PREVIEW: 2022 FIA World Rallycross Championship – Barcelona, Catalunya

History could be made at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya when rounds 8 and 9 of the 2022 FIA World Rallycross Championship take place there on 29/30 October. Carrying a mighty 41 point lead into the event, current championship leader and already four-time world champion Johan Kristoffersson looks set to wrap up his fifth title at some point over the weekend.

Kristoffersson has won an astonishing 6 out of 7 races so far this year. He still crossed the line first in the race he lost in Portugal before the stewards awarded him a 10-second penalty for contact with rival Timmy Hansen. The crowds at Barcelona should be in for a treat as Kristoffersson’s rivals try desperately to stop him claiming total victory.

Barcelona always offers exciting racing. Having been on the calendar since 2015, the track features a long straight, sweeping turns, several tight and twisty sections, a 30-metre jump heading straight into a tight right hander, and a crucial and complex Joker section. Plus, the whole circuit is set up like an arena, affording the huge grandstands full of RX fans a superb view of all the action.

Going off this year’s form, Kristoffersson would appear to be the man to beat. However, if we base our predictions of last year, the money would be on Hansen World RX Team. The team have been on the podium here 9 times since 2015, and achieved a spectacular 1-2 finish last year. The team, who are currently second in the constructor’s championship, are keen to claim their first victory in a season full of “what might have been” moments.

Team principal Kenneth Hansen is full of optimism, saying “We are focused on turning bad luck into good. We’re not far away from a win, we need a little more speed and to give more confidence to the drivers – hopefully those things can make for a good result in Barcelona.”

Kenneth Hansen discusses tactics with his drivers and sons Timmy (L) and Kevin (R). Credit: Joerg Mitter / Red Bull Content Pool

5th place in the championship may be disappointing for 2019 champion Hansen, however he should not be too disheartened. In an astonishingly close battle for second position, 3 points separate the quartet of drivers vying for the silver medal position. Timmy’s brother Kevin Hansen currently is leading the pack, having been in the thick of the action all season. Also in the mix is Kristoffersson’s KMS teammate Ole Christian Veiby, who will be aiming to bounce back from the first proper disappointment of the year in Belgium. The Norwegian ace has claimed four podiums so far this year, and has been very impressive since returning to the sport. Niclas Grönholm is the only driver to steal a win from Kristoffersson this year, so he must be feeling that his chances are good as the CE Dealer Team start to assert themselves as a force to be reckoned with.

Grönholm’s teammate, Klara Andersson, made history as the first permanent female driver in the FIA World Rallycross Championship, and has proved herself a very talented driver in her maiden season, and even claimed her first podium at Montalegre in Portugal. Similarly impressive has been the third KMS driver, Gustav Bergström. The 19-year old Swedish sensation has made headlines with his lightning reaction times off the start line, his superb technical skills, and his first ever podium last time out at Spa-Francorchamps. The video of his reaction has become something of a meme within World RX fans, and shows how much this year has meant to him.

With an almighty battle brewing for second position, and a potential crowning of a five-time world champion, the events at Barcelona are not to be missed.

The World RX of Catalunya takes place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on 29/30 October.