The second event of the Riga RX double header was based on tires and tactics, and Mattias Ekström knows well how to deal with the latter, prevailing over Johan Kristoffersson’s sheer pace and neat driving style to keep his pursuit for the lead of the FIA World Rallycross Championship.
Qualifying started with a top performance for the KYB Team JC drivers as Mattias Ekström led Robin Larsson, while Saturday winner Johan Kristoffersson was held in fourth by Timmy Hansen, and Ekström kept the good form in Q2 with Kristoffersson behind as Andreas Bakkerud appeared in third with a good display.
The Q3 had Larsson topping the session as the frontrunners heat was unusually slow compared to the previous sessions, followed by Kristoffersson and the Hansens, but it was enough for EKström to be the top qualifier in front of Kristoffersson, Larsson and Timmy Hansen.
At the bottom of the promotion zone, Krisztian Szabo saved himself after a fire in Q2 and Liam Doran qualified with good performances in a more consistent GCK Megane R.S. RX. With this, local hero Reinis Nitiss was eliminated, meaning the end of the line for his participation in the ESMotorsport Skoda.
Riga RX - Qualifying intermediate results
KYB Team JC had the front row in semifinal 1 while GRX TANECO had the three spots at the back, and Larsson made the team play work in front, the same couldn’t be said for Timur Timerzyanov and Krisztian Szabo at the back. Ekström was leading a proper JC vs. GRX scrap, and as Larsson was holding station for Ekström, Niclas Grönholm went for the Joker to get clear air.
KYB Team JC played the tactics right as the race developed, with room enough to see Ekström win the race while Larsson kept second place by not letting any room for Grömholm.
GCK’s cars were looking to benefit from its numbers at the back of the semifinal 2 grid, but Timo Scheider shut the door in front of all three Meganes to hold third place and to try an attack at Timmy Hansen, all while Johan Kristoffersson was going away as it’s his style despite going with used tires.
With Kristoffersson and Hansen consolidated in their places, the fight was for third, and while Andreas Bakkerud tried everything possible to overtake Timo Scheider, but he stopped in an unlucky contact that sent him to a violent crash that destroyed the left corner of his car and sent the Norwegian to the local hospital to precautionary checks but he was OK.
Because of the maneuver, Scheider was disqualified of the Semifinal 2 and Kevin Hansen was promoted to the Final.
The Final had Ekström and Kristoffersson side by side at the start, but the VW BAUHAUS driver had his hands full defending position from Larsson at Turn 1, in which he succeeded to later pursuit Ekström, leaving Larsson as prey for Grönholm in the fight for third place. The top two were in top condition while having a rare scene of close combat, but Kristoffersson wasn’t finding gaps with Ekström making sure he would hold his position.
The late Joker worked wonders for Ekström mostly because Kristoffersson left it with Grönholm pressing him, and with only one lap left, there wasn’t much left to recover the lost time, so EKström pushed straight to a hard fought victory.
The Sunday win has gave more hope to Ekström in the standings as Kristoffersson was still leading with 166 points, but the 149 from Ekström are a sign he is a direct threat. KYB Team JC kept the lead in the teams table with 250 points, while Team Hansen has a lot of work to do to reduce the 43 point deficit to the leader.
A pause of one month means that the World RX will be back at Barcelona, with the last double header of the season to be held on 17 and 18 October.
PHOTO: EKS
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