The FIA World Rallycross Championship’s ‘Battle of Technologies’, which sees fully-electric cars race head-to-head against sustainably-fuelled combustion engined machines, resume at Nyirád’s famous Red Cauldron this weekend in a World RX double header.
Johan Kristoffersson began the defence of his world title with victory at the opening rounds at Höljes and will be looking to increase that advantage at the World RX of Hungary in his KMS – HORSE Powertrain-run Volkswagen Polo KMS 601 RX.
This will be the Swedish driver’s first appearance at Nyirád – unlike Hansen World RX Team brothers Timmy and Kevin Hansen who have raced there before. They will be eager to put a disappointing opening race meeting behind them and unleash their team’s full race-winning Peugeot 208 RX1e potential.
CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment duo Klara Andersson and Niclas Grönholm are tied for second place in the points table after claiming a runner-up finish apiece in Sweden. The former was particularly impressive as she came within a whisker of pipping Kristoffersson to victory on the opening day, registering her finest result to-date in World RX. Both drivers tested a FIA RX2e Championship’s ZEROID X1 car at Nyirád earlier this year and will be hoping to translate that recent experience into a successful weekend.
Kristoffersson’s team-mate Ole Christian Veiby is right behind the CE Dealer Team pairing in fourth, having battled back from a stall at the start of Sunday’s final in Höljes to stand on the World RX podium for the eighth time in his career – although the Norwegian remains in search of his maiden win.
Former Hungarian Rallycross Champion Jankó Wieszt is a new addition to the grid, racing an ex-GCK Renault Mégane RS RX; a car not seen in the World Championship since 2021. The 29-year-old will be aiming to exploit his local knowledge around an old-school circuit that is unique on the calendar, with its Red Cauldron nickname stemming from the distinctive colour of its unsealed surfaces, having been built on the site of a disused bauxite quarry.
In addition to the World RX double-header, the event plays host to the second round of the 2024 RX2e, Euro RX1 and Euro RX3 championships, with no fewer than 18 Hungarian drivers entered across the three categories.
They’ll be out to impress on home ground, chasing the likes of RX2e, Euro RX1 and Euro RX3 leaders Nils Andersson, Patrick O’Donovan and Nils Volland.
Characterised by technical curves and dramatic elevation changes, Nyirád welcomed the FIA European Rallycross Championship from 2006-2013 before rejoining the Euro RX schedule in 2022 following a near decade-long absence. This weekend marks Hungary’s FIA World Rallycross Championship debut.
Source : Fia
