning pedigree in other high-profile series. Ekstrom has made the final in every round bar one this season – meaning the Swede is always a threat – while Loeb has tallied six podiums from nine starts this year, a statistic beaten only by Kristoffersson.

Bakkerud (EKS Audi Sport) and Solberg (PSRX Volkswagen Sweden) are guaranteed crowd-pleasers, big personalities and famous rivalry invariably amongst the highlights of World RX events. Both are more than capable of winning – with 16 prior victories between them – and both will be fired-up to break their 2018 duck and etch their name in history as the very first winner of World RX of USA.

“It’s going to be a fast one, which is what us drivers really like and it looked like a real challenge with some interesting corners – hopefully some good places to overtake," said Solberg. "There’s always something special about a new track and a new venue, but being the first time for the championship and the team to compete in America will be a great experience. As well as the track layout, I think we should be in for a good atmosphere with the fans as well.”

Timmy Hansen sits sixth in the sister Team Peugeot Total 208 WRX, but a strong result at COTA would vault the Swede firmly into the thick of the second-place scrap, which is set to run right to the end of the campaign.

Beyond the top six in the standings, Niclas Gronholm has been quietly impressive behind the wheel of GRX Taneco Team’s Hyundai i20, currently leading the non-manufacturer battle in seventh position overall. The young Finn has reached the final on three occasions already this season, and came within barely half-a-second of mounting the podium in Riga – motivation to go at least one spot better in the ‘Lone Star State’.

Kevin Hansen in a third Peugeot 208 WRX is next up, the young Swede rivalling his more experienced team-mates on occasion as he continues to prove himself on the World Championship stage, while former Euro RX Supercar Champion Timur Timerzyanov in the second Hyundai can never be ruled out of springing a surprise.

GC Kompetition will field owner/driver Guerlain Chicherit, as 2017 Euro RX Supercar Champion Anton Marklund rejoins the World Championship fray in the sister Renault Megane RS RX, more than three months on from his last appearance. The Swede narrowly pipped Cyril Raymond to the runner-up laurels in the 2018 Euro RX tussle in Latvia, and will be keen to stake his claim to a full-time return to the highest level.

Swedish duo Robin Larsson and Kevin Eriksson are eager to bounce back from a disappointing outing in Riga in Olsbergs MSE’s brace of Ford Fiestas, while Team STARD’s Janis Baumanis and Gregoire Demoustier (Sebastien Loeb Racing) complete the entries.

ENTRY LIST PROVIDED by FIA World Rallycross Media

Kristoffersson re-writes the history books in Latvia.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Media

Super Swede Kristoffersson has re-written the history books having beaten his own record for the number of victories in a year. The defending World RX champion has claimed eight wins from nine races. 


The Swede's latest victory was crafted from an exceptional race weekend where he showed the kind of pace and determination of a world champion. And it’s a race win that takes him – and PSRX Volkswagen Sweden – another step closer towards another title. 

The unstoppable Swede recalls fond memories of claiming his maiden FIA World Rallycross Championship in Latvia last year. “I had some great memories of winning my first world championship here last year and it was nice to be back again," said Kristoffersson. "We did our testing here in the middle of the year, but to see the grandstands full again was really bringing back the memories of last year – it made me want another world championship!"

Kristoffersson beat Frenchman Sebastien Loeb by just 0.009 seconds in Q1, claiming the fastest time and slotted into P1 in the standings. "Q1 was crucial here – it was so tight, but beating Loeb by nine-thousandths of a second was vital to get pole for Q2," explained Kristofferson. "That helped shape the whole weekend."

By claiming pole position for Q2, the Swede was able to keep out of trouble at Turn 1. Turn 1 claimed quite a few victims, including his teammate Petter Solberg in semi-final one.

"Turn one here is so important, we saw a lot of chaos here and I tried my best to keep out of it and succeeded thankfully," says the Swede. "From pole it is, of course, much easier to brake late and keep position."

The semi-final seemed fairly easy for the defending champion, but he reveals that it was not as easy as, it might have appeared. “In the semis, the first couple of laps were actually quite messy and I made a few mistakes; I was more cautious as I knew my pace was good," says Kristoffersson. 

