The opening round of the 2024 FIA World Rallycross Championship went underway today (July 6) at Höljes (Höljes Motorstadion) in Sweden. The first win of 2024 season went to the defending and six time FIA World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson (VW Polo). He won the final from his countrymen Klara Andersson (PWR Hyundai i20 RX1e) and Gustav Bergström (VW Polo RX1e).
Five double header events, making up 10 championship rounds, are on the calendar for the 2024 World RX season. Following this weekends opening round in Sweden Word RX is set to travel to Hungary, Belgium, Portugal and to Australia for the season finale at the end of November.
Apart from a new single tyre supplier this season RX1e electrical cars and RX1 ICE cars will race together, the last ones using sustainable fuel. To ensure a level playing field a new system of ‘Equivalence of Technology’ has been put in place that levels a reference minimum weight for RX1 cars with a maximum reference power output for RX1e cars. Following a pre-season assessment the weight and power output was determined for the season opener. Now, after each event and based on the final event classification, it will be reviewed by FIA through a procedure, set out in the Sporting Regulations, to determine if any adjustments need to be made to it.
Another change this season is the racing format and the way points are earned for the championship. Drivers are now racing for position in the heat races and no longer for time. Therefore “setting a fastest time in the first heat” does no longer make much sense as it will come down to win your heat race. After each of these heat races (ran with five cars max) points from 5 descending to 1 are awarded.
The ranking after the heats will be based on all the points scored during the heat races. From there the top 12 qualifies for two 6-cars semi-finals with each time the top three making it into the 6-car final. Following the result of the semi-finals and the final drivers are scoring championship points (10-8-6-4-2-1).
The grids used for the heat races are composed in line with so-called seeding tables that are an integral part of the Sporting Regulations. A seeding list (based on the championship standings) is used as input for the seeding tables.
The first World RX heat race of the 2024 season went to Kristoffersson ahead of teammate Ole Christian Veiby (VW Polo) collecting the first points for the 2024 championship. Klara Andersson won the second heat race. Race wins in the second heat went once more to Klara Andersson and initially Johan Kristoffersson. However, the latter received a 2 position penalty (as well as a reprimand) from the Stewards for contact with Niclas Grönholm (PWR Hyundai i20 RX1e). Therefore the win in the second heat race went to Timmy Hansen (Peugeot 208 RX1e). In the ranking prior to the semi-finals Klara Andersson topped the list with two heat race wins and thus maximum points. Kristoffersson and Timmy Hansen were placed second and third.
The ten World RX starters were then split up in two 5 car semi-finals. The first one, with Klara Andersson and Timmy Hansen on the front row, was won by Andersson ahead of Timmy Hansen. The other qualifier for the final was Kevin Hansen (Peugeot 208 RX1e) while Niclas Grönholm and Sondre Evjen (VW Polo RX1e) finished respectively as fourth and fifth and were out for the final. The second semi-final went to Kristoffersson ahead of Veiby and Gustav Bergström. Anthony Pelfrene (Peugeot 208) and René Münnich (SEAT Ibiza Mk4) did not made it to the final. The final for the first round of 2024 season saw Andersson and Kristoffersson sharing the front row. Timmy Hansen and Ole Christian Veiby were on the second row with the grid completed by Gustav Bergström and Kevin Hansen.
When the green light was shown Kristoffersson had the better start with Timmy Hansen also overtaking front row starter Klara Andersson near the first corner but then passing through the joker lap section. Kristoffersson lead it from Andersson and Bergström after the first lap. The leading trio continued for the remaining laps and made it into the joker lap section only during the final lap managing to stay in front of the rest. Therefore Kristoffersson, who won the last round of the 2023 season, now also won the 2024 opening round. Klara Andersson scored a fine second place with Gustav Bergström completing the podium.
In addition to World RX also rounds for the 2024 FIA European Rallycross Championship for RX1, RX2e and RX3 cars are taking place this weekend. As the European championships, initially foreseen to go underway at Essay in France in the beginning of June but the event got cancelled at the eleventh hour, Höljes is now also the first outing for these drivers. The events are single header events with each time four qualifying heats before moving into the semi-final stage. On the first day three heats were already completed in all three categories. In RX1 Patrick O’Donovan (Peugeot 208) is leading it, after three race wins, ahead of Peter Hedström (Peugeot 208) and Máté Benyó (Peugeot 208) with respectively one and two heat race wins. In RX2e defending champion Nils Andersson (RX2e) is topping the list with three race wins. João Ribeiro (Audi A1) is leading RX3 after three heats and scoring two race wins.
The event continues tomorrow Sunday (July 7) with round 2 of the 2024 FIA World Rallycross Championship and the remaining heats, semi-finals and finals for the different European championships.
Results
World RX – Final: 1. Johan Kristoffersson (S), VW Polo; 2. Klara Andersson (S), PWR Hyundai i20 RX1e; 3. Gustav Bergström (S), VW Polo RX1e; 4. Timmy Hansen (S), Peugeot 208 RX1e; 5. Ole Christian Veiby (N), VW Polo; 6. Kevin Hansen (S), Peugeot 208 RX1e.
World RX Team: 1. Kristoffersson Motorsport (S), 43; 2. Construction Equipment Dealer Team (S), 38; 3. Hansen World RX Team (S), 30.
Euro RX1 (after 3 heats): 1. Patrick O’Donovan (IRL), Peugeot 208; 2. Peter Hedström (S), Peugeot 208; 3. Máté Benyó (H), Peugeot 208; 4. Sivert Svardal (N), VW Polo Mk5; 5. Mika Liimatainen (FIN), Hyundai i20; 6. Yury Belevskiy (RUS), Audi S1; etc.
Euro RX2e (after 3 heats): 1. Nils Andersson (S), RX2e; 2. “Luigi” (H), RX2e; 3. Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky (S), RX2e; 4. Marko Muru (EST), RX2e; 5. Isak Sjökvist (S), RX2e; 6. Luka Wlömer (D), RX2e; 7. Molly Taylor (AUS), RX2e.
Euro RX3 (after 3 heats): 1. João Ribeiro (P), Audi A1; 2. Nils Volland (D), Audi A1; 3. Sámuel Kovács (H), Škoda Fabia Mk3; 4. Balász Kőrmőczi (H), VW Polo Mk5; 5. Dominik Senegacnik (A), Škoda Fabia Mk3; 6. André Sousa (P), Audi A1, etc.
Standings
World RX (1/10): 1. Johan Kristoffersson (S), 28; 2. Klara Andersson (S), 28; 3. Timmy Hansen (S), 20; 4. Gustav Bergström (S), 19; 5. Ole Christian Veiby (N), 15; etc.
World RX Team (1/10): 1. Kristoffersson Motorsport (S), 43; 2. Construction Equipment Dealer Team (S), 38; 2. Hansen World RX Team (S), 30.