The FIA World Rallycross Championship has began the 2025 season with a large win for Niclas Grönholm, the followers, and the complete rallycross group. A capability crowd of over 10,000 followers packed out the legendary Lousada Worldwide Circuit in Portugal to see the world’s prime RX drivers battle for the primary honours in a brand new period for the class.
Earlier than the primary occasion, the celebs of World RX had been again on-track this morning for the final two qualifying heats to arrange the semis, which then decided the all-important final grid of the weekend.
Reigning champion Johan Kristoffersson was fast out of the blocks to make up for misplaced qualifying factors yesterday and duly maximised his haul in Warmth 2. The blistering tempo within the #1 automotive was on present in This autumn, the place his time was virtually half a second higher than that of some other driver, and a excellent begin in his semi-final launched the ICE-powered KMS machine previous his EV rivals, as he held on to win and safe second on the grid for the ultimate contest.
The spectacular run of type in Lousada for Finnish ace Grönholm continued from Saturday into Sunday, and noticed him take victory in his semi-final, guaranteeing pole place and the very best likelihood to transform to victory for the CE Vendor Crew. Timmy and Kevin Hansen secured second place of their semis to line up alongside each other on the second row, with KMS’s Ole Christian Vieby and Klara Andersson finishing the grid in her CE Vendor Crew machine.
With the stage set, anticipation was at fever-pitch across the Portuguese circuit, with barely decrease temperatures at present doing nothing to chill off the warmth of the motion on-track. Because the lights went out it was neck and neck between the entrance row starters, with Grönholm edging forward into flip one. This compromised Kristoffersson’s line simply sufficient to open the door to each Hansen drivers behind, with first Timmy after which Kevin muscling their manner by means of and into the provisional podium locations.
Kevin and Johan bolted to the joker lap as they exited the epic banked gravel of flip six, selling Veiby and Andersson up the provisional order, although the hole to the highest two was already as much as a few seconds.
Because the race reached half-distance, the #21 Hansen automotive in second had closed proper in on the chief, however as they started to battle, it regarded as if it will convey the remainder of the sector proper again into competition behind. As ever with the fast-paced thrill-a-minute motion of rallycross, although, the chasing pack was embroiled in a battle of its personal, with Kevin Hansen placing a daring transfer on Andersson into the hairpin at flip seven, who then had Kristoffersson throughout her rear bumper into the ultimate flip, although he couldn’t make a transfer stick till one lap later with contact taking Klara out of the competition.
Because the entrance three needed to take the Joker Lap on the ultimate tour, it arrange an epic five-way dive into the ultimate hairpin. The Hansen brothers banged doorways on the apex, and as they had been each compromised, Ole Christian Veiby made the many of the alternative to seize third place on the drag to the end line from Kevin, with Timmy simply capable of keep forward in second.
Their battling gave Grönholm simply sufficient respiration house to ship his CE Vendor Crew automotive flat-out in direction of the chequered flag to assert his ninth FIA World Rallycross Championship victory and prime of a massively spectacular weekend for the 28-year-old.
Niclas Grönholm, CE Vendor Crew, mentioned: “I believe it was an ideal rallycross execution – possibly not absolutely the tempo all through the weekend, however from Q2 on we had the within line good launches. I used to be capable of management the race in locations, however particularly in flip two possibly I used to be too cautious. It was sufficient this time, however yeah, I’ve been on the go now for one month straight, so I’m going to take pleasure in some trip now with my son!”
Timmy Hansen, Hansen World RX Crew, mentioned: “I knew going into the final nook that the one manner we may get second and third as a crew is that if I backed off, however on the similar time, you’ve obtained to race proper?! We actually discovered the tempo right here on the finish of the weekend with new tyres on the automotive. I felt sooner than Niclas in each the semi and the ultimate, it was simply that I attempted to mess around with my strains to have a greater exit than him and be nearer on the breaking, however in the long run I used to be at all times simply too near make a transfer. We’ll do a deep dive into the race in our Hansen Brothers Podcast which can exit on Thursday!”
Ole Christian Veiby, Kristoffersson Motorsport, mentioned: “I didn’t see that coming! I attempted to only comply with Niclas and Timmy out entrance and was capable of catch them up a bit in final half. I got here out of the joker, noticed an enormous cloud of mud after which immediately got here out P3. It was now what I used to be anticipated from the ultimate, fortunate to be on the rostrum, for certain it’s at all times good however we needed extra from this weekend. We struggled in comparison with the electrical vehicles within the launches after which every thing grew to become tougher because it’s not really easy to overhaul right here. We improved the launches through the weekend which is sweet, we’ve got a little bit of a brand new system for this yr.”
Emilia Abel, FIA Street Sport Director, mentioned: “It has been a terrific return for rallycross this weekend in Lousada. I actually need to thank the native organisers and ASN right here for an unimaginable job – there’s clearly an enormous quantity of ardour for this sport right here, the volunteers and officers have been working so laborious, and we couldn’t have hoped for a greater strategy to begin the 2025 season. It’s large thanks additionally to the groups and the drivers who’ve labored with us as we begin to construct a brand new momentum, and I hope that the followers watching round observe and world wide loved the present!”
Click on right here to view the provisional outcomes from Spherical 1 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship.
Click on right here to view the provisional Championship Standings.
