Kristoffersson finishes fourth at World RX of Germany; Rustad takes Euro RX win
The highest-placed Polo RX Supercar driver Johan Kristoffersson finished fourth at the fifth round of the 2015 FIA World Rallycross Championship (World RX), the World RX of Germany on 19-21 June. Volkswagen Team Sweden team-mate Tord Linnerud crossed the line in fifth place after Ford Olsbergs MSE driver Andreas Bakkerud was excluded from the final race following contact with Linnerud at turn one. Linnerud was lucky to be taking part at all, thanks to rolling his Polo in free practice.
75-car entry
The 950-metre long Estering track played host to 75 entered car and driver teams, with overall victory taken by Davy Jeanney in his Peugeot 208 RX Supercar. He is the first Frenchman to win a World RX event. Runner-up was reigning champion and 2015 series leader, Petter Solberg who is now 35 points clear of Kristoffersson in the championship standings. Timmy Hansen finished third to make it a double podium for Team Peugeot-Hansen.
Before the event, Marklund Motorsport driver Toomas ‘Topi’ Heikkinen said that the team needed to focus after a string of less than ideal results. ‘We need to focus this weekend. I think we can be quite high up if we do everything right – the team has done a lo of work since Lydden. It’s a really technical track here and it’s a good fit for me, but the car also needs to be really good to make a good result.’
Sadly, though, a ninth place in the fourth Supercar heat saw Heikkinen exit the German round. The young Finn scored a fifth place at the same event in 2014. Team-mate P-G Andersson finished a further 8 places behind, adding to the woes the 600bhp Marklund Motorsport Polo RX squad has suffered throughout the current season.
In the second round of the 2015 FIA European Rallycross Championship (Euro RX), Marklund Motorsport’s Tommy Rustad crossed the line first in his Polo RX Supercar, ahead of Albatec Racing’s Jerome Grosset-Janin. Rustad’s German win sees him edge closer to series leader Grosset-Janin – the Norwegian is now just two points behind.
Martin Anayi, World RX Managing Director for IMG Motorsport, said: ‘Congratulations to Tommy Rustad who took the Euro RX win and regularly challenged the World Championship drivers throughout the heat races. With only two points separating Tommy and Jerome in the European Championship, it’s going to be all to play for when Euro RX resumes at our Norwegian race at the end of August.’
Volkswagen Team Sweden’s 19 year-old Ole Christian Veiby enjoyed a good run in Germany, but missed out in a place in the Euro RX Supercar final, when he scored a fourth place in the first semi-final. Ahead of the event, the Norwegian said: ‘I think you need to gather as many points as possible at Estering – there are only five races in the European Championship so if you have a bad race then your championship will be almost over, so you have to be smart.’
The World RX crews will head to Scandinavia next for the World RX of Sweden event at Holjes on 3-5 July.
2015 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,
DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1 Petter Solberg, Citroën DS3: 138
2 Johan Kristoffersson, Volkswagen Polo WRX: 103
3 Andreas Bakkerud, Ford Fiesta ST: 88
4 Timmy Hansen, Peugeot 208: 79
5 Reinis Nitiss, Ford Fiesta ST: 77
2015 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP,
TEAMS’ CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1 Ford Olsbergs MSE: 165
2 SDRX: 158
3 Team Peugeot-Hansen: 156
4 Volkswagen Team Sweden: 142
5 Marklund Motorsport: 113
