On Sunday (August 20) titles in the 2023 FIA RX2 Championship as well as the 2023 FIA European Rallycross Championship for RX1 and RX3 cars were decided at Buxtehude (Estering) in Germany. Nils Andersson (RX2e) is the new RX2e champion. In the RX1 category Anton Marklund (Ford Fiesta Mk7) prolonged his title while Damian Litwinowicz (Audi A1) is the 2023 RX3 champion.
Nils Andersson was leading the RX2e standings before the German weekend. The Swede qualified third after the heats and finished second in his semi-final behind Tommi Hallman (RX2e). In the final, he then followed Tommi Hallman all the way to the chequered flag, in the knowledge that second place was sufficient to get the job done.
“Finishing on top when everyone has the same tools is great,” Andersson said. “The biggest key to our success this year was that I had a really fast teammate in Mikaela [Åhlin-Kottulinsky], meaning we could work together on finding the details and making the car quick. This title belongs to Kristoffersson Motorsport as well, because they are such a big part of it. Hopefully I can come back to defend it next year.”
Joining Hallman and Andersson on the RX2e podium was Isak Sjökvist (RX2e). In the final championship standings Andersson wins it with 76 points from Sjökvist (69 points). Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky (66 points) finishes the 2023 FIA RX2e championship as third.
in RX1 points leader before Germany and defending champion Anton Marklund only needed four points to secure himself another European title, the fourth in his career. The Swede succeeded in his mission on Sunday when he set a fastest time in the fourth heat and finished on top of the ranking. Afterwards, he was not able to finish his semi-final and was eventually placed 11th in the final event classification.
“We knew it would be difficult coming into this season with a ten-year-old car,” Marklund said afterwards. “Of course we had some small upgrades to the gearbox, but apart from that it’s the same since Ken Block was driving it in 2013-14.
“It was a late decision to enter the championship again, and as the champion, you are the one that everybody wants to beat, but we have a very experienced team and we did our best to stay out of trouble. In the end, our consistency and patience paid off. I’m very pleased.”
The win in the RX1 category in Germany went to Jānis Baumanis (Peugeot 208) who won the final from Patrick O’Donovan (Peugeot 208) and Belgium’s Enzo Ide (Audi S1). In the 2023 standings Marklund (92 points) ends the championship with six points clear on Baumanis (86 points). Patrick O’Donovan finished third ahead of Enzo Ide both tied on championship points (76 points).
Most drama at the Estering took place in the RX3 category where the Stewards of the Meeting had a job to do throughout the event. Title contenders before the event were Damian Litwinowicz and Espen Isaksætre (Audi A1). Both eventually meet again in the final after having been battling it out during earlier stages in the event. However, following an incident in the final between Isaksætre, Liwinowicz and Nils Volland (Audi A1), the first named was disqualified from the final for ‘pushing, side-to-side contact and causing a collision’. Later on Jens Hvaal (Škoda Fabia Mk3), who came in first, was disqualified from the event following a non-conformity with the technical regulations for RX3 cars. Eventually the ‘win’ in Germany went to Frenchman Dylan Dufas (Renault Clio Mk4).
Results
RX2e – Final: 1. Tommi Hallman (FIN), RX2e; 2. Nils Andersson (S), RX2e; 3. Isak Sjökvist (S), RX2e; 4. Niclas Grönholm (FIN), RX2e; 5. Klara Andersson (S), RX2e; 6. Filip Thorén (S), RX2e – DNF.
Euro RX1 – Final: 1. Jānis Baumanis (LV), Peugeot 208; 2. Patrick O’Donovan (IRL), Peugeot 208; 3. Enzo Ide (B), Audi S1; 4. René Münnich (D), SEAT Ibiza Mk4; 5. Tamás Kárai (H), Audi S1; 6. Peter Hedström (S), Hyundai i20.
Euro RX3 – Final: 1. Dylan Dufas (F), Renault Clio Mk4; 2. David Bouet (F), Renault Clio Mk4; 3. Nils Volland (D), Audi A1; 4. Damian Litwinowicz (PL), Audi A1; 5. Espen Isaksætre (N), Audi A1 – DSQ; -. Jens Hvaal (N), Škoda Fabia Mk3 – DSQ.
Final standings
RX2e (5/5): 1. Nils Andersson (S), 76; 2. Isak Sjökvist (S), 69; 3. Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky (S), 66; 4. Pablo Suarez (E), 52; 5. Ole Henry Steinsholt (N), 50; etc.
Euro RX1 (6/6): 1. Anton Marklund (S), 92; 2. Jānis Baumanis (LV), 86; 3. Patrick O’Donovan (IRL), 76; 4. Enzo Ide (B), 76; 5. Tamás Kárai (H), 59; etc.
Euro RX3 (5/5): 1. Damian Litwinowicz (PL), 91; 2. Espen Isaksætre (N), 87; 3. Nils Volland (D), 65; 4. Jens Hvaal (N), 46; 5. Martin Kjær (N), 43; etc.