KymiRing at Kausala in Finland is playing host for the fourth round of the 2025 FIA World Rallycross Championship this weekend (August 23-24). After a first day of action on the new track Johan Kristoffersson (VW Polo RX1e) is leading it in World RX from Niclas Grönholm (PWR Hyundai i20 RX1e).
Seven cars ultimately made it onto the start list for this Finnish round of the World Championship. Earlier in the week, it appeared that only five cars would compete this weekend. Hansen World RX Team dropped a statement on Friday last week announcing that the team was not going to participate in this Finnish event due to “ongoing issues with a major partner” – widely interpreted to refer to Red Bull. Also this would have meant the very first time that a “Team Hansen” entry has missed a World Championship round since the series began in 2014.
Then on Wednesday there was a rather unusual development with Construction Equipment Dealer Team (the team of Niclas Grönholm and Klara Andersson) stepping in to support Hansen Motorsport, enabling the team to compete this weekend. Micke Jansson, CEO of CE Dealer Team & PWR Group explained the decision: “We support Hansen Motorsport because keeping them on the grid reflects exactly why we started CE Dealer Team with Volvo CE four years ago. Of course, we are a highly competitive team, but our purpose has always been bigger than trophies. It’s about driving motorsport and industry towards a sustainable future. Seeing rival teams come together to make this happen proves the spirit and potential of World RX. In the end, it was a clear choice to step up.”
With both of the Hansen brothers on the starting list the event went underway on Saturday morning with a practice session. It was Niclas Grönholm who was fastest in this session ahead of defending champion Johan Kristoffersson and Ole Christian Veiby (VW Polo RX1e). Next in Q1 Kristoffersson beat Grönholm setting the fastest time. They were both in the last Q1 race where Grönholm won the start. With Kristoffersson passing through the joker lap section in the second lap it was expected to have Grönholm doing the same the lap after. However he passed through the joker lap section only in the final lap allowing Kristoffersson to close the gap and overtake the Finn to set fastest time. Veiby got classified third ahead of Juha Rytkönen (Hyundai i20) racing the only ICE car in World RX this weekend.
Later on in the last Q2 race Kristoffersson and Grönholm were side by side on the grid with Kristoffersson winning the start and leading it in the first corner. Grönholm decided to pass through the joker lap section in the opening lap but wasn’t able to lower the gap with Kristoffersson in the remaining laps. Therefore Kristoffersson set another fastest time and is the current leader after Q2. Grönholm sits in second with twice a second fastest time.
Alongside World RX also the fourth rounds of the 2025 FIA European Rallycross Championship for Euro RX1 cars and Euro RX3 cars are taking place at the KymiRing. In the Euro RX1 championship points leader Yury Belevskiy (Audi S1) is holding the overnight lead with Damian Litwinowicz (Audi S1) going second. Mika Liimatainen (Hyundai i20), second in the championship, had to sit out Q1 due to an ongoing engine change. Afterwards he drove to the fastest time in Q2 and is fourth overall on Saturday evening.
In Euro RX3 Balász Kőrmőczi (VW Polo Mk5) is leading it after Q2. The Hungarian was fastest in Q1. Second is Nicolas Geleyns (Audi A1) who was fastest in Q2. Championship leader João Ribeiro (Audi A1) is fifth for the moment after setting a third and fourth fastest time in respectively Q1 and Q2.
Tomorrow Sunday the action at KymiRing continues with a warm-up at 9h00 local time followed by the remaining qualifying heats, the semi-finals and the finals for all categories.
Results
World RX (after two heats): 1. Johan Kristoffersson (S), 100; 2. Niclas Grönholm (FIN), 90; 3. Kevin Hansen (S), 81; 4. Ole Christian Veiby (N), 81; 5. Juha Rytkönen (FIN), 80; 6. Timmy Hansen (S), 76; etc.
Euro RX1 (after two heats): 1. Yury Belevskiy (RUS), 90; 2. Damian Litwinowicz (PL), 82; 3. Martin Enlund (S), 80; 4. Mika Liimatainen (FIN), 77; 5. Anton Seppä (FIN), 77; 6. Joni Turpeinen (FIN), 75; etc.
Euro RX3 (after two heats): 1. Balász Kőrmőczi (H), 89; 2. Nicolas Geleyns (B/AG), 87; 3. Rytis Gurklys (LT), 87; 4. Sámuel Kovács (H), 83; 5. João Ribeiro (P), 82; 6. Rogério Sousa (P), 77; etc.