The 2025 FIA World Rallycross Championship went underway today Saturday (May 31) with a first day of competition during the opening round at the newly rebuild Circuito Internacional de Lousada in Portugal. Timmy Hansen (Peugeot 208 RX1e) holds the overnight lead in World RX after Qualifying 1 and 2.
Despite some time of uncertainty finally the new season kicked off with now FIA itself taken over the role of championship promoter. World RX 2025 continues building on the ‘Battle of Technologies’ with ICE cars and electric cars competing against each other but on the other hand the competition format has been revised. For this season again up to four qualifying heats are done per competition with classification based on time and no longer on position in a heat race. This will lead to an intermediate classification (ranking) where upon the semi-final starting grids are based. The race weekend will be concluded with an all-decisive World RX final.
To deal with the ICE cars (RX1) and electrical cars (RX1e) competing to each other, FIA put a system of ‘Equivalence of Technology’ (EoT) in place. Prior to this weekends opening round a pre-season assessment – with Andreas Bakkerud driving all the championship cars – took place at the Lousada track to determine an EoT figure for both RX1 and RX1e cars. This has lead to a minimum weight for the RX1 cars and a maximum reference power output for the RX1e cars. After each event a new assessment will be carried out by FIA – based on the Final Event Classification – that can lead to adjustments in the minimum weight respectively maximum reference power output figures.
After a fan event on Thursday evening downtown Lousada the action on the track went underway on Saturday morning with two free practice sessions. World RX welcomes two new drivers for 2025 with Juha Rytkönen (Hyundai i20) – winner of the final round in 2024 in Turkey – and the 2024 Euro RX1 champion Patrick O’Donovan (Peugeot 208). Both are at the wheel of ICE cars. Defending champion Johan Kristoffersson (VW Polo Mk5) – in an ICE car – set the fastest time in the free practice session ahead of Niclas Grönholm (PWR Hyundai i20 RX1e) and Kevin and Timmy Hansen – al in an electric vehicle.
Afterwards during Qualifying 1 Kristoffersson was in the first heat race scoring a third place, after an early joker, behind Kevin Hansen (Peugeot 208 RX1e) and Niclas Grönholm. Timmy Hansen won the second heat race from Kristoffersson’s teammate Ole Christian Veiby (VW Polo Mk5). The oldest of the Hansen brothers also set the fastest time. In Qualifying 2 race wins went to Klara Andersson (PWR Hyundai i20 RX1e) and Niclas Grönholm resulting in a fastest time for the latter. Timmy Hansen and Grönholm with a fastest and a third fastest time are tied in the ranking after the first day. Veiby with twice a second fastest time is third ahead of Kevin Hansen and Klara Andersson. After his sixth place finish in Qualifying 2, defending champion Kristoffersson is currently sixth overall and has still a job to do on Sunday.
Alongside World RX also competitions for the 2025 FIA European Rallycross Championship (Euro RX1 and Euro RX3) are taking place at Lousada. In Euro RX1 both of the Volland Racing Audi S1 cars were pretty dominant. Yury Belevskiy (Audi S1) was fastest during both qualifyings where Nils Volland (Audi S1) set a second and third fastest time. Finn Mika Liimatainen (Hyundai i20) holds third position. The third Audi S1 – driven by Damian Litwinowicz (Audi S1) – is fourth overnight.
In Euro RX 3 the Audi A1 is the car to beat at Lousada. João Ribeiro (Audi A1) set a fastest time twice and is leading after the first day. Second and third are Joaquim Machado (Audi A1) and Libor Teješ (Audi A1) who both set a second and fourth fastest time. André Sousa (Audi A1) in another Audi A1 rounds off the top four.
The Rallycross action at Lousada continues on Sunday morning with a warm-up session starting at 9h30 local time followed by Qualifying 3 and 4, the semi-finals and the finals.
Results
World RX (after two heats): 1. Niclas Grönholm (FIN), 90; 2. Timmy Hansen (S), 90; 3. Ole Christian Veiby (N), 90; 4. Kevin Hansen (S), 81; 5. Klara Andersson (S), 80; 6. Johan Kristoffersson (S), 77; etc.
Euro RX1 (after two heats): 1. Yury Belevskiy (RUS), 100; 2. Nils Volland (D), 87; 3. Mika Liimatainen (FIN), 83; 4. Damian Litwinowicz (PL), 82; 5. Martin Enlund (S), 79; 6. László Kiss (H), 77; etc.
Euro RX3 (after two heats): 1. João Ribeiro (P), 100; 2. Joaquim Machado (P), 85; 3. Libor Teješ (CZ), 85; 4. André Sousa (P), 81; 5. Sámuel Kovács (H), 79; 6. Leonel Sampaio (P), 73; etc.