The 2023 World RX season continues this weekend with the World RX of South Africa. Find out everything you need to know below.
Championship Rundown
Johan Kristoffersson leads the championship as per usual. Kristoffersson sits 27 points ahead of Niclas Grönholm heading into the two rounds of the World RX Of South Africa. Kevin Hansen sits third in the championship, just 4 points behind Grönholm. Kristoffersson’s teammate Ole Christian Veiby is fourth in the championship heading into this weekend. Veiby currently sits 3 points behind Kevin Hansen. 2019 champion Timmy Hansen sits fifth in the championship, a mere 2 points behind Veiby.
The World RX Returns
The 2023 World RX season came to a screeching halt before the round in Lydden Hill even started. As a fire involving the Special One Racing Lancia Delta’s caused the round to be cancelled for the RX1e class. Due to a subsequent investigation, the rounds in Germany and Belgium were cancelled for the RX1e class also.
Select RX1e drivers were given the opportunity to drive in the RX2e class at one event, however. With Kristoffersson, Veiby and both the Hansen’s driving the round in Belgium. With Andersson and Grönholm driving the round in Germany. That was the drivers first taste of the cars they will be driving for the final four rounds of the season. Due to the still ongoing investigation into the cause of the fire at Lyddenn Hill, the RX1e cars can’t be used. So the World RX turns to the next best thing, the RX2e cars. Seeing as they aren’t going to change the regulations for the championship mid-season. They also couldn’t just call the season quits after 3 rounds.
Due to the three missed rounds for the RX1e class drivers, the World RX of South Africa and the World RX Of Hong Kong have been made double header rounds. This still means there will be one less round drivers compete in this season. However, the fewer missed rounds the better for the drivers and championship. Due to the change in schedule, the event will use a different format than normal weekends. As instead of four heat races there will only be three and they will all take place on the same day. Everything else stays the same, it’s just all in one 6 or 7-hour long day. There will also be support classes racing during the time the RX2e cars are recharging for the next round of racing.