Petter Solberg and Johan Kristoffersson are tied for the overnight lead of the penultimate round of the 2015 FIA World Rallycross Championship, being held in Italy.
The 2014 WorldRX Champion kicked off the event by going fastest in Free Practice and then followed his pace up by going fastest during Heat Two in his Citroen DS3. After building up to the event with two days of testing, the former WRC Champion was happy with his first days work:
“The tests we did prior to this weekend have worked very well. We made a lot of changes, in fact we pretty much changed the whole car!,” explained Solberg, who was suffering from a bad cold and high fever throughout today. “The day didn’t start so well – we broke the steering at the start of practice but everything was really good for the second heat and we went flat out. It’s very rough on the gravel section but I’ve looked at the data and taking about a second out of the others in the Joker Lap – this track seems to suit my driving style. Now I need an early night and hope to feel better tomorrow.”
However it was Volkswagen Team Sweden driver Johan Kristoffersson who went fastest in Heat One with Solberg finishing second to him and the former Scandinavian Touring Car Champion was happy with his work after swapping positions with Solberg in Heat Two:
“We’ve done a lot of analysis on the car after Turkey where we changed a lot of small things,” explained the Swede. “We didn’t have time to test until today but it seems to have worked. I really like the track too, the layout is similar to last year and the tarmac sections suits me well. My goal is the podium – as long as we are always in the last race of each heat and beside the big guys, we have a change of making top three.”
Former double EuroRX Champion Timur Timerzyanov in his Ford Fiesta lies in third place followed by Team Peugeot-Hansen driver Timmy Hansen, who for the first time in six events is not leading the overnight standings. Marklund Motorsport’s Topi Heikkinen completes the top five in his Volkswagen Polo.
In the final round of the 2015 FIA European Rallycross Championship, Alexander Hvaal leads the overnight standings in his Citroen DS3 ahead of Championship contender Jerome Grosset-Janin in his Albatec Racing Peugeot 208. Tamas Pal Kiss lies in third place in his EuroRX debut in the Hansen Development Peugeot 208.
Spanish EuroRX winner Ole-Christian Veiby lies in fourth place ahead of Championship leader Tommy Rustad in his HTB Racing/Marklund Motorsport Volkswagen Polo in fifth place.
