Vranckx returns to defend RX2e crown

Viktor Vranckx has confirmed that he will return to the FIA RX2e Championship with VMV Racing in 2023 in defence of his hard-fought crown.

Vranckx attended his first rallycross race when he was only a few months old, as his father was a mechanic. The bug bit quickly, and with a brace of Junior CrossCar titles under his belt, the teenage prodigy made his RX2e debut last year, in the second season of the all-electric FIA World Rallycross Championship support series.

Straight off the bat, he was the driver to beat, defeating a host of Scandinavian specialists in their backyard to win the opening two rounds in Sweden and Norway. Further rostrum results in the remaining three outings saw the rookie lift the laurels in style.

Since then, Vranckx has triumphed three times out of four in RallyX Nordic’s Pro-Am category, as well as achieving an outright podium finish in the headlining Pro class – despite his ZEROID X1, which he will also race in RX2e, producing 200bhp less than other cars in the field.

In order to retain his RX2e title in 2023, the Belgian will not only need to once again get the better of rivals of the calibre of Nils Andersson and Isak Sjökvist – both of whom have similarly signed up to contest a full campaign in the championship – but also adapt to the changes introduced to the cars over the off-season.

Power has been increased from 250kW to 270kW, while there will now be a ‘Boost’ mode that will deliver drivers an extra 80kW for a limited time during each race to increase overtaking opportunities and encourage more strategic play. Vranckx is excited by the challenge ahead and ready to take to the track to renew battle.

“Since we won the RX2e championship last year, we obviously cannot lower our expectations,” the 17-year-old asserted, “so we are definitely aiming to defend our title. Of course there will be more pressure, but it usually helps me to perform at my best and extract that little bit extra.

“I’m really looking forward to the upgrades to the cars, although I’m already quite used to them as we are driving with more power in RallyX Nordic.”

The five-round 2023 RX2e campaign will get underway in Hell, Norway, on 17-18 June.