Photo: @World / Red Bull Content Pool
What was supposed to be the electric start of WRX history turned into a rallycross spectacle of combustion engines.
Oliver Solberg, Anton Marklund, Andreas Bakkerud and Johan Kristoffersson together in one final. What actually sounds like WRX level was “only” the Euro RX1 final at the actual WRX opener in Sweden. The electric premiere of the new World Rallycross Championship with the RX1e cars was postponed to the race weekend at the Nürburgring, so the good old combustion cars were the highlight of the “Magic Weekend” in Höljes.
From semi-final 1, the reigning Euro RX1 Champion Andreas Bakkerud (with a 5 second lead) and local hero Anton Marklund advanced to the final. From the second semi-final heat, Oliver Solberg and Jean Baptiste Dubourg made it to the final five. In the third and final semi-final, Johan Kristoffersson qualified for the last heat of the day.
A visibly delighted Oliver Solberg then prevailed in the final, by just under 1.4 seconds the full-time WRC driver managed to secure victory ahead of Anton Marklund – both drivers were in Hyundai i20s. The final podium place went to Frenchman Dubourg ahead of crowd favorite Andreas Bakkerud from Norway.
