Hansens hint at rallycross return in sport’s new era

To fans of the sport, the Swedish family needs no introduction. Kenneth Hansen lifted the laurels in the FIA European Rallycross Championship on no fewer than 14 occasions between 1989 and 2008 – a simply staggering record of success unlikely ever to be equalled or beaten – while wife Susann (née Bergvall) won the European Championship’s Super 1400 title in 1994.

Sons Timmy and Kevin Hansen are both a chip off the old block. The former claimed the ultimate prize – the coveted World RX Drivers’ crown – in 2019, following a dramatic South African showdown against arch-rival Andreas Bakkerud that saw the pair make contact on the opening lap of the final in Cape Town.

In total, the 33-year-old has triumphed 14 times in the top-flight and reached the rostrum in more than 50 of the 121 rounds held since 2014. Indeed, the elder Hansen sibling was a podium-visitor in each of the opening three contests of 2025, and up until Istanbul, was the only driver to have started every single World RX event.

Kevin Hansen became the youngest competitor in the series’ history when he made his debut aged just 17-and-a-half in Argentina at the end of 2015 – advancing to the final in the 19-strong field at the first time of asking. He has subsequently gone on to establish himself as one of the sport’s biggest stars, finishing runner-up in the standings to Johan Kristoffersson in 2023 and 2024 in electric machinery.

Those performances and results contributed to the successful acquisition of the Teams’ World Championship trophy in 2015, 2019 and 2021, and although not seeing Hansen World RX Team in the mix in Türkiye was a somewhat unusual sight, the Swedish squad was quick to issue the following statement:

‘Whilst this is a difficult time for the team, our commitment to rallycross remains as resilient as ever. We are already turning our focus to the future, with the goal of returning stronger and fighting at the top once again. Over the months ahead, we will continue to reinforce partnerships, build new opportunities and prepare for 2026 and beyond.’ 

So even if a sponsorship shortfall kept them away from Türkiye, it seems they may not be gone for long...

“The last decade has been an incredible journey and chapter of my life,” reflected Timmy Hansen. “I was considering [stopping] after 2019. I felt fully burnt-out, and I thought, ok, I’m world champion, I’ll do a Nico Rosberg and step down. Then Covid came and I got the rest I needed, and now, looking back at all the races and memories we’ve had since then, how lucky it was that I didn’t quit!

“Having a European Rallycross Championship plus an FIA Rallycross World Cup in 2026 is completely the right choice, if you ask me. Let’s see if we can manage to build some internal combustion cars and get back to the start line...”