Veiby ‘has taken big steps forward this year’

“Ole Christian has taken big steps forward this year, and the collaboration between him and Johan [Kristoffersson] I would say is completely unique,” mused the KMS Team Principal. “On the Saturday in Istanbul, OC drove for Johan so that we could secure the Drivers’ title, and on the Sunday, Johan had to stand up for Ole Christian in the hunt for Niclas [Grönholm].” 

Veiby’s hopes of stealing the runner-up spoils in the Drivers’ standings from CE Dealer Team rival Grönholm, however, had already been dealt a blow when he endured what he described as ‘not the best’ Saturday.

An error on the damp track surface in Q1 resulted in the 29-year-old swiping the barrier and spinning away the lead, while he and KMS stablemate Kristoffersson then inadvertently clashed at the start of Q3, sending the #96 Volkswagen Polo RX1e briefly airborne and turning it around once again.

A similarly scrappy final saw Veiby twice come together with Klara Andersson, and although he crossed the finish line third, he was subsequently demoted to fourth after being deemed the guilty party in the contretemps.

“Saturday wasn’t the best day,” he acknowledged. “It was action-packed with a lot of ups-and-downs, and despite showing good pace and fast lap times, we ended up in difficult situations. I made a mistake in Q1 and hit the barrier in really slippery conditions – the wet track was very challenging to drive.

“I was unlucky at the start of Q3 and got spun round following contact with Johan, but it was just one of those things in rallycross and nobody’s fault. I then struggled a bit in the final and had a big fight with Klara, which ended up in a penalty.”

In a dramatic turnaround, two heat wins out of three earned Veiby Top Qualifier honours the next day, and he went on to dominate the first semi-final to grab pole position for the all-important final, which he led from lights-to-flag under constant pressure from Kristoffersson to clinch his third World RX victory at the scene of his breakthrough success ten months earlier.

The newly-crowned eight-time world champion shadowed him throughout – describing his team-mate’s performance as ‘flawless’ – as the Kongsvinger native sealed third place in the Drivers’ table for the second consecutive campaign, a single point shy of Grönholm.

“I did everything I could!” Veiby reflected. “Top Qualifier, win in the semi-final and win in the final. It was almost a clean sweep [for KMS in the championship classifications], but it wasn't quite enough. Still, it was a fantastic day and I managed to get a good launch in the final and then kept calm for the rest of the race. The team did an awesome job with the car.

“It felt great to end with another win in Türkiye and with Johan on the podium alongside me – he’s the absolute GOAT and a huge inspiration – and it was really nice to give back to all the KMS guys who have supported us so much. It’s been amazing to be part of this journey we’ve had over the past four years. Let’s see what the future brings...”