Hansen World RX Team excited to race on revised Spa circuit
Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium needs little introduction to motor sport fans world-wide, it’s one of the most historic venues on the planet. This weekend, the sixth and seventh rounds of the FIA World Rallycross Championship take place at the legendary circuit, which has undergone revisions for 2022.
First introduced to World RX in 2019, the Spa rallycross track was immediately a drivers’ favourite, with a long multiple-line gravel final corner that made for amazing racing. When the championship returned to the venue last year, that corner had changed in its complexion with a more abrasive surface, changing the racing action.
For 2022, the championship organisers have worked to re-introduce a loose-gravel element to that final turn. Reigning World RX Teams’ Champions, Hansen World RX Team currently lie second in the World RX Teams’ standings, while Swedish drivers Timmy and Kevin Hansen sit third and fourth in the points respectively.
In a brand-new all-electric era for the discipline, Hansen Motorsport and it’s 500kW, four-wheel-drive Peugeot 208 RX1e machines have been on the podium in all but one round of the season so-far, and this weekend, has eyes fixed on challenging for the top step of the podium.
Like most of the events in 2022, the Belgian weekend is a double-header, with brand new opportunities to fight for victory on both Saturday and Sunday.
“Of course we look forward to getting on track again, especially because Spa is little different this year. The gravel corners, five and six, will finally be gravel again it looks like – the organiser and the promoter have worked on that.
That’s good because last year when it was quite full grip around the track, it’s difficult to make any incredible rallycross, so we look forward to some loose material.
Like always we will try again to get in a good position and to fight for podiums. Definitely the highest place on the podium is our biggest wish, like always.
We have worked a lot on what we can do to improve and we have some updates for this race. Hopefully that will solve some of our small issues with the lap times and help us be quicker.”
“It’s exciting going to Spa because we don’t quite know what the track will be like. It’s been two very different character of circuits – in 2019 there was this epic long gravel corner, but last year they put a kind of concrete on it, so it was high grip instead.
We know they’re trying to spice things up with trying to make a few different lines, so that will be interesting.
On the team and car side, of course we want some revenge since the last time out when we lost out on the win. Of course, leading the final and then not even getting on the podium was tough, so we’re hoping to have two solid races and hopefully me and Kevin can climb back up into the podium positions in the championship.”
“It’s going to be great to be back in Spa, it’s such an amazing track. It’s a fantastic atmosphere with huge grandstands around and hopefully we have a lot of fans coming out to support us and cheer us on to get our first win of the season, and to take a step closer towards the top of the championship again.
I’m really hungry for success again and I think this a track that should suit us fantastically in the Hansen team. The track is only a few corners, but what I hear is we have some updates on the gravel side of things.
There’s going to be two lines; a high and a low line, which I think should be great if that works, to use the different type of lines. Hopefully the outside is quicker so that could open up opportunities for overtakes.”
Remember to check out all the amazing photos and content on RED BULL CONTENT POOL!
For 2022, the championship organisers have worked to re-introduce a loose-gravel element to that final turn. Reigning World RX Teams’ Champions, Hansen World RX Team currently lie second in the World RX Teams’ standings, while Swedish drivers Timmy and Kevin Hansen sit third and fourth in the points respectively.
In a brand-new all-electric era for the discipline, Hansen Motorsport and it’s 500kW, four-wheel-drive Peugeot 208 RX1e machines have been on the podium in all but one round of the season so-far, and this weekend, has eyes fixed on challenging for the top step of the podium.
Like most of the events in 2022, the Belgian weekend is a double-header, with brand new opportunities to fight for victory on both Saturday and Sunday.
Key Facts | Spa RX
Where: Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium’s Ardennes forest has hosted Formula 1, World Endurance Championship and even World Rally events in recent years, along with its own famous events like the Spa 24 hours. The rallycross track, built for the 2019 season, is located in the first part of the F1 lap, beginning in front of a huge grandstand, before heading through the world renowned Eau Rouge corner, through a hairpin towards Raidillon and then back down into the rallycross section, with the joker lap around the inside of the final corner, before a jump over the finish line. When: All of the action is broadcast on the RX+ All Live platform this weekend [October 8-9] via the World RX Website. Saturday October 8 Practice: 09:00 SuperPole: 10:25 Heat 1: 12:00 Heat 2: 13:30 Progression: 15:00 Semi-Final and Final: 17:00 Sunday October 9 Warm-up: 09:00 SuperPole: 09:30 Heat 1: 11:00 Heat 2: 13:15 Progression: 15:00 Semi-Final and Final: 17:00 Blast from the past: Hansen Motorsport is familiar with winning events in the European Rallycross Championship in Belgium and so far has one win to its credit in the World Rallycross Championship in the country. That came at the Mettet circuit in 2018, when rally legend Sebastien Loeb ended a dominant run for the PSRX Volkswagen team to claim victory, taking the lead at the opening corner of the final and never looking back. It would be Frenchman Loeb’s final win in World RX….so far. Also that day, Timmy Hansen had been spun at the first corner of his semi-final, and had to fight back through the field to even make it to the final. Once in the last race of the weekend, Hansen made the best of first corner traffic and climbed to second behind team mate Loeb. He eventually finished third to make it a double podium for team.Sebastien Loeb wins, Petter Solberg 2:nd and Timmy Hansen 3:rd at FIA World Rallycross Championship in Mettet, Belgium on 13 May 2018.
Kenneth HANSEN Hansen World RX Team – Team Principal
“Of course we look forward to getting on track again, especially because Spa is little different this year. The gravel corners, five and six, will finally be gravel again it looks like – the organiser and the promoter have worked on that.
That’s good because last year when it was quite full grip around the track, it’s difficult to make any incredible rallycross, so we look forward to some loose material.
Like always we will try again to get in a good position and to fight for podiums. Definitely the highest place on the podium is our biggest wish, like always.
We have worked a lot on what we can do to improve and we have some updates for this race. Hopefully that will solve some of our small issues with the lap times and help us be quicker.”
Timmy HANSEN Hansen World RX Team – Driver
“It’s exciting going to Spa because we don’t quite know what the track will be like. It’s been two very different character of circuits – in 2019 there was this epic long gravel corner, but last year they put a kind of concrete on it, so it was high grip instead.
We know they’re trying to spice things up with trying to make a few different lines, so that will be interesting.
On the team and car side, of course we want some revenge since the last time out when we lost out on the win. Of course, leading the final and then not even getting on the podium was tough, so we’re hoping to have two solid races and hopefully me and Kevin can climb back up into the podium positions in the championship.”
Kevin HANSEN Hansen World RX Team – Driver
“It’s going to be great to be back in Spa, it’s such an amazing track. It’s a fantastic atmosphere with huge grandstands around and hopefully we have a lot of fans coming out to support us and cheer us on to get our first win of the season, and to take a step closer towards the top of the championship again.
I’m really hungry for success again and I think this a track that should suit us fantastically in the Hansen team. The track is only a few corners, but what I hear is we have some updates on the gravel side of things.
There’s going to be two lines; a high and a low line, which I think should be great if that works, to use the different type of lines. Hopefully the outside is quicker so that could open up opportunities for overtakes.”
Remember to check out all the amazing photos and content on RED BULL CONTENT POOL!
