Should The FIA Consider Changes To The World RX?

The 2023 World RX Season came to a halt after a fire broke out in Lydden Hill, but does the FIA need to make changes to the series for this and other reasons?

The Facts 

The World RX switched to fully electric cars at the start of the 2022 season. This came as a controversial move. As many, including myself, were skeptical of what Rallycross would be like without noise. Some of us, also including myself, became more open to the idea as time went on and got past the lack of noise. Some fans didn’t get over it, however. Some of those fans continue to look for any reason to blame electric cars for anything that goes wrong. The fire that burned the Special One racing cars and tents to the ground at Lydden Hill just added fuel to the fire. Is there enough reason for the FIA to consider making changes to the series regulations? And if so what could be changed? 

Why There Could Be Changes To The World RX

It’s no secret that the World RX has started to fall off. Especially when you look at just how popular Nitrocross, Nordic RallyX and other Rallycross series are getting. But why is this? Nitrocross is also fully electric at the top class, so why are they doing better? The answer is simple. Nitrocross was able to add something else that catches the fans attention more than just engine noise. The tracks alone captivate fans and leave them wanting more. Nordic RallyX gives fans what the World RX used to be. The current World RX sits in a weird spot. It’s the same thing it always was, just with electric vehicles. Something that longtime fans aren’t taking to. Which is causing the sport to lose fans. The FIA and World RX should consider making some changes to the regulations, but what changes?

What Changes Could Be Made To The World RX?

The biggest thing the FIA is going to want to keep is the environmentally friendly part of the championship. Which is the same reason why the World RX went electric in the first place. What alternatives could the World RX use to satisfy fans whilst staying environmentally friendly? Using more environmentally friendly gasoline would be a start, but it would only make a small dent towards what the FIA is likely looking for. Why not take notes from other championships? Extreme E has done really well using Hydrogen powered cars. Whilst the World Rally Championship has done well with Hybrid cars. These could be solutions the FIA looks at. Especially with the hybrid units. As it would give fans back the missed noise, and if implemented in the same way as the WRC could still be decently environmentally friendly. 

The Hard Truth 

The FIA will likely keep the same regulations for the World RX as they do now. Even if they did change, Internal Combustion Engine’s likely aren’t returning. The World RX is making steps towards the future of motorsports. Whilst also likely being the FIA’s testing ground for a full electric off-road championship. Racing without engine noise is the sacrifice that could have to be made to continue watching racing. Especially where it’s doable like on a closed circuit. 

Earlier today the Hansen World Rallycross Team revealed they and the rest of the WRX1e teams will continue the 2023 World RX season in RX2e cars.

It’s Back

The 2023 World RX season stopped after a fire at Lydden Hill. The fire burned the Special One Racing team tent and cars. Ending the teams season in the process, and the RX1e classes season as a result. The drivers from the RX1e class have competed in one round of the RX2e championship in the meantime. Kristoffersson, Veiby, Kevin and Timmy Hansen all competed at the World RX Of Mettet in the RX2e cars. While Andersson and Grönholm both competed at the World RX Of Germany. 

A Logical Fix

The 2023 World RX season couldn’t end with just three rounds run. It wouldn’t be a good look for a championship that is already losing interest from fans. Switching to RX2e cars isn’t a permanent fix, but it’s one that will allow the season to continue and at least be 7 rounds, one less than the original eight, more on the in a minute. Although Johan Kristoffersson has all but won the championship at this point. With the 5-time champion sitting 27 points ahead of Niclas Grönholm and has won every event.

A Renewed Championship Battle

Having drivers compete in RX2e cars could be a step in the right direction for the championship to regain popularity. As Kristoffersson and Volkswagen have been dominant all season. Now with all drivers competing in the same cars, it won’t be a matter of who has the best car necessarily, it’ll be a battle of who is the best driver. The move to having all drivers in the same car will give drivers like Timmy and Kevin Hansen a chance at taking home the championship. Although it’s unlikely anything short of rare errors by Kristoffersson will stop him from winning the remaining rounds.

Rounds Added

Although not officially from the World RX it looks as if the World RX Of South Africa and World RX Of Hong Kong have been made double header events. Moving the championship from a 5-round series after the 3 cancelled events to 7. Allowing drivers the chance to make up points lost in the cancelled events. It also means Kristoffersson still has to work for his 6th championship in the past 7 years. 

*Note information in this article is not 100% official, just deducted from an announcement from the Hansen World Rallycross Team.

The World RX Of Mettet will not feature any RX1e cars, find out why they won’t be appearing below.

Why Won’t They Be Competing?

The RX1e class of cars will not compete at the World RX Of Mettet due to the ongoing investigation involving the battery units. The ongoing investigation is about the fire that burned the Special One Racing cars and tents to the ground at Lydden Hill. The fire would cause the Lydden Hill round to be cancelled for RX1e cars. The fires are believed to have been started by a battery cell issue. Well, the exact cause of the fire is unknown, the FIA has decided to not have the RX1 cars compete for competitors’ safety. There is a possibility the RX1e cars will also be absent from the World RX of Germany due to the same issue.

