Team HANSEN MJP has hit the halfway mark of its 2019 FIA World Rallycross Championship campaign with extra motivation to kick off the second half of the year in style. The passing of Midsummer is a sign that the team’s biggest weekend of the year is almost here: the ‘Magic Weekend’ at Höljes. After wins at Abu Dhabi, Barcelona and Silverstone this year, the team’s sights are firmly set on continuing its strong form with a fourth victory at World RX of Sweden. Only four days ago Team HANSEN MJP also scored victory in round two of the new Titans RX series. Timmy Hansen pulled off a clean sweep at Essay on Sunday and Kevin Hansen finished second, mirroring their 1-2 finish in the World RX of Catalunya earlier this year. Leading the teams’ championship and having Timmy and Kevin first and second in the drivers’ championship has been an incredible start to the season, but a win in Höljes would make this weekend truly magical.

Timmy Hansen, #21 Peugeot 208 WRX

“We go on to Höljes, probably the biggest event of the year for me. There’s no question that it feels different from the other events. There’s a special build-up from the moment you arrive, there are people you know, and it just builds and builds until you get to the final. It’s incredibly exciting. We get a lot of local support which is excellent. “Höljes is an incredibly technical track and it’s a real driver’s circuit. It’s up and down, it’s got an amazing flow to it. The incredible thing is that every year you go there, you learn something new: maybe I should have done it this way or that way. “I plan to take some inspiration from Max Verstappen’s drive at the Red Bull Ring: it was an amazing drive and it’s very hard to do what he did. But I’d rather win the race like he did but making a bit of a better start from the grid!”

Kevin Hansen, #71 Peugeot 208 WRX

“This weekend, the magic weekend, is going to be one of the busiest of them all. There’s 25 cars entered, which means being precise is more important than ever. It’s easier to get eliminated. So you need to be on top of your game. “There’ll be quite a few back-to-back events from here on, when I’ll be driving in World RX and then Titans the following weekend. Driving so much gives me a lot of confidence. It’s definitely one of the factors that have helped me raise my level as a driver. “robably the area that I’ve improved most on is that I get in the car now at the beginning of a race weekend and I feel that I’m on the pace straight away. In the past, I had to build up to things more.”

Kenneth Hansen, Team Principal

“Höljes is certainly the biggest weekend of our year. We’ve been working hard to get the set-up right for the car and we think it’s paying off. It’s a technical track and one of the biggest tasks is optimising the car for the jumps. “It’s a very special atmosphere and both Timmy and Kevin are showing they are more than ready for the challenge. So we hope to deliver. Along with Lohéac, because we have a French car, this is definitely one of the most significant weekends of our year.”