Kevin Hansen upped his game at the second round of the 2017 FIA World Rallycross Championship, as he took his 2016 spec Peugeot 208 WRX into the fight against the newer machines and held his own.
The 2016 FIA European Rallycross Champion started the weekend off well as he took a pair of seventh places on the first day of action for the 2017 World RX of Portugal. Hansen followed this up with two more top ten finishes to end Qualifying in seventh place, ahead of the 2017 machine of his brother, Timmy Hansen.
Kevin Hansen Qualified in the top twelve for a Semi-Final spot. Credit: Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool
Hansen was very happy with his performance in Portugal
“It was a good weekend and I received a lot of encouragement. I am pleased to have got so close to qualifying for the final.”
Hansen was particularly happy with how he took the fight to Double World RX Champion Petter Solberg in the Semi-Final in his older Team Peugeot-Hansen entry against the newest Volkswagen Polo Supercar. Despite his best efforts, Hansen came home in fourth place just ahead of Ken Block and missed out on a place in the Final.
However the young Swedish driver was happy with his efforts in Semi-Final One and going up against the best in World RX, after being classified in eighth place overall in the event.
Kevin Hansen just missed out on the Supercar Final in the World RX of Portugal. Credit: Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool
“In my semi-final I changed my strategy at the last minute, just after the start,” he explained
“I pushed as hard as I could but it was tough to keep up with Petter Solberg in a 2016-spec car, especially as I picked up a puncture towards the end. It would have been difficult to do any better.”
Kevin Hansen now sits in ninth place in the FIA World Rallycross Drivers Championship on twenty one points, just one place behind Timmy Hansen as the series moves to the World RX of Hockenheim on May 5-7.
