This page contains archived information and may not display perfectly

World RX - 2016 Rallycross of Sweden - Day one report

02.07.16
Sweden’s Johan Kristoffersson is top qualifier on day one at the Swedish round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship at Holjes, having set fastest time in Q2.

The Volkswagen RX Sweden driver won the last race of the day, beating OlsbergsMSE pair Niclas Gronholm and Kevin Eriksson, and World RX Team Austria driver Janis Baumanis. 

In the same race, nine-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb spun by hitting a barrier and dropped to third after Q2, having set the fastest time in Q1 on a wet day in Sweden. Kristoffersson was second to Loeb in Q1 and fastest time in Q2 and secured top spot, with Topi Heikkinen second and Loeb third.

“We went to Hell for a test after the race in Norway and found some things we have been missing at that track for the last two years I think. We have found some things to improve on and in the rain it helps us even more I think,” said Kristoffersson. “Sure there is improvement in the dry as well but it feels so, so nice to be back on the pace. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow and for sure anything can happen. But, what we have done today nobody can take away from us. I like the wet, you just have to find the grip level and don’t do any mistakes, but things can change quick when things are like this.”

Baumanis is fourth at the end of day one, with Gronholm fifth and Kristoffersson’s team mate Anton Marklund sixth. Andreas Bakkerud passed Petter Solberg in the first race of Q2 to be second fastest and is seventh, with Sweden’s Robin Larsson eighth, Russia’s Timur Timerzyanov ninth and Eriksson tenth. Solberg is 15th after Q2 and Mattias Ekstrom is 17th following their DNFs in Q1, the pair sandwiching Swedish Touring Car Championship racer Richard Goransson, who is 16th

Full results from Volkswagen Rallycross of Sweden can be found at www.fiaworldrallycross.com/results