By his own admission, Timmy Hansen struggled to
adapt to the ZEROID X1 when he drove it at Mettet back in the summer – but since
then, the Swede has been ‘working super-hard’ to ensure that the next time he
climbs behind the wheel, in Cape Town next weekend (7-8 October), he will hit
the ground running.
Hansen was unable to match the pace of Hansen
World RX Team stablemate Kevin Hansen or multiple FIA World Rallycross Champion
Johan Kristoffersson in the FIA RX2e Championship in Belgium, and he retired
from the final with suspension damage after striking a kerb.
With all drivers now set to compete in ZEROID
X1 machinery for the remainder of the 2023 FIA World Rallycross Championship
campaign, the Swede knows he will need to raise his game as he seeks to turn
the tables on Kristoffersson in his pursuit of a second career crown.
“I had a hard time adapting to the car in
Belgium,” Hansen acknowledged. “My driving style is far away from how you need
to drive these cars, so it was a big challenge for me. Kevin was really fast –
he knows that kind of car well from his success in RX Lites – and it seemed to
come pretty naturally to Johan too, but I struggled.
“Since then, I’ve been working super-hard
trying to get my head around how I need to drive the car differently and figure
out exactly how to get the most out of it. I’m a big believer in practice making
perfect, and I will be much better-prepared for Cape Town and Hong Kong. I’m
confident it will be a completely different story there. Everyone will have the
same material for the first time, which is exciting, and I’m looking forward to
getting back out there and fighting for the win.”
In contrast to his team-mate, Kevin Hansen felt
at home in the ZEROID X1 from the outset in Belgium, dominating both free
practice and qualifying practice and topping the timesheets again in heat one.
Indeed, the 25-year-old – who won the RX Lites title in a similar car back in
2015 – looked to be the hot favourite for victory until Kristoffersson settled
into his stride, and he is ready to renew battle with his countryman in South
Africa.
“It was nice to set the pace for the first time
this year at Mettet, and hopefully we can continue that form in Cape Town,” he
remarked. “The ZEROID X1 really seems to suit my driving style, and I enjoy
driving it a lot.
“With the cars all being the same, the focus
will be a lot more on the driver, as well as getting right down into the details
from an engineering point-of-view. It will certainly be a big challenge, but I
think we’re in a good place.”
Finland
Italy
Hungary