It was another challenging weekend for the Volkswagen RX Sweden team at the World RX of Norway, the fifth round of the 2016 FIA World Rallycross Championship. The 1.02km-long circuit at Hell played host to 44 600bhp World RX Supercars, with home Ford Focus RS pilot Andreas Bakkerud becoming the first driver ever in FIA World Rallycross Championship history to win all four qualifying sessions plus the semi-final and final.
2016 Volkswagen Polo RX, World RX of Norway: Kristoffersson
2016 Volkswagen Polo RX, World RX of Norway: Kristoffersson
2016 Volkswagen Polo RX, World RX of Norway: Kristoffersson
The 10-12 June were a difficult two days for the Volkswagen Polo RXs of Johan Kristoffersson and Anton Marklund. Kristoffersson finished seventh (fourth in the first semi-final), while Maryland was a further eight places down the field (seventh in the fourth qualifying heat).
With Kristoffersson currently fourth in the overall drivers’ standings and Volkswagen RX Sweden third in the teams’ points, the Swedish-based rallycross outfit is looking forward to the sixth round of the series and its ‘home’ event, the World RX of Sweden, which takes place from 1-3 July at Höljes Motorstadion.
2016 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP, DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS 1 Mattias Ekström, Audi S1: 125
2 Petter Solberg, Citroën DS3: 120
3 Sébastien Loeb, Peugeot 208: 83
4 Johan Kristoffersson, Volkswagen Polo: 83
5 Andreas Bakkerud, Ford Focus RS: 81
2016 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP, TEAMS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS 1 EKS: 195
2 Team Peugeot Hansen: 151
3 Volkswagen RX Sweden: 117
4 Hoonigan Racing Division: 100
5 World RX Team Austria: 94
Following Rally Portugal, the sixth round of the 2016 FIA World Rally Championship was won by the fifth different driver this season. Belgian Thierry Neuville and his co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul lifted the trophy in Sardinia at the 2016 Rally Italy, with Volkswagen crews Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila second and Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia third.
Just as with last month’s WRC outing in Portugal, while Volkswagen Motorsport failed to win the Italian round of the championship, the podium places helped push its lead still further. The Hanover-based team is now 70 points of nearest rival Hyundai Motorsport, while current three-time world champion Ogier is 64 points clear of second-placed Dani Sordo in the driver standings.
High temperatures and dust
The high 30-degree temperatures and vast quantities of dust proved challenging for the 2016 event drivers. Ogier and Ingrassia once again ‘swept’ the stages open, thanks to their first place in the championship table. While the running order may change for 2017, 2016’s regulations yielded few chances for the French pair to challenge for the lead, the duo swapping over 87 per cent of the roads for other competitors.
2016 Volkswagen Polo R WRC, Rally Italy: Ogier/Ingrassia
2016 Volkswagen Polo R WRC, Rally Italy: Ogier/Ingrassia
2016 Volkswagen Polo R WRC, Rally Italy: Ogier/Ingrassia
2016 Volkswagen Polo R WRC, Rally Italy: Ogier/Ingrassia
They may not have been on the podium, but Volkswagen RX Sweden drivers Johan Kristoffersson and Anton Marklund scored yet more valuable points for their Drivers’ Championship hopes at round four of the FIA World Rallycross Championship, the World RX of Great Britain. The 27-29 May event at the iconic Lydden Hill – the ‘home of rallycross’ – saw a total of 24 Supercars entered for the showdown at the 1.17km-long circuit.
Technical issue
After day one, Kristoffersson was in seventh place, with Marklund one place behind. ‘Celebrity’ driver and Top Gear US star Tanner Foust ran another Volkswagen RX Sweden-prepared 600bhp Polo RX and was in 15th place as the curtains came down on the first day’s action. Usually the pilot of a Global Rallycross Championship Volkswagen Beetle, the US driver was to later retire due to a technical issue with his car.
Although both of Volkswagen RX Sweden’s regular drivers qualified for the semi-finals after solid performances in the qualifying rounds, both Kristoffersson and Marklund finished sixth in their respective races. Kristoffersson tweeted: “After a mishap in the semis it was game over too early. Holding P3 in the @FIAWorldRX Drivers Championship! #worldrx”. In the final reckoning, Kristoffersson finished eighth, while Marklund was eleventh overall.
2016 Volkswagen Polo RX, World RX of Great Britain: Foust
2016 Volkswagen Polo RX, World RX of Great Britain
2016 Volkswagen Polo RX, World RX of Great Britain: Marklund
2016 Volkswagen Polo RX, World RX of Great Britain: Marklund
2016 Volkswagen Polo RX, World RX of Great Britain: Foust
Third in team table
The young Swede collected seven points in the Drivers’ Championship, which leaves him outside the top 10. Kristoffersson gained 12 points from the weekend in Great Britain and is now third in the overall drivers’ points standings, 35 points shy of championship leader and World RX of Great Britain winner Mattias Ekström. Volkswagen RX Sweden is now third in the team world championship table with 102 points.
The fifth round of the 2016 FIA World Rallycross Championship – the World RX of Norway – takes place at Hell in Norway from 10-12 June.
