The 2024 FIA World Rallycross Championship heads to Hungary for the primary time on 27/28 July. The third and fourth rounds of the “Battle of Applied sciences” will happen on the Nyirád Racing Centre, with the standard suspects competing for glory towards a Hungarian residence hero.
Nicknamed the “Purple Cauldron” due do the distinctive color of the unsealed floor sections of the observe, Nyirád is also known as some of the “old-school” circuits on the calendar. The technical curves and turns mixed with dramatic elevation adjustments current an attractive problem for drivers and assure an incredible spectacle for the followers.
The primary weekend of world rallycross motion within the new “Battle of Applied sciences” period noticed victory head the way in which of inside combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Certainly, six-time world rallycross champion Johan Kristoffersson asserted his dominance early on, throwing down the gauntlet by successful each occasions in Sweden. Nevertheless, staff principal Tommy Kristoffersson is not going to be easing off any time quickly. “We all know what we’re good at, and I feel the double victory was well-deserved” Kristoffersson Sr defined, earlier than including “there are nonetheless areas for enchancment and it’ll get more durable. We’ll come to tracks the place we can not dominate, so we should proceed to work on our growth potential. We should always have fun this success, completely, however we should additionally keep humble.”
Kristoffersson might have been untouchable within the moist, however within the dry circumstances on Saturday he was put beneath strain by the chasing pack. In the meantime teammate Ole Christian Veiby struggled with launching his automobile off the road, denying him the potential to assault on the very prime.
Hoping to capitalise on this are the 2 CE Seller Group drivers, Niclas Grönholm and Klara Andersson, who’re tied on factors in second within the championship. Each might have taken not less than one victory in Sweden, with Grönholm displaying wonderful tempo in his electrical PWR RX1e earlier than occasions out of his management snatched these possibilities away from him. Andersson got here inside a whisker of taking victory from Kristoffersson on the primary day of motion, and will probably be hoping to go one higher than second in Hungary.
Hansen World RX Group are eager to bounce again after a disappointing weekend in Sweden. Neither Timmy nor Kevin Hansen made it onto the rostrum in Sweden, regardless of each drivers getting their Peugeot 208 RX1e vehicles into the ultimate on each events. Each drivers have additionally triumphed at Nyirád up to now, and they’re aiming to repeat their success in 2024.
“Höljes was a bit tougher than we hoped for,” admitted 2019 world champion Timmy Hansen. “It looks like we’ve acquired to do loads of work to grasp the brand new tyre however as all the time there’s nice motivation inside the staff. We’re pushing ahead with new concepts so I’m excited to return to Hungary. We need to struggle for one step larger within the outcomes than we have been in Sweden. Hungary is the place I acquired my first ever win in Supercars again in 2013 and it’s the primary time since then the championship returns so there’s tons to look ahead to.”
With such sturdy competitors lining up on the electrical facet of the “Battle of Applied sciences,” the ICE vehicles have their work lower out to cease them claiming victory. Anthony Pelfrene impressed in his world rallycross debut within the Peugeot 208 WRX, and René Münnich all the time demonstrates first rate tempo in his SEAT Ibiza.
Getting into the battle on the ICE staff is Hungarian champion Jankó Wieszt. Wieszt entered the ultimate rounds of the British Rallycross Championship’s 5 Nations Trophy at Lydden Hill in 2023, placing in an excellent efficiency to earn him a podium place within the last spherical. Now making his debut in world rallycross in a Renault Mégane RS RX, a automobile designed for the 2018 championship, the Hungarian driver is aiming to placed on an excellent present for the followers. “It’s so thrilling to have the ability to compete at my residence observe in Hungary’s first-ever World Rallycross Championship occasion, though it’s tough to set targets as a result of I’ve solely pushed the Mégane for round 90km, and I’ve in all probability not pushed greater than 150km in whole in rallycross vehicles since 2017! After all will probably be an enormous problem, as I’ll be going up towards the easiest drivers within the self-discipline, however I need to have enjoyable – that’s my predominant goal.”
