Kristoffersson Motorsport clinches World RX Groups’ title
Ole Christian Veiby breaks World RX duck with maiden race win
Juha Rytkönen turns into sixth completely different World RX race winner in 2024
Johan Kristoffersson has received the FIA World Rallycross Championship drivers’ title for an unprecedented seventh time after an thrilling season finale in Türkiye.
The 35-year outdated Swede didn’t add to his 5 race wins on the Istanbul Park double header – though he didn’t should as he secured the title with victory within the second warmth on Saturday.
“What a race to win the championship – merely unbelievable and a lot enjoyable,” mentioned Kristoffersson.
“We’ve got so many good folks on this group and we got here into the season well-prepared with a dependable automotive that has been very straightforward to drive.
“Seven world championship titles – it’s going to take a while for this to sink in!”
From that title profitable second on, Kristoffersson targeted on making certain KMS received the World RX Groups’ title and sacrificed a warmth and a semi ultimate win in an try to advertise team-mate Ole Christian Veiby up into the runners-up place within the drivers’ standings.
Veiby scored his maiden World RX victory of his profession by profitable Spherical 9 in his sustainably-fuelled combustion engined KMS – HORSE Powertrain-prepared Volkswagen Polo KMS 601 RX – however the Norwegian driver then stalled the automotive at the beginning of Sunday’s ultimate, ruining a golden probability of stealing silver from pole place.
It was subsequently Kevin Hansen who held on to take second within the drivers’ standings in his Hansen World RX Crew Peugeot 208 RX1e, with a fourth place end within the ultimate spherical (and extra importantly ending forward of Veiby) securing the runners-up spot.
While the Hansen group was conspicuous by its absence on the rostrum within the first 4 rounds of the season, some excellent teamwork noticed them safe a run of six consecutive podium finishes thereafter. Each Kevin and brother Timmy received a race every through the season, with the latter ending fourth within the factors standings.
Sunday’s rain and exceptionally slippery monitor situations didn’t favour the electrical vehicles in Türkiye, as they discovered it difficult to seek out traction. Niclas Grönholm had been tremendous quick within the dry on Saturday and completed second within the ultimate, however within the moist it was a special story the following day because the CE Supplier Crew PWR RX1e driver might solely end fifth within the final race of the 12 months.
The Finn finally ends up fifth within the ultimate factors standings, one place forward of team-mate Klara Andersson who didn’t qualify for each World RX of Türkiye finals.
An absence of grip was the principle difficulty for a really sideways Patrick O’Donovan. The Euro RX champion acquired into Saturday’s ultimate, regardless of getting squeezed right into a spin approaching Flip 1 within the semi ultimate – with fifth in Spherical 9 the spotlight of a flamboyant weekend in his Crew RX Racing Peugeot 208 WRX.
One of many largest surprises of the season was stored till the final spherical, when Juha Rytkönen held off Kristoffersson and Timmy Hansen to win Spherical 10.
The 33-year outdated Finn had been on great kind all weekend and had been concerned in some exhausting battles – most notably along with his PGRX team-mate Steven Bossard.
But it surely all got here good ultimately, as Rytkönen turned an excellent begin right into a textbook lights to flag victory to turn out to be the sixth driver to win a spherical of this 12 months’s World RX sequence.
“I’m speechless and actually shocked,” admitted Rytkönen.
“Saturday was a troublesome day for us, however Sunday went significantly better and to beat two world champions within the ultimate is a very particular feeling. It’s wonderful!”
2024 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
Factors after Spherical 10
1. Johan Kristoffersson….240pts
2. Kevin Hansen….197pts
3. Ole Christian Veiby….190pts
4. Timmy Hansen….181pts
5. Niclas Grönholm….177pts
6. Klara Andersson….145pts
WORLD RX RACE RESULTS
World RX of Türkiye (Istanbul Park)
Spherical 10 – Sunday 10 November
1. Juha RYTKÖNEN (FIN) PGRX (ICE)….5 laps
2. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) KMS – Horse Powertrain (ICE)….+3.026s
3. Timmy HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Crew (EV)….+12.428s
4. Kevin HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Crew (EV)….+14.465s
5. Niclas GRÖNHOLM (FIN) CE Supplier Crew (EV)….+18.783s
6. Ole Christian VEIBY (NOR) KMS – Horse Powertrain (ICE)….+19.370s
WORLD RX RACE RESULTS
World RX of Türkiye (Istanbul Park)
Spherical 9 – Saturday 9 November
1. Ole Christian VEIBY (NOR) KMS – Horse Powertrain (ICE)….5 laps
2. Niclas GRÖNHOLM (FIN) CE Supplier Crew (EV)….+6.017s
3. Kevin HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Crew (EV)….+7.654s
4. Timmy HANSEN (SWE) Hansen World RX Crew (EV)….+10.991s
5. Patrick O’DONOVAN (IRL) Crew RX Racing (ICE)….+11.811s
6. Johan KRISTOFFERSSON (SWE) KMS – Horse Powertrain (ICE)….+6.768s
