Rallycross
Timmy Hansen wins 2019 World Rallycross Championship in dramatic final race
The final weekend of the 2019 FIA World Rallycross Championship in Cape Town had absolutely everything, including driver and team victories for Timmy Hansen.
Timmy Hansen came out victorious in the 2019 World Rallycross (World RX) Championship title fight after a decisive final weekend of racing in Cape Town, South Africa that ended in the most dramatic possible manner. In addition to Timmy taking the Drivers' title, Team Hansen MJP were also confirmed as team champions.
"What a season it's been and to end it as world champion, I've been dreaming about this my whole life, since I was a kid," Hansen said at the finish line. "It feels amazing, it's everything that I wished for."
The whole weekend had been building up towards a winner-takes-all battle between Hansen and his championship rival, Andreas Bakkerud. The pair arrived in Cape Town with just a single point separating them.
Hansen knew that taking the maximum 30 points on offer at the final race weekend of the season would be enough to hand him his first World RX title. He flew out of the blocks for Saturday's qualifying races and quickly got the upper hand over Bakkerud.
At the end of qualifying he'd extended his championship lead over Bakkerud to two points, as the drivers headed into the semi-final stage. Timmy's performances, alongside his brother Kevin Hansen, had also secured an historic World RX Team Championship for Team Hansen MJP. The family team is the first non factory-backed outfit to claim this prize.
The Hansen brothers embrace
© @World/Red Bull Content Pool
When both Hansen and Bakkerud won their semi-finals the mathematics became very simple: if Bakkerud won the final, he'd be world champion. If Hansen won it, he'd take the title.
The final proved to be as dramatic as anything that had come before it in a season packed with thrills. Bakkerud took the holeshot off the line, before Hansen, pushing hard to overtake, clipped the Norwegian and span into the wall early on. However, with Niclas Grönholm taking the lead to deny Bakkerud the race win and Hansen managing to get back on track to finish in fourth place, the two rivals finished the season tied on 211 points each.
Hansen won his first ever World RX championship on countback, having won four races this season compared to Bakkerud's one.
"This didn't exist for me... how it would be after the final, it wasn't on my mind." Hansen said in Cape Town. "I'm in shock. I was so focused, I think I put in the performance of my life this weekend. Now I'm in shock."
Timmy Hansen racing to glory in Cape Town
© @World/Red Bull Content Pool
Timmy Hansen's five steps to World Rallycross glory... including those four race wins that decided the countback
1. Fighting back from early setbacks
After leading at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit through Q1 and Q2, Hansen was shunted out of the race by Andreas Bakkerud in Q3. This left him 11th in the championship after the opening race of the season – not the start he was hoping for. However, he battled back next time out in Barcelona to take a clean sweep of qualifying, semi-final and final wins to get his season back on track.
2. Taking gold at Silverstone
Hansen became the first double-winner of 2019 and he did it in fine style – not only winning in Great Britain, but also once again taking the maximum 30 points on offer. Off the back of his performance at Silverstone he moved into the lead of the 2019 World Championship standings for the first time.
3. A hard-fought win in France
Hansen finished sixth, sixth and 13th in the three races following Silverstone and fell to third overall in the World Championship. He needed to get back on form in France if he was to keep his title challenge alive. A magnificent drive in the final in Lohéac gave him the win he desperately needed and the championship was all to play for once again.
Timmy Hansen is the 2019 FIA World Rallycross Championship winner
© @World/Red Bull Content Pool
4. Rallycross royalty out in front in Riga
Hansen had to fight back from a DNF in Q2 during the penultimate round of the season in Latvia. The Swede responded with the quickest times in Q3 and Q4. These drives were followed up with a semi-final win, before leading the final from start to finish. Hansen had battled his way back to the front of the world championship with just one race remaining.
5. It's a team effort
It was fitting that before any individual honours were secured at the final race of the season in Cape Town, the Team Championship was wrapped up by Team Hansen MJP. With both Timmy and Kevin Hansen progressing from qualifying to the semi-final races in South Africa, the points needed to secure the 2019 Team Championship were in the bag. It was an historic result, as Team Hansen MJP become the first non factory-backed outfit to come out on top. Now it was up to Timmy to win the 2019 FIA World Rallycross Championship for it to be the perfect weekend.