After a messy semi-final, Johan made a few changes to improve the Volkswagen Polo R Supercar for the final. "We had a great launch off the line, the car was fantastic and I felt comfortable pushing," the PSRX Volkswagen driver said. 

"I have to thank the team for their hard work to improve our starts which was so important here, it's worked well and really made this victory possible."

Solberg touched by support after revealing medical condition.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Media.

PSRX Volkswagen Sweden driver and team owner, Petter Solberg was back in Riga for the first time since being involved in a heavy crash last year. The triple FIA world champion admitted he’d been touched by the support he received after revealing his medical condition ahead of the Latvian round. 

But, for the third World RX of Latvia in succession, he failed to emerge with the result he’d hoped for – a collision on lap one of the semi-final lead to him not qualifying for the final.

“I don’t believe in bad luck but that’s three times in a row now in Latvia..." said Solberg. "I feel like I had good pace all weekend but just never had the chance to show it. I was stuck in traffic a lot, some really tough battles but it meant I lost so much time and couldn’t get the results I needed to get a front-row spot for the semi-finals."

The Norwegian lined up on the second row of the grid in semi-final one, and after an incident at Turn 1, he finished in fourth place. “In turn one in the semi I felt a hard hit from behind and was pushed into the wall," explained Solberg. "At that point getting into the final was basically impossible, but our speed in those last five laps was really good and showed what could have been."

Ahead of the Latvian round, Solberg revealed that he was diagnosed with a condition in where his body produces too much iron. The medical condition was only discovered after doctors performed tests, following his crash in Latvia last year. 

“It was a tough decision whether or not to talk about what happened for the last year, but I wanted people to know why I had not really been myself," said Solberg. "Honestly, the support I got has been more than I could ever imagine and I have to say a big, big thank you to everybody for these messages."

World RX and Mettet part ways with immediate effect.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Media

After five years of successful hosting the FIA World Rallycross Championship at the Mettet's Circuit Jules Tacheny, the promoter IMG and RUMESM have today ended their agreement to host the World RX of Belgium.

The World RX event at Mettet has enjoyed much success, having been a mainstay on the World RX calendar since the series’ inaugural season back in 2014. However all parties have amicably agreed to part ways with immediate effect.

“We are very proud that Mettet’s Circuit Jules Tacheny was able to host the FIA World Rallycross Championship for five years, thanks to an excellent working relationship with IMG,” said Freddy Tacheny, Chairman of RUMESM.

The World RX of Belgium has seen four different race winners over the five years: Toomas Heikkinen, Mattias Ekstrom, Johan Kristoffersson and Sebastian Loeb. 

“The RUMESM and Mettet have been brilliant hosts but both parties agree that the time is right to part ways," said Paul Bellamy, Senior Vice President, Motorsports at IMG. "We wish the RUMESM and Mettet every success in the future.”

The full 2019 World RX calendar will be announced in due course.

Loeb claims another podium finish but urges Peugeot Total to improve.

PHOTO CREDIT: Peugeot Sport/Red Bull Content Pool

Sébastien Loeb claimed another podium for Team Peugeot Total, with a third place in Latvia, his 3rd straight podium finish in Riga and 6th of the 2018 FIA World Rallycross season. 

The Frenchman was the second-best points-scorer of the weekend, while Team Peugeot Total scored more points than any other team. 

On Saturday, Loeb did not get off to a clean start, and ended the day in sixth place overall. He came back fighting on Sunday securing second place in both Q3 and Q4. 

“The weekend went quite well: we made a good start right from Q1, then we struggled a bit more in Q2, hitting a barrier, which cost us some time," said Loeb. "Q3 and Q4 were especially good: I think we have a solid pace but the problem we have is that the 3 manufacturers here have nearly the same speed, so it’s very hard to make a difference on the track."

The Frenchman believes that there is still a lot of work to be done with race starts, due to its inconsistency. "Quite often I lose a place by the 1st corner, and that’s actually what happened in the Final," says Loeb. 

In order to be able to challenge for race win, the Frenchman firmly believes that Team Peugeot Total needs to find small improvements. 

"We just need to find a little bit more to be challenging for the victory and that’s going to be our objective between now and the end of the season," he explains. "There aren’t any miracles in this sport, but you just have to work hard to understand how to improve.”