The first double header of the 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship season saw a new winner this year in GRX/SET’s Niclas Grönholm, who jumped at the opportunity when it mattered the most in the final part of the first event of the weekend.
Despite dominant runs from both Kevin and Timmy Hansen, the Q1 was dominated by Johan Kristoffersson’s signature car control, and although he was faster in Q2, it wasn’t enough to beat a returning Mattias Ekström with clean air and a perfect start. An action-packed Q3 hasn’t given the top time for Kristoffersson as Niclas Grönholm had the best run, but the 16 points as top qualifier went for the EKS JC driver.
Semifinal 1 had Kristoffersson going away as usual when he is on clean air, leaving Timmy Hansen to deal with Mattias Ekström. With the rear right corner down due to a puncture, Ekström’s SEAT crawled through the track while Krisztián Szabó took third place.
More body parts rubbing on tires was shown on Kristoffersson’s Audi S1, as the rear right tire was in danger of a puncture, but the Swede opted to secure position by going to the Joker on Lap 5, then blocking any advance from Timmy Hansen, and the strategy worked until the checkered.
On Semifinal 2, Niclas Grönholm shut the door firmly into Kevin Hansen’s face, going away with Timo Scheider while the younger Hansen opted for an early Joker. Any chance of an undercut for Hansen was cut away in the moment he got stuck behind Juha Rytkönen, and while Grönholm led Scheider to the flag, Kevin Hansen got busy in the defensive thanks to Kevin Abbring, but the Hansen WRXT driver kept his third place at the finish line.
The Final had Grönholm vs. Kristoffersson at the front row, and a little tap before Turn 1 sent the EKS JC driver the other way around, making him come back with a lot of time lost, and further ahead, Scheider stopped with problems, meaning that the main pack was a four car affair.
Once Szabó went to the Joker, Kevin Hansen took the role of holding the Hungarian while Timmy went after Grönholm for the win, but while a part of the tactics was done right, the other and more important part didn’t turn into success for Timmy, as Grönholm kept the high pace for the victory.
Timmy Hansen kept the lead with 107 points against 96 from Kevin Hansen, and their immediate opponents, Johan Kristoffersson and Niclas Grönholm, had 81 and 80 points respectively, meaning that a lot of catch up would be needed. Szabó dropped to fifth with 75 points, and Abbring and his 67 points meant he was too far to keep up with the title fight at the moment.
PHOTO: Paulo Maria/DPPI/Red Bull Content Pool
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