2016 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,
DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1 Mattias Ekström, Audi S1: 105
2 Petter Solberg, Citroën DS3: 100
3 Johan Kristoffersson, Volkswagen Polo: 70
4 Sébastien Loeb, Peugeot 208: 63
5 Toomas Heikkinen, Audi S1: 60
2016 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,
TEAMS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1 EKS: 165
2 Team Peugeot Hansen: 109
3 Volkswagen RX Sweden: 102
4 Hoonigan Racing Division: 67
5 World RX Team Austria: 62
Four winners in five rounds of the 2016 FIA World Rally Championship – that was the result of the 2016 Rally Portugal, at which Citroën’s Kris Meeke reigned supreme. That of course means one thing: victory escaped Volkswagen Motorsport’s three-time world champion Sébastien Ogier.
But, it wasn’t all bad news: although Ogier finished uncharacteristically on the last step of the podium, his finish and Andreas Mikkelsen’s second place shored up the Volkswagen Motorsport points tally in the overall championship standings.
Mikkelsen and co-driver Anders Jæger’s finish benefitted them in particular, with the Norwegian pair leapfrogging two places up the Drivers’ Championship table, now just 47 points behind their leading French team-mates. Whatever the outcome, the podium places in Portugal were the 318bhp Polo R WRC’s 75th and 76th top three results in the car’s 44th competitive event. What of Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila? The Finnish duo came home sixth.
‘Cautious approach’
Ogier claimed he was close to both his and the car’s limits in Portugal: ‘That was certainly one of the toughest and most physically demanding rallies I have ever driven at in Portugal. Julien and I were once again right on the limit this weekend. As such, I am very happy with my performance. I would obviously have liked to have stayed ahead of Andreas. However, after the slow puncture on Sunday’s first stage, we had to take a slightly more cautious approach.
‘Without another spare tyre it would have been too risky otherwise with these route conditions. I would like to say an extra big ‘Obrigado’ to the many Portuguese fans. The crowds here are simply fantastic. It is great to see that the entire country is supporting rallying – whether the police, fans or the president himself, who popped in to see us in the service park.’
2016 Volkswagen Polo R WRC, Rally Portugal: Ogier/Ingrassia
2016 Volkswagen Polo R WRC, Rally Portugal: Ogier/Ingrassia
2016 Volkswagen Polo R WRC, Rally Portugal: Ogier
2016 Volkswagen Polo R WRC, Rally Portugal: Ogier/Ingrassia
In a similar performance to that at the second round of the 2016 FIA World Rallycross Championship, both Volkswagen RX Sweden Polo RXs were among the front-runners at the third round of the series, the World RX of Belgium at Mettet. Both the 600bhp rallycross Polo Supercars of Johan Kristoffersson and Anton Marklund made it to the Supercar final at the 1.1km Circuit Jules Tacheny.
Fastest time
Kristoffersson once again – as at Hockenheim – set the winning pace in the Free Practice sessions on day one, and claimed the fastest time. The Swedish driver started form third on the grid in the Supercar final on day two, but a technical issue with his Polo meant he failed to capitalise on his prominent grid position.
Marklund meanwhile stormed into the lead and the first corner from the third row of the grid in the same race, and was awarded the Monster Energy Supercharge award. With both Volkswagen RX Sweden cars in the Supercar final, the team has closed the gap in the overall teams’ standings with 83 points. Kristoffersson’s sixth overall performance in Mettet leaves him third in the drivers’ championship points table, while Marklund’s fourth puts him 11th in the individual standings.
2016 Volkswagen Polo RX, World RX of Belgium: Kristoffersson
2016 Volkswagen Polo RX, World RX of Belgium: Kristoffersson
2016 Volkswagen Polo RX, World RX of Belgium
‘Good confidence’
Kristoffersson was pleased with his Polo RX’s speed: ‘I had a pretty good feeling through the whole weekend. I like the track in Belgium and I know the car suits it well. I came here with good confidence, we had the speed to win both of the first two events and I knew we would have the pace here.
‘Me and Anton finished side-by-side in Q1 but after that in every race I started in a worse position. The start at Mettet is so crucial: it’s just so competitive now. I was driving within myself and we used new tyres for the semi-final and things were looking pretty good. It feels like we still have a big headwind but the team is really great and we know we have the speed, so that is very positive.’
2016 Volkswagen Polo RX, World RX of Belgium: Marklund
2016 Volkswagen Polo RX, World RX of Belgium: Marklund
2016 Volkswagen Polo RX, World RX of Belgium: Marklund
Marklund was pleased with his best result of the season: ‘The pace has been really good all weekend. The guys worked so hard on the car between the races and our engine guys have done some really good work this weekend. We made a brilliant start from the last row, but after a small mistake at the chicane on the back straight we slipped down the placings. That’s where I lost a podium finish. Fourth is really good but the pace was there for the podium.’
EKS’ Mattias Ekstrom lead the 49-car Supercar field to victory at the World RX of Belgium. The fourth round of the 2016 FIA World Rallycross Championship, the World RX of Great Britain, takes place at Lydden Hill in Kent from 27-29 May.
2016 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,
DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1 Mattias Ekström, Audi S1: 78
2 Petter Solberg, Citroën DS3: 73
3 Johan Kristoffersson, Volkswagen Polo: 58
4 Toomas Heikkinen, Audi S1: 46
5 Robin Larsson, Audi A1: 38
2016 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,
TEAMS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1 EKS: 124
2 Volkswagen RX Sweden: 83
3 Team Peugeot Hansen: 77
4 Hoonigan Racing Division: 43
5 World RX Team Austria: 39
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