The 2015 FIA WRX vice-champion Timmy Hansen bounced back from a tough start to the season to claim a podium finish at Lydden Hill, Great Britain. Round 4 of the 2016 FIA World Rallycross Championship saw Team Peugeot Hansen climb to second place in the provisional standings.
- After a perfectible run in the first qualifying heat, Timmy Hansen put in a consistent performance to qualify in brilliant fashion for the semi-finals and, ultimately, the final which he concluded in third place to secure his first podium result of the year.
- Kevin Hansen celebrated his 18th birthday by reaching the final in the N°71 PEUGEOT 208 WRX (Peugeot Hansen Academy). The provisional European Rallycross Championship pace-setter went on to notch up his best result at WRX level by scoring a superb fourth place.
- Despite suffering a variety of woes, Sébastien Loeb succeeded in qualifying for the semi-finals but, although he got away to a first class start, he was unable to stay in the fight because of an engine misfire.
QUOTE, UNQUOTE…
Kenneth Hansen (Team Principal)
“It turned out to be an important weekend, especially for Timmy who wasn’t really in the chase at the previous rounds. He was in excellent form throughout the meeting at Lydden Hill, though, and he eventually bagged a top-three finish. It is crucial for the team to have two drivers capable of fighting for the podium. Sébastien had technical problems and, unfortunately, didn’t make it to the final. Kevin had a fantastic run which was a superb way to celebrate his 18th birthday! And Davy came very close to joining them all in the semi-finals.”
Timmy Hansen (PEUGEOT 208 WRX #21, Team Peugeot Hansen)
“It’s fantastic to be back in the top three. It’s been some time since I last finished on the podium. The weekend went fairly smoothly for me, although I didn’t quite have the speed to battle with Solberg and Ekström. We will therefore need to keep on working but today’s result is almost like a victory for me. I gave it my all from the start of the weekend to the finish, as did my team. It felt great to be spraying the champagne again and it was also great to see that Kevin finished just behind me. It’s his best result to date and I am very proud of him!”
Sébastien Loeb (PEUGEOT 208 WRX #9, Team Peugeot Hansen)
“It wasn’t a positive weekend for me because I had quite a few problems. I had engine trouble during my first qualifying heat which dropped me to 17th position. The second heat was trouble-free but I picked up a puncture in the third one and, for the last heat, they sprayed the track with water just before my race. I still managed to qualify for the semi-finals but I had engine trouble again, so I didn’t make it to the final. I think we must have clocked up all the problems you can imagine. Let’s hope we have a clean run next time.”
Kevin Hansen (PEUGEOT 208 WRX #71, Peugeot Hansen Academy)
“I didn’t dare to dream of reaching the final so it’s just fantastic to have come away with such a strong result! I got off to a good start and found myself behind Petter and Timmy. I managed to stay in their slipstream, so I was quite proud of that. After may joker lap, I ended up fourth, just a few seconds adrift of the championship’s leaders. It’s my best result in the world championship to date. I don’t think there could have been a better way to celebrate turning 18!”
LYDDEN HILL – FINAL POSITIONS:
1. Mattias Ekström (EKS, Audi S1)
2. Petter Solberg (Peter Solberg World RX Team, Citroën DS3)
3. Timmy Hansen (Team Peugeot Hansen, PEUGEOT 208 WRX)
4. Kevin Hansen (Team Peugeot Hansen, PEUGEOT 208 WRX)
5. Timur Timerzianov (World RX Team Austria, Ford Fiesta)
6. Andreas Bakkerud (Hoonigan Racing Division, Ford Focus RS)
CHAMPIONSHIP CLASSIFICATIONS AFTER 4 ROUNDS
FIA World Rallycross Championship – Drivers
1. Mattias Ekström (EKS, Audi S1), 105 pts
2. Petter Solberg (Peter Solberg World RX Team, Citroën DS3), 100 pts
3. Johan Kristoffersson (Volkswagen RX Sweden, Volkswagen Polo), 70 pts
4. Sebastien Loeb (Team Peugeot Hansen, PEUGEOT 208 WRX), 63 pts
5. Toomas Heikkinen (EKS, Audi S1), 60 pts
6. Andreas Bakkerud (Hoonigan Racing Division, Ford Focus RS), 51 points
7. Timmy Hansen (Team Peugeot Hansen, PEUGEOT 208 WRX), 46 pts
8. Kevin Eriksson (Olsberg MSE, Ford Fiesta ST), 43 pts
9. Robin Larsson (Larsson, Audi A1), 40 pts
10. Janis Baumanis (World RX Team Austria, Ford Fiesta), 35 pts
11. Davy Jeanney (Peugeot-Hansen Academy, PEUGEOT 208 WRX), 28 pts
FIA World Rallycross Championship – Teams
1. EKS, 165 pts
2. Team Peugeot Hansen, 109 pts
3. Volkswagen RX Sweden, 102 pts
