Now the WC in Rallycross starting in 2022, they are a Swedish show branch, so the F1.Log blog offers some space.
Four World Cup titles in Rallycross – but the challenge this year is greater than ever.
Partly because they built the car from scratch. Partly because the rules are completely new and partly because neither Johan Kristofferson nor the competitors know where they are.
It took much longer to build a new rallycross car than Johan Kristofferson and his team manager, Father Tommy, and all the other competitors thought. With the current global situation, deliveries have been delayed, delaying the process and the World Cup premiere has been repeatedly postponed.
But now is the time.
The first of the eleven sub-competitions will be decided in the fall in Norwegian Hell, then five weekends of double competition will follow until mid-November.
– There’s been a great deal of work, we’ve been working shifts in the factory for the last two weeks because it’s all been so long. Now I hope we can start in a good way so that things go smoothly, says Johan Kristofferson.
New cars for the 2022 World Rallycross Championship
He drives for the Volkswagen Dilerteam Bauhaus team, who built the car from scratch. From painting to a fully finished Rallycross electric car.
– I’ve never participated like this before and it was a really intense project. When we drew the car, there were many nights in the workshop and it was great to see this car evolve, from the sketch to a toilet car, he says.
The team did three days of testing in Höljes and the feeling before the first show was positive.
The championship is more uncertain than ever because there is so much new this year that it makes it hard to know how we are in the competition, says Johan Kristofferson.
All cars have the same powertrain and the same battery, and there is another challenge. Unlike the all-wheel drive supercar, this one has front and rear wheel drive.
It cannot be compared to an SUV because front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive do not communicate with each other. The hardest part will be finding that balance and cracking this code on how to play it, before the competition. Everyone will eventually break it. Kristofferson says it’s important to be quick at it so you can gain an advantage.
– If there is a lot of control on the track, you will go too fast. It’s going to be very challenging, with very even starts.
• You passed Extreme E, which are also electric cars. Can you take advantage of it?
– It’s definitely an advantage. Thanks to Extreme E, it is easy for me to understand how this type of car works. Now it is important to go home with a good harvest of points already in the first weekend.
• You always talk about keeping it high and even, is that the goal this year too?
This is usually a good recipe for winning, says Johann Kristofferson.
Now he is looking for his fifth Rallycross title.
World Rally Championship 2022 – calendar of all races
Norway August 13-14 – first race
Latvia 3-4 September – 2 races
Portugal September 17-18 – 2 races
Belgium October 8-9 – 2 races
Spain October 29-30 2 races
Germany November 13-14 – 2 races
On yesterday’s blog I wrote about Mick Schumacher’s future in Formula 1 and on the Sportbladet F1 podcast, Plattan i Mattan, you can hear racing talent Dino Beganovic talk about life at Ferrari.
He is the first Swede to earn a place in the Ferrari Drivers’ Academy, spend his days at Ferrari and live a dream that we hope will be finished with Formula One in two years’ time. Listen!