Mattias Ekstrom has taken the first win of the 2017 FIA World Rallycross Championship as he cruised to victory at the World RX of Spain.
The EKSRX Team Principal worked his way through Qualifying as he took victory in Q3 after suffering with the sudden change of conditions in Q2. Ekstrom was placed second overall after Qualifying and went on to take to the win in Semi-Final Two to give him a front row spot in the Supercar Final.
Johan Kristoffersson was looking good for the Supercar Final. Credit: IMG / FIA World RX
The Swede moved into the lead after fellow front row starter Johan Kristoffersson bogged down at the start in his PSRX Volkswagen Team Sweden Polo GTi and Ekstrom would keep the lead all the way to the finish.
Timo Scheider took his first ever World RX podium at the World RX of Spain. Credit: IMG / FIA World RX
Timo Scheider took Top Qualifier honours after all fours races and started Semi-Final One in pole position, however after losing out to Kristoffersson in the race, Scheider started on the middle row for the Final. As he darted around the slow moving Volkswagen, the MJP Racing Team Austria pilot took second place and chased Ekstrom home to take his first ever podium finish in a World RX Final.
Andreas Bakkerud was embroiled in a battle with Timmy Hansen from the start, however the Norwegian driver who took his joker lap on lap four, stayed ahead of Hansen when he come out of the Joker exit and rejoined the normal circuit. Despite defending from Solberg, The Hoonigan Racing Driver would go on to finish in third place to complete the podium.
Petter Solberg brought his PSRX Volkswagen Team Sweden car home in fourth place. Credit: IMG / FIA World RX
Petter Solberg came home in fourth place after taking an early Joker lap to try and gain ground on the others ahead. As Kristoffersson followed suite, the two drivers worked together to catchup with the rest of the field.
Solberg passed the Peugeot-Hansen driver out of the Joker exit and would push Bakkerud all the way to the finish. Timmy Hansen would come home in fifth place whilst Kristoffersson finished in sixth position.
The next round of the 2017 FIA World Rallycross Championship is the World RX of Portugal, which takes place at the Montalegre circuit in Portugal on 21st – 22nd April.
