Rallycross
5 things we learned from seeing Rallycross at the SpeedMachine Festival
Silverstone welcomed World Rallycross to the UK for Round 4 of the season and served up plenty of memorable moments on the famous track. Here are our top 5 takeaways.
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Motorsport fans enjoyed a mostly sunny SpeedMachine Festival at the historic Silverstone circuit in the UK this weekend. Entertaining the crowd from Friday to Sunday was the fourth stop of the 2018 FIA World Rallycross Championship.
With things remaining tight in both the driver's and team's title races, there was a fierce pace set in free practice that carried right through until the final race of the weekend. We've picked out our top movers and shakers below.
Another weekend, another podium for Sébastien Loeb
Sébastien Loeb has started his WRX season with a bang. He arrived at Silverstone having won last time out in Belgium, and with two podium finishes before that, the Frenchman's aim was to maintain his 100 percent record of finishing inside the top three. A win in his semi-final propelled him into the final, where he battled hard to secure third place.
"It was a great battle in the final," Loeb told RedBull.com. "I had a bad start, as there was a lot of grip and I nearly stalled the engine. So then I was sixth after the start and I needed to find a way to pass. Luckily, I took the joker lap at just the right time and that helped me to make up some places."
Kevin Hansen makes it all the way
He may be Team Peugeot Total's junior driver, but Kevin Hansen held his nerve to appear in his first final of season. Unfortunately for the Swede, a puncture picked up on Silverstone's massive jump prevented him from finishing higher than sixth. Hansen's elder brother Timmy also had bad luck with a puncture when his tyre blew out at the semi-final stage.
Sébastien Loeb at Silverstone
© @World/Red Bull Content Pool
Team Peugeot Total paddock at Silverstone
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Timmy Hansen's WRX helmet
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Mattias Ekström gets back to the big time
2016 World Rallycross champion Mattias Ekström used the sport's first appearance at Silverstone to remind everyone of his talents. After setting the pace in free practice, the Swede powered into the final, where he scored fourth place.
"There was no jackpot for me today, but we took a good haul of points," Ekström reflected. "Overall, as a team, we can be satisfied because we've made progress. Our starts are now more consistent."
Andreas Bakkerud still leading the charge for Team EKS
Ekström's fellow Team EKS driver, Andreas Bakkerud, is becoming a familiar sight at the business end of World Rallycross weekends. It was another final and another podium for the Norwegian in the UK.
I look forward confidently to the rest of the season, because now my favourite race tracks are looming on the horizon, and my home race in Hell.
Andreas Bakkerud leads the way
© @World/Red Bull Content Pool
King Kristoffersson is back on top
VW's Johan Kristoffersson's perfect start to the season came to end in Belgium, but he was back in P1 at Silverstone. The Swedish driver successfully stretched his championship points lead with a classy performance in the final race. With a third of season gone, Kristoffersson has three wins from the opening four races.
2018 FIA World Rallycross Championship positions after four rounds
Driver
Manufacturer
Points total
Johan Kristoffersson
Volkswagen
105
Sébastien Loeb
Peugeot
91
Andreas Bakkerud
Audi
83
Mattias Ekström
Peugeot
80
Petter Solberg
Volkswagen
80
Timmy Hansen
Audi
71
Follow all the action during the 2018 FIA World Rallycross Championship on our dedicated Rallycross page.
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