Johan Kristoffersson and KYB EKS JC claim World RX victory at Spa
Swedish team KYB EKS JC and Swedish driver Johan Kristoffersson won the sixth round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium, while Belgian hero Enzo Ide finished fifth at home.
Kristoffersson scored important points towards the Drivers’ championship, finishing second in the Intermediate Classification, then winning his semi-final. In the final, he took the lead at the first corner and drove alone up front to take his second straight win. He has climbed to second in the championship, and closed the gap to World RX leader Timmy Hansen by eight points, leaving a 12-point margin between the two drivers with three rounds to go.
It was also a successful weekend for Ide, who scored one of this best-ever World RX results in fifth. The Belgian delivered consistently fast pace in qualifying, winning two races and setting a best time of third overall. He finished third in his semi-final to make the final, where he finished fifth and remains eighth in the Drivers’ Championship.
The next round takes place next weekend at Montalegre in Portugal (16 – 17).
Full World RX results can be found here.
Joel Christoffersson, KYB EKS JC Team Principal:
"It was a fantastic weekend for us. It feels brilliant to be able to take a victory again right after the previous race in Riga. Johan had really good pace in the semi-final and final, but until then we were up against it. We were good in Q1, but we had to fight harder and didn’t find the perfect speed. But, just in time for the semis, we found it again, which was a really nice feeling for the whole team. We’ve scored good points for both championships, so it’s a happy bunch of people who now head to Portugal for the next race.
Both the team and I are very pleased with Enzo's performance this weekend. He has done a really good job, and in my opinion, it’s been his best rallycross weekend ever. He has won both starts and heat races, and had good pace. Getting to the final at home in front of all Belgian fans, friends and family is even better. We are proud of Enzo and look forward to the next round in Montalegre with him. "
Johan Kristoffersson (SWE):
"This was a successful weekend and victory feels great. I think it suited us very well that they have turned the gravel at Spa into a harder surface, because even if I hadn’t driven here before, I felt comfortable from first practice. We had a very good Saturday but I didn’t get the best start in Q3, which meant we were not able to be top in qualifying.
In the semi-final and final we had incredible speed, the car really came to life and it felt really good. In the semis I got off to a good start and was able to lead all the way, and in the final we got an incredibly good start too. From there it was just a matter of taking the car to the finish. We are only 12 points behind Timmy [Hansen] now, that is good.”
Enzo Ide (BEL):
“I’m very happy with the weekend and the result. To make it to the final was always the goal for me, so to do it at home and to hear all of the Belgian fans in the stands was a wonderful feeling. On this track it was very important to be tidy, if you were sliding too much the grip disappeared. I made some mistakes at the beginning of the weekend, but gradually learned. Overall I took two race wins, and a third fastest time, and I am happy to be in the final. My best rallycross memory was fourth place in Holjes, but now this is top of the list. It wouldn’t be possible without KYB EKS JC. The mechanics, engineers and the whole team fought hard this weekend and it feels good that the hard work paid off. Congratulations to Johan, he deserves the win more than anything else. With three rounds left, there will be many tough battles in the championship yet and anything can happen.”
