The first round of
the FIA World Rallycross Championship
was held at Montalegre
in mixed conditions as the rain of the Saturday (16) gave place to
the clear weather of Sunday (17). As the non written rule of being
consistent is king, Petter Solberg
kept good pace during the weekend and won his first round of the 2016
season.
The wet track and
the mud caught some drivers who made mistakes in these treacherous
conditions, like Timur Timerzyanov
and Ken Block.
Then in much more pleasant conditions,
EKSRX owner Mattias
Ekström was the top qualifier, with
Petter Solberg in second and 2015 winner Johan Kristoffersson in
third. Sébastien Loeb ended in 7th,
while Ken Block didn’t get past the qualify and left Portugal
without a single point, differently of the fourth placed team mate
Andreas Bakkerud.
Now it was time for
the semifinals. Lights were green for the first one, and Ekström and
Johan Kristoffersson
dashed to the first corner, with the EKSRX driver colliding with
Timmy Hansen while Kristoffersson found a way to hold the charging
Sébastien Loeb
in the Joker.
Robin Larsson led
during a few laps but was still in the need to go to the Joker, and
this held Ekström behind, and they finally done the Joker Lap,
Ekström was in the unlucky side as Larsson got out in third.
Checkered flag waved and Kristoffersson won it, with Loeb in second
and Larsson keeping his third place.
Then we had the
second semifinal and Solberg found out his launch control problem,
being a little nervous for having to do it manually. Once the light
were out Solberg took the lead with Davy Jeanney behind while the
rest of the field went to the Joker, with Andreas
Bakkerud forcing his way into Kevin
Eriksson’s OMSE Fiesta ST.
Jokers done and
Solberg was still in the lead but with Topi
Heikkinen and Bakkerud right behind. In
the last lap Bakkerud stalled into Turn 1 and Kevin Eriksson took
back his position, but a few turns later Jeanney thrown his Peugeot
208 WRX into Bakkerud’s car to generate a chain reaction that sent
Eriksson out of his line, and this opportunity, Bakkerud took third
place back and held it to the finish. With the mess in the back,
Solberg and Heikkinen kept their positions, qualifying to the final.
The first final of
the season had its start and Loeb and Kristoffersson went to the
Joker while the rest of the field was led by Petter Solberg, with
Robin Larsson starting a persistent pursuit to the Norwegian driver.
On lap 4 Solberg did
the Joker with Larsson following the normal way, and at the exit of
the Joker Solberg had a side contact with Kristoffersson, which sent
the Volkswagen Polo RX to the curbs and left the car with a bent
suspension in the left front area. The following laps were for
Larsson and Heikkinen to Joker and see where they would return, and
in the fifth lap it was all as before the Joker: Solberg first,
Larsson second and Heikkinen third. Larsson still tried a last push,
but Solberg shown extreme precision to take his first win in 2016.
Now we have three
weeks until the next World RX round, on May 8th
at Hockenheim,
Germany, sharing track time with the DTM. Mattias Ekström will go to
double duty for both championships.
PHOTO: FIA World Rallycross
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