Germany’s Timo Scheider won the second part of the South African double header of the 2023 FIA World Rallycross Championship on Sunday (October 8) at Killarney International Raceway near Cape Town. For the German it was his first win in World RX. Joining the podium with Scheider were Kevin Hansen and Johan Kristoffersson who finished second and third respectively in the final.
Sunday’s action on the track started with a warm-up session on Sunday morning where Kevin Hansen was quicker than yesterday’s winner Johan Kristoffersson. In the Superpole afterwards Kristoffersson was again on top of the list after he got beaten yesterday for the very first time. Kristoffersson was fastest ahead of Kevin and Timmy Hansen.
After the heats Timo Scheider was on top of the ranking. In the first heat he made it only as fifth as he had to deal with a puncture rear right. Kristoffersson set the fastest time in that first qualifying heat. Afterwards in the second and third heat each time Scheider was fastest beating respectively Timmy Hansen and Kristoffersson. Kristoffersson was eventually placed second in the ranking and earned two championship points. With Kevin Hansen being third in the ranking Kristoffersson was holding a 39 point lead in the championship prior to the semi-finals.
In the semi-finals, with four cars each, one driver got eliminated and as such not make it into the final. Following the first semi-final, that was won by Timo Scheider, Ole Christian Veiby got eliminated after he was forced to retire from the semi-final with suspension issues. The second semi-final was won by Kristoffersson with René Münnich finishing fourth, after having passed through the joker lap section twice following a jump start, and not making the final.
In the final with both semi-final winners, Scheider and Kristoffersson, on the front row, the Hansen brothers on the second row and the Construction Equipment Dealer drivers Niclas Grönholm and Klara Andersson on the third row, the start was won by Scheider with Kristoffersson racing as third behind Kevin Hansen after the second turn. Then Kristoffersson passed through the joker lap section in the second lap joining the main track still as third. The next lap Kevin Hansen made it into the joker lap section and managed it to stay ahead of Kristoffersson. Last one was Scheider who passed through it in the fourth lap remaining in the lead and winning his first FIA World Rallycross Championship event. This result meant that Kristoffersson, who came in third, got beaten for the very first time this season and that the World title celebrations need to wait until the final race weekend in November. Klara Andersson initially came in fourth but was set back to fifth place in favor of Timmy Hansen following a Steward’s Decision regarding a turn 3 incident in the opening lap of the final.
In the standings with Kevin Hansen finishing ahead of Johan Kristoffersson the difference between the two drivers is now 36 points with a total of 46 points up for grabs during the season finale.
The championship continues on November 11-12 during World RX of China with the final two rounds taking place on a temporary city-centre Rallycross circuit in the Central Business District in Hong Kong (Central).
Results
World RX – Final: 1. Timo Scheider (D), Zeroid X1; 2. Kevin Hansen (S), Zeroid X1; 3. Johan Kristoffersson (S), Zeroid X1; 4. Timmy Hansen (S), Zeroid X1; 5. Klara Andersson (S), Zeroid X1; 6. Niclas Grönholm (FIN), Zeroid X1.
Standings
World RX (8/10): 1. Johan Kristoffersson (S), 107; 2. Kevin Hansen (S), 71; 3. Timo Scheider (D), 68; 4. Niclas Grönholm (FIN), 63; 5. Timmy Hansen (S), 59; etc.
World RX Team (3/3 – Final Standings): 1. Kristoffersson Motorsport (S), 104; 2. Construction Equipment Dealer Team (S), 72; 3. Hansen World RX Team (S), 71; 4. Special One Racing (F), 46.