Two FIA World Rallycross Championship rounds over the next two weekends marks a critical phase in the 2021 championship, as Hansen World RX Team heads to Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium defending its lead in both title races. Timmy Hansen arrives at round six of the season with a 17-point lead over younger brother and reigning Nitro RX champion Kevin Hansen, with the two combining to build a commanding 48-point lead in the teams’ championship race. While the previous World RX event at Latvia was the first round of the season where the Hansens didn’t pick up a round win, the team has already bounced back with a winning start to its season in the US-based Nitro RX series. A win for Timmy in Utah and two podiums in a row for Kevin in the past two weeks has kept both drivers sharp as they return to Europe to resume their primary campaign in the world championship. The next two weeks will shape the World RX championship finale, as Belgium will be swiftly followed by a visit to Montalegre in Portugal one week later, the penultimate event of the season before a double-header finale at the Nürburgring circuit in Germany.

Kevin Hansen, #9 Peugeot 208 WRX

“It’s great to be back at Spa-Francorchamps again after not being able to race there in 2020. This track is one of the best of the new generation circuits we have in rallycross; it has a nice flow with the rise up towards Raidillon, and then also this amazing banked gravel corner. This final corner is super cool because you have so many options for how to drive it – back it in at full send or try to be clever if you are fighting someone and try to cut to the inside, being patient on the throttle. “Racing at ERX Motor Park in Nitro RX last week is actually quite good preparation for this weekend in the world championship. This deep gravel we had there has some similarities to the last half of the lap here at Spa – maybe there are some small things we can take from the last couple of weeks in America to improve our performance here relative to 2019.”

Timmy Hansen, #21 Peugeot 208 WRX

“I really enjoyed this track when we were here in 2019. I remember vividly the battle I had with Timur Timerzyanov in one of the races that year, where we ran side-by-side for an entire lap battling for position. This track allows for some great racing. “Even though we’ve been to old-school rallycross tracks like Höljes and Lohéac, this one has the most gravel of any in the world championship so far this year. Our experience from Minneapolis last week should come in handy – I believe we’ve learned a couple of things which we can bring to Spa.”