Hell, Norway plays host to round four of the 2016 FIA World Rallycross Championship and the drivers from Team Peugeot-Hansen and Peugeot-Hansen Academy are looking to reclaim the top step of the podium.
Last year saw a 1-2 finish for The Franco-Swedish squad as Timmy Hansen led team-mate Davy Jeanney over the finish line in what was one of the most memorable events in the 2015 calendar. This year Hansen is looking for his first victory this season after taking his first podium of the year last time out at Lydden Hill ahead of little brother Kevin. Jeanney has now moved to the Peugeot-Hansen Academy and will also be looking for a return to his 2015 form as he looks for his first podium of the year.
Team Boss Kenneth Hansen is confident of at least a podium at this weekends event, “We have excellent memories of our trip to Hell last year because we came first and second there. It was our first one-two finish at world level. It’s good to be going back. We know the track well and we’ve got a specific set-up for it. The context is naturally different this year because the competition promises to be even fiercer but I think we’ve got some strong cards to play.”
Nine time WRC Champion Sebastien Loeb is settling well into World RX in 2016 with a podium finish in Belgium, however he is once again taking the sensible approach to Hell, “My approach to Hell will be the same as it has been all year so far. My aim is to do well, even though the circuit is completely new to me. It appears to be different to those I have seen so far and it sits in a nice, picturesque setting. It seems quite hilly, with some tight turns and places that call for hard acceleration. It’s a technically demanding course which clearly suited the Peugeot 208 WRX last year, so I hope we will be competitive again this time round.”
Timmy Hansen is aiming to exploit all of the talents from his Peugeot 208 WRX to fight to the finish, “This circuit is in the middle of the Norwegian mountains, so it is quite hilly, with a big altitude difference between its highest and lowest points. As the weekend progresses, the dirt tends to get swept aside and patches of asphalt start to appear in places. It’s quite a tight and twisty track, with some hairpins where you have to brake late. You need an agile car which turns easily. It’s a fairly tricky place and it isn’t easy to overtake. In these Supercars, you really need to give it everything you’ve got. I can’t wait to get there.”
Meanwhile Kevin Hansen will be looking for his second victory of the year as he returns to duties in the second round of the 2016 FIA European Rallycross Championship after taking the win at Mettet in Belgium.