Some RX1 Stars Will Still Compete

A handful of RX1e stars will still compete at the World RX of Mettet this weekend. They will also still be driving electric cars. As the RX1 drivers who chose to compete at Mettet will drive in the RX2e class. Championship leader Johan Kristoffersson will be one of the drivers competing at Mettet. Kristoffersson’s teammate Ole Christian Veiby will also be at the event, along with Timmy and Kevin Hansen. 

Quotes From The Team Bosses

Hansen World RX Team boss Kenneth Hansen would say “We are a race team and we like to race and give the fans the best possible show they can get. That is why we want to be there and to compete in RX2e.” When asked why the Hansen’s are competing this weekend. Volkswagen Bauhaus Dealer team boss Timmy Kristoffersson would also make a comment about the importance of competing this weekend. With Kristoffersson saying “The show must go on! We are very positive about this possibility and want to put on a great show in a very competitive and tight series.” 

The first day of the World RX Of Norway has come to an end. Johan Kristoffersson continued his perfect season on the day. 

SuperPole

Johan Kristoffersson took the SuperPole win. Kristoffersson would set a time 0.109 faster than birthday boy Ole Christian Veiby. Sebastien Loeb set the third-fastest time on SuperPole, finishing 0.235 seconds slower than Veiby. Gustav Bergström finished fourth on SuperPole, finishing 0.024 seconds slower than Loeb. Klara Andersson would round out the top five on SuperPole, finishing 0.075 seconds slower than Bergström. 

Heat One

Johan Kristoffersson took home a win in the first heat of the World RX Of Norway. Kristoffersson set a time 2.4 seconds faster than Kevin Hansen to take the heat win. Timmy Hansen finished third fastest in the heat, finishing 0.294 seconds slower than his brother Kevin. Ole Christian Veiby would take fourth place in the heat, finishing 0.085 seconds slower than Hansen. Sebastien Loeb rounded out the top five in the heat, finishing 1.815 seconds slower than Veiby. 

Heat Two

If you guessed Johan Kristoffersson took the win on the second heat as well you’d be correct. As Kristoffersson would set a time 1.992 seconds faster than Niclas Grönholm to take the heat win. Kevin Hansen would set the third fastest time on the heat, finishing with a time 0.8 seconds slower than Grönholm. Timmy Hansen finished the heat with the fourth fastest time, finishing 0.314 seconds slower than his brother Kevin. Ole Christian Veiby would round out the top five on the heat, finishing 0.474 seconds slower than Hansen. 

Kristoffersson Continues Dominance

Johan Kristoffersson has won every race he’s been in so far this season. If Kristoffersson continues like this for the rest of the season he shouldn’t have a difficult time winning his sixth title in seven years. 

The second day of the World RX Of Portugal has come to an end. Johan Kristoffersson would take the first win of the season.

Heat Three

The third heat would see Johan Kristoffersson once again take the win. With Kristoffersson setting a time 1.545 seconds faster than Niclas Grönholm to take the win. Kevin Hansen would take third on the heat, finishing 0.162 seconds slower than Grönholm. Timmy Hansen would set the fourth fastest time on the heat, finishing 1.586 seconds slower than his brother Kevin. Ole Christian Veiby would round out the top five on the heat, finishing 0.630 slower than Hansen. 

Heat Four

The fourth heat of the World RX Of Portugal would once again see Johan Kristoffersson take the win. With Kristoffersson setting a time 2.071 seconds faster than Timmy Hansen to take the win. Kevin Hansen would take third on the heat, finishing 0.479 seconds slower than his brother Timmy. Klara Andersson would take fourth on the heat, finishing 1.588 seconds slower than Hansen. Ole Christian Veiby would round out the top five on the heat, finishing 0.300 seconds slower than Andersson. 

Semi-Finals

Semi-Final One

The first semi-final would see Johan Kristoffersson, Timmy and Kevin Hansen, Sebastien Loeb and Gustav Bergström face off. Kristoffersson would take the semi-final win. Setting a time 3.084 seconds faster than Kevin Hansen to take the win. Sebastien Loeb would round out the top three on the heat, setting a time 7.031 seconds slower than Hansen. Timmy Hansen and Gustav Bergström would both only race 4 laps. 

Semi-Final Two

The second semi-final of the World RX Of Portugal would see Niclas Grönholm, Klara Andersson, Ole Christian Veiby, Guerlain Chicheirt and Timi Scheider face off. Niclas Grönholm would take the semi-final win. Setting a time 1.640 seconds faster than Klara Andersson to take the heat win. Ole Christian Veiby would round out the top three, finishing .784 seconds slower than Andersson. 

