The eight-round 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship is still a couple of months away, and ever since the calendar was announced, RX fans have been waiting impatiently for more news regarding competitors.
A piece of news to peak the excitement of World Rallycross fans was released on 19 April with Enzo Ide’s announcement of a full championship challenge, as he will contest all eight rounds of the 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship with an Audi S1 EKS RX Quattro for EKS JC.
Last year, racing under the banner of KYB Team JC, JC Raceteknik took home the World RX Team’s Championship and in 2021, and will hope to continue this success. JC will continue to collaborate with Mattias Ekström’s EKS team to form EKS JC and will race in World RX this year with Ide at the wheel. The Belgian will be fighting on two fronts, as he revealed last week that he will compete in RallyX Nordic this season as well as the World Championship.
Ide’s background is largely in circuit racing, where he has achieved great success. Winning the likes of the Blancpain Sprint Series & taking home third place in FIA GT3. Ide left his circuit racing success behind in 2018 to embark on an exciting Rallycross career and he has had the benefit of racing in three of the finest series in the globe to hone his RX skills, competing in select rounds of British Rallycross, RallyX Nordic and FIA World Rallycross.
Although his Rallycross career has been short, Ide has enjoyed moderate success, rounding out 2020 with double runner-up finished in the British Championship at the hallowed Lydden Hill circuit. He has also qualified for the semi-finals in two World RX events, promising signs for a driver heading into his first full season in the championship.
EKS JC Team Principal Joel Christoffersson had this to say on the Enzo Ide announcement:
“It’s fantastic that we can enter a full World Championship season with Enzo, and to be part of him making that step. He will race in two championships this year and I feel that we will be well prepared for both. RallyX Nordic will be good practice for him to help improve his pace as much as possible for World RX. Enzo showed a strong development curve last year and finished the season with two really good results. He definitely has the speed to be in the semi-finals and that will be the goal throughout the season.”
A tough goal indeed as World RX continually proves to be a hotbed of exciting Rallycross talent, never failing to be super competitive. Needless to say, Ide is up for the challenge and had some positive thoughts regarding his 2021 campaign:
“I’m very happy to announce my second championship campaign for 2021. Already last year I dreamed of racing in two full championships, but due to different circumstances it wasn’t possible. I’m very happy to be able to drive a full season in both the World Championship and RallyX Nordic together with EKS JC this year in my Audi S1 EKS RX. I know it will be tough, because only the top drivers compete in World RX, but for me it’s just about gaining experience and learning by competing against these professional drivers.
We have started testing and it’s very exciting to be back in a rallycross car. I want to take this opportunity to thank both Joel (Christoffersson) and Mattias (Ekström) for believing in me. Without them, this would never have been possible. This is a dream come true and I will enjoy it one hundred per cent. I hope I can have many years with this strong team, and continue to create memories with all the fantastic people that are part of it.”
Enzo Ide will be hoping this positivity translates to the track when he takes his Audi S1 EKS RX to the first round of the World RX Championship in Hell, Norway on June 12-13.