Swedish brothers Timmy and Kevin Hansen are going for 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship glory and will return to the grid this month with a fresh new look.
Here is all you need to know:
– The Hansen World RX Team is set to star in all eight rounds of the championship, live on Red Bull TV, running a pair of Peugeot 208 WRXs. The action gets underway at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on July 23 – the final year of petrol engines in World Rallycross competition before a switch to electric vehicles in 2022.
– 2019 champion Timmy and younger brother Kevin want to give a fond farewell to their old engines by picking up as many championship points as possible before the new era of RX1e, after their father Kenneth and mother Susann both achieved success in the sport previously.
– Timmy, 29, is out to regain the title this season and knows he must rediscover the speed that saw him win four races during his championship winning season to beat reigning king Johan Kristoffersson.
– He revealed: « I’m super-excited to start this season. I hope that the work we are putting in now will pay off and we can fight for wins right from the start. If we can do that throughout the season, then we’ll be there to fight for the championship. »
– Kevin, 23, got his own 2019 season off to the best possible start with victory at World RX of Abu Dhabi and grabbed four more podiums to finish third overall behind Timmy and Norway’s Andreas Bakkerud.
– He explained: « We’re coming into the last year of the petrol era and I really want to take the championship this time. Of course, it’s going to be a big challenge, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. We’ve been testing much more than before and we’re leaving no stone unturned. We have been the most successful company in this sport’s history and we’re going to close this chapter by winning the titles. With the team we have behind us I think that realistically we should be aiming for a 1-2 finish in the championship. »
– In addition to World RX, the Hansen brothers are also racing the inaugural season of Extreme E – where Timmy impressed at the opening Desert X-Prix in Saudi Arabia and Kevin at the second Ocean X-Prix in Senegal – as well as the five-round Nitro Rallycross championship this year.
– Timmy commented: « The calendar is very compact with a lot of races in a short time. It’s going to be a very tough season. I think that’s why everyone is working so hard and leaving nothing to chance. »
– The eight-round 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship gets underway live on Red Bull TV on the weekend of July 23-24 with World RX of Catalunya. The broadcast will include an exclusive pre-show, before moving onto the semi-finals and finals of World RX plus the RX2e final. There’s a homecoming for the Hansens at round four in August at World RX of Sweden. The season concludes at World RX of Portugal in Montalegreon the weekend of October 23-24.
– The Hansen World RX Team will be supported by long term partners Red Bull and TotalEnergies during the 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship as well as welcoming new sponsor PrimeKey into the paddock.