Final

The first final of the 2023 World RX season would see Johan Kristoffersson, Kevin Hansen, Niclas Grönholm, Ole Christian Veiby, Klara Andersson, and Sebastien Loeb face off. Johan Kristoffersson would take the final win. Setting a time 4.728 seconds faster than Kevin Hansen to secure the win. Niclas Grönholm would round out the top three, finishing 0.179 seconds slower than Hansen. 

World RX Of Portugal Day One Recap

The first day of the World RX Of Portugal has come to an end. During the day the Superpole and the first two heats would take place.

Superpole

Johan Kristoffersson picked up where he left off last season. With the Swede taking home the first Superpole win of the season. Kristofferson finished the World RX Of Portugal Superpole with a time 0.508 seconds faster than his teammate Ole Christian Veiby. Timmy Hansen was the third fastest time, finishing with a time 0.749 seconds slower than Veiby. Kevin Hansen set the fourth fastest time on Superpole, finishing with a time 0.085 seconds behind his brother Timmy. Gustav Bergström rounded out the top five on the first Superpole of the season, finishing with a time 0.074 seconds slower than Kevin Hansen. 

Heat One

The first heat of the 2023 World RX season would see nonother than Johan Kristoffersson take the win. Kristoffersson would finish the heat with a time 2.945 seconds faster than Ole Christian Veiby. Timmy Hansen set the third fastest time on the heat, finishing with a time 1.666 seconds slower than Veiby. Kevin Hansen was the fourth fastest time on the heat, finishing 2.625 seconds slower than Timmy. Niclas Grönholm would round out the top five on the heat, finishing with a time 1.728 seconds slower than Hansen. 

Heat Two

The second heat of the World RX of Portugal would see Johan Kristoffersson once again take the heat win. This time Kristoffersson would finish the heat with a time 2.411 seconds faster than Niclas Grönholm. Sebastien Loeb would set the third fastest time on the heat, with a time 1.473 seconds slower than Grönholm. Ole Christian Veiby would take the fourth fastest time on the heat, finishing 0.222 seconds slower than Loeb. Timmy Hansen would round out the top five on the stage, setting a time 0.663 seconds slower than Veiby. 

World RX Of Portugal Event Preview: RX1e

The 2023 World Rallycross season kicks off this weekend with round one the World RX of Portugal. 

Teams Rundown

Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS

The Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS comes into the season as reigning champions and with the reigning World RX champion in Johan Kristoffersson. The team will look to carry their success from last season into this season. In pre-season testing last month the fastest times on each of the three days were set by a Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS driver. With reigning RX champion John Kristoffersson setting the fastest times on days one and three, and Ole Christian Veiby setting the fastest on day two. Kristoffersson would go nearly undefeated last season, only losing two events out of 10 rounds. One of those losses would come during the second running of the World RX of Portugal. Racing for Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS this weekend will be Johan Kristoffersson, Ole Christian Veiby and Gustav Bergström. 

Hansen World RX Team

The Hansen World RX Team come into the season looking to have a better one than last season. As the team would only take one event win last season. That sole win would come at the first running of the World RX Of Spain. The team would also only achieve a podium finish six different times at five different events. It was a rather unusual season, especially for Timmy Hansen who is usually at the top a few times each season. Racing for the Hansen World RX Team this weekend will be Timmy and Kevin Hansen. 

Construction Equipment Dealer Team

The Construction Dealer Equipment Team will also come into this season looking for a better one than last season much like the Hansen World RX team. As the team would also take only one win last season. Niclas Grönholm would take that sole win for the team last season. That win would happen to come at the World RX Of Portugal. The team consisting of Niclas Grönholm and Klara Andersson will have some work to do not only this weekend but all season long if they want to finish better than third in the team’s championship. Racing for the Construction Equipment Dealer Team this weekend will be Niclas Grönholm and Klara Andersson. 

Special One Racing 

A new team will be joining the World RX this weekend and for the rest of the season. As the Special One Racing team will be joining the WRX for the entire 2023 season. With a team consisting of drivers Guerlain Chicheirt and Sebastien Loeb. Both drivers will drive a Lancia Delta Evo-E RX this season. Sebastien Loeb would make his return to the World RX after a 5-year absence from the championship. Loeb would previously drive for the Hansen World RX team for the 2016,2017 and 2018 seasons. The Lancia Delta Evo-E would make its debut last season at the World RX of Germany where it would be driven by Geurlain Chicheirt and finish 9th at the event. 

ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport

The ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport team will, much like last season only have one driver this weekend. With their sole driver being Timo Scheider. Scheider would miss the 2022 season entirely and his last event would be the World RX of Belgium in 2021. Scheider would finish sixth and seventh twice in 2021 and ninth once. He would only compete in 5 rounds in 2021, all of which were behind the wheel of a SEAT Ibiza.