Defending FIA World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson maintained his unbeaten start to the 2023 campaign with a home soil triumph at Höljes today (2 July).
Having already left his adversaries trailing in Portugal and Norway, another dominant display saw Kristoffersson clinch an emphatic 38th career victory, cheered on by nearly 25,000 enthusiastic fans at rallycross’ legendary ‘Magic Weekend’.
Mastering both Saturday’s searing heat and Sunday’s showers in Sweden’s Värmland region, World RX’s very own magician cast a spell over his rivals to set an electrifying pace, winning all four heats, his semi-final and the all-important final to extend his championship lead to 27 points.
“That was almost the perfect weekend,” the Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS star reflected. “I think this track might be the trickiest one to drive in the wet, but it’s also very rewarding when you get it right and we had great pace and good starts throughout, which was key. It’s always nice to win, of course, but to do so in Sweden in front of such a big crowd and with my family here is extra-special.”
Kristoffersson took the chequered flag more than four seconds clear of closest pursuer Timmy Hansen. The 2019 world champion bounced back from disappointing results in the opening two rounds at Montalegre and Hell to secure his first trophy of the season, getting the better of Ole Christian Veiby in the final to seal the runner-up spoils for Hansen World RX Team.
Veiby similarly ascended the rostrum for the first time in 2023 in third, pleased with his performance but ruing a couple of late mistakes. Following a difficult start to the weekend with an error in the SuperPole session and an off-track excursion in heat one, Kevin Hansen wound up fourth, winning the second semi-final but losing time behind Timo Scheider in the final after running wide on the exit of the joker.
Both Scheider and Guerlain Chicherit saw their efforts plagued by punctures. The German managed to reach the finish line in fifth for ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport, but in his first final appearance of the year, the Frenchman was forced to park his Special ONE Racing Lancia Delta Evo-E RX on the second lap.
Neither Niclas Grönholm nor Klara Andersson progressed to the final on a frustrating weekend for CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment, with nine-time FIA World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb another driver to exit proceedings at the semi-final stage.
In the supporting FIA RX2e Championship, Ole Henry Steinsholt banished the memory of a nightmarish Hell curtain-raiser to claim his breakthrough victory. First-time winners also celebrated in the FIA European Rallycross Championship, with Patrick O’Donovan defeating a trio of former champions to prevail in Euro RX1 and Espen Isaksætre’s triumph setting up an intriguing title showdown in Euro RX3.
The 2023 World RX campaign continues at Lydden Hill in the UK – the circuit where rallycross was born more than half-a-century ago – on 22-23 July.
FINAL RESULT: WORLD RX
1. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS 5 laps
2. Timmy HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team + 4.268s
3. Ole Christian VEIBY (NOR) Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS + 7.773s
4. Kevin HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Team + 9.637s
5. Timo SCHEIDER (DEU) ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport + 44.001s
6. Guerlain CHICHERIT (FRA) Special ONE Racing + 4 laps
