Johan Kristoffersson (VW Polo) won a seventh FIA World Rallycross Championship title today Saturday (November 9) at Istanbul Park Circuit in Turkey during the 2024 World RX season finale. The Swede secured himself the 2024 title after heat 2. The event was won by his teammate Ole Christian Veiby (VW Polo) who won the final from Niclas Grönholm (PWR Hyundai i20 RX1e) and Kevin Hansen (Peugeot 208 RX1e).
Eventually Turkey’s Istanbul Park Circuit was the venue chosen for the 2024 season finale after it became clear that the initial foreseen trip to China was not going to happen. Istanbul Park Circuit was visited in 2015 for the last time by the World Rallycross Championship with Timmy Hansen being victorious. Also for the 2025 season Istanbul Park Circuit has been awarded a round for the World championship.
Nine drivers came to Istanbul for this final double header weekend, lead by Johan Kristoffersson. He was holding a 46-point lead in the championship standings, seeking his seventh FIA World Rallycross Championship title. He set the pace already during practice on Saturday morning with being fastest ahead of teammate Ole Christian Veiby. Then he came in second in the first heat race with the remaining ‘title contender’ Kevin Hansen finishing fifth after dealing with a puncture.
Prior to his second heat Kristoffersson was holding a 49-point lead meaning he should finish ahead of Kevin Hansen to secure himself another world title. This is also exactly what happened and therefore the job was done for the Swede. With the electrical cars having the better start Kristoffersson had to work his way up lap by lap during his second heat race to eventually win that one ahead of Timmy Hansen (Peugeot 208 RX1e). Kevin Hansen finished it in fourth resulting in a sufficient 52-points championship lead.
Kristoffersson was on top of the ranking and started in the first semi-final together with French Rallycross Champion Steven Bossard (Hyundai i20), who stepped up to the world stage this weekend, on the front row. Kristoffersson won the start from Bossard and lead it until the final lap when teammate Veiby passed him to get the win and the ten championship points. Timmy Hansen was also through to the final after his third place finish. The second semi-final had Niclas Grönholm and 2024 FIA European Rallycross Champion Patrick O’Donovan (Peugeot 208) on the front row. Together with winner Kevin Hansen they qualified for the final.
Kevin Hansen and Ole Christian Veiby, who are both in the running for second place in the championship, started the final from the front row. Veiby, in an ICE car, won the start from Kevin Hansen in the electrical car. Kristoffersson ran third and tried to make his way past Kevin Hansen but hit the tires in the third lap. Veiby continued in the meantime and was extending his margin on Kevin Hansen allowing the Norwegian to pass through the joker lap section in the penultimate lap and remain in the lead. He came in first and won his first World Rallycross event. Grönholm finished second and Kristoffersson came in as third. However the newly crowned champion was set back to last place in the final as he did not pass through the joker lap section. Therefore Kevin Hansen completed the podium. In the championship standings, and as such the battle for second place, Kevin Hansen is now second with 179 points with today’s winner Ole Christian Veiby currently third with 172 points.
The 2024 season will come to a close tomorrow Sunday with the tenth and final round of the 2024 FIA World Rallycross Championship with the action to go underway at Istanbul Park Circuit with a warm-up session at 10h30 local time.
Results
World RX – Final: 1. Ole Christian Veiby (N), VW Polo; 2. Niclas Grönholm (FIN), PWR Hyundai i20 RX1e; 3. Kevin Hansen (S), Peugeot 208 RX1e; 4. Timmy Hansen (S), Peugeot 208 RX1e; 5. Patrick O’Donovan (IRL), Peugeot 208; 6. Johan Kristoffersson (S), VW Polo.
World RX Team: 1. Kristoffersson Motorsport (S), 40; 2. Hansen World RX Team (S), 36; 3. Construction Equipment Dealer Team (S), 35; .
Standings
World RX (9/10): 1. Johan Kristoffersson (S), 223; 2. Kevin Hansen (S), 179; 3. Ole Christian Veiby (N), 172; 4. Timmy Hansen (S), 164; 5. Niclas Grönholm (FIN), 163; etc.
World RX Team (9/10): 1. Kristoffersson Motorsport (S), 395; 2. Hansen World RX Team (S), 343; 3. Construction Equipment Dealer Team (S), 296.