Finland’s Niclas Gronholm scored an emotional home victory on the CapitalBox World RX of Finland, round four of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy this day (30 August).
GRX Taneco’s Gronholm produced his handiest qualifying efficiency of the season within the Intermediate Classification to wind up 2nd and earn 15 championship aspects on the Kouvola circuit, situated 130km north east of Finland’s capital Helsinki. He then received semi-final two in treacherous prerequisites to construct a front row start for the final.
The TQ (prime qualifier) field within the Intermediate Classification change into once taken by Sweden’s Johan Kristoffersson, the World RX Drivers’ aspects chief, recent from superior round three of the Championship on the a similar circuit on Saturday.
Kristoffersson started from pole field for the final, thanks to victory in semi-final one, nevertheless it change into once Gronholm who led on lap one after overtaking Kristoffersson on the first nook. From there on, Gronholm held the lead in refined wet and slippery prerequisites on the picturesque venue, warding off the shut attentions of first Kristoffersson, and then Mattias Ekstrom, when Kristoffersson took his joker on lap three.
Managing the flee lead with maturity previous his years, with the chasing pack perfect centimetres on the encourage of the GRX Taneco Hyundai i20 Supercar for the total flee, Gronholm took his joker on lap six and held on to earn his third World RX profession victory.
Ekstrom carried out 2nd, overtaking Kristoffersson within the final nook. For the first time in 2020 despite the incontrovertible truth that, Kristoffersson didn’t attain on the rostrum, he change into once also overtaken by Gronholm’s GRX crew mate, Russia’s Timur Timerzyanov, in a flee to the attain line.
Sweden’s Timmy Hansen, racing a Peugeot 208 for Team Hansen, carried out fifth after taking his joker on lap one and Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel’s Andreas Bakkerud carried out the list of final finishers.
Kristoffersson continues to lead the Drivers’ Championship standings, KYB Team JC maintains its field within the lead of the Groups’ Championship standings.
“I knew that the fellows on the encourage of would push me within the tight corners within the final, so I perfect kept to the internal traces and ideal accelerating on the straights change into once ample. I change into once keeping composed and attempting to now not build any errors at all. I did a few, nevertheless now not so colossal errors. I felt the tension nevertheless it change into once in most cases perfect to manipulate the flee when I got into the lead, and it’s for certain constructive to get a take dangle of,” said Gronholm.
Ekstrom’s 2nd field attain kept the Swede in title-competition. “I had correct roam within the final, it change into once refined to ascertain up on with so remarkable dirt on the windscreen, nevertheless one way or the other the wipers swept it away and I will even look. I felt had correct roam in comparison with Niclas so I had no self-discipline at all to stick on his bumper, nevertheless he did no errors so colossal congratulations to him and the total crew – if you effect no errors then you may well well also take dangle of. I didn’t look remarkable, I heard my guys on the radio, they said it may well actually be tight within the final nook and I peep forward to watching it on TV on fable of everyone says it change into once a broad flee,” said Ekstrom.
Timerzyanov visited the rostrum for the first time this one year. “That change into once correct. That change into once a constructive strive against in both the semi-final and final, it change into once so shut. I began to over pressure a chunk bit on the final lap, and it change into once a for certain tight final nook, everyone wanted to be on the rostrum. Johan opened the door and I extinct that to walk him on the internal. I’m for certain chuffed,” said Timerzyanov.
Finland’s Juha Rytkonen, racing for the GRX SET crew, nearly made it three Hyundai i20s within the final, nevertheless change into once handed a 5 2nd music limits infringement penalty and the field he before all the pieces held for the final change into once taken by Bakkerud. Team Hansen’s Kevin Hansen, from Sweden, change into once also labeled fourth in his semi-final, he lost out in a battle for field along with his brother and teammate within the final lap of the semi-final. KYB Team JC’s Robin Larsson and GCK Bilstein’s Anton Marklund, both from Sweden, carried out the list of finishers in semi-final one, and Germany’s Timo Scheider, racing for ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport and Finland’s Jere Kalliokoski had been fifth and sixth in semi-final two.
The major reserve for the semi-finals change into once Netherlands’ Kevin Abbring, making his debut for the Unkorrupted crew in a Renault Clio. Obedient Britain’s Liam Doran, the Monster Energy GCK RX Cartel driver change into once 14th and Abbring’s Unkorrupted crew mate Guerlain Chicherit, from France, change into once 15th. The final championship point change into once claimed by Hungary’s Tamas Karai. Finland’s Jani Paasonen and Atro Maatta, and Germany’s Rene Muennich carried out the list of qualifiers within the Intermediate Classification.
Paul Bellamy, Senior Vice President of Motorsports Occasions at IMG, concluded: “What an finest efficiency this day from a genuine rising star of motor sport. Congratulations to Niclas for an improbable pressure within the final, and to your complete GRX Taneco crew for having two drivers on the rostrum. It’s been an intense week for everyone taking into consideration about the championship, with four rounds in eight days, and everyone has executed an finest job. Now there’s a snappy destroy to the subsequent double-header in Latvia, nevertheless first this weekend’s circulation can be dissected within the 2nd version of the brand new RX After Music fuelled by Monster Energy on our Fb and YouTube channels.”
The fifth and sixth rounds of the FIA World Rallycross Championship will earn field on September 19-20 on the Neste World RX of Riga.
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