Never one to rest upon his laurels, Johan
Kristoffersson is already targeting further titles at the international
pinnacle of the sport after clinching his sixth career crown in the FIA World
Rallycross Championship on the streets of Hong Kong just over a week ago (11-12
November).
Requiring only ten points heading into the
event to seal the deal, Kristoffersson got the job done on the opening day of
competition on the Central Harbourfront circuit in the Asian metropolis – World
RX’s first-ever downtown venue – despite failing to take the chequered flag in
the final when technical issues intervened on the last lap.
That misfortune, the Swede reckoned, robbed
fans of a thrilling photo-finish as he hunted down Kevin Hansen, but 24 hours
later, there was to be no denying him, as Kristoffersson dominated proceedings
from heat two onwards to cement his 40th series triumph.
“What an amazing weekend!” the Volkswagen
Dealerteam BAUHAUS ace enthused. “It was great to go to Hong Kong and race on a
fun track in front of so many enthusiastic spectators, so it was obviously a shame
that we couldn’t give them a fight all the way to
the finish line on the Saturday due to my car stopping in the final.
“This team doesn’t accept results like
that, so it was a little hard to stand on the podium for the Teams’ Championship
and look happy, because we wanted more, but we
gained our revenge on the Sunday.
“I was a bit too cautious at the
start of the semi-final, which allowed Timmy [Hansen] to get past, but I managed
to pull out a great joker and then a very fast last lap to take the win. After
that, I tried
a different approach at the start of the final, and I knew that if somebody wanted to get ahead of me into Turn One,
they would need to do something extraordinary.
“When I exited Turn Two, I saw that Ole
Christian [Veiby – team-mate] was behind me. I pushed really hard on the first
lap before focussing on staying safe and avoiding any punctures or damage. To
come away with a one-two finish for the team, there’s
no better feeling than that – what a fantastic end to the season!”
It was another masterful performance
by the undisputed master of the discipline, but underscoring his burning
ambition, Kristoffersson’s thoughts are already turning towards the future –
and to further championship celebrations...
“The team did a great job over the winter by
working so hard to improve the car – that's where
we laid the foundations for this success,” the 34-year-old mused. “Every single
person put in a tremendous effort and we showed how strong we were at
the start of the season by winning the first three rounds. We made the right
choices with smart decisions and no mistakes, and
it was very special that we were able to defend both titles – that's a real statement
of strength.
“Now it’s time to enjoy a little bit of a
winter break before we begin re-charging for the next and the next and the
next. My aim is to become world champion for the
seventh time next year, and beyond that, well, Sébastien Loeb’s record of nine
world championship titles looks like an appealing target, too...”
Team Principal Tommy
Kristoffersson was also quick to pay tribute to the Volkswagen Dealerteam
BAUHAUS crew following five victories from seven outings in 2023.
“It was a dream
scenario to round off the season – we could not have directed it better
than that,” he acknowledged. “The atmosphere in
Hong Kong was like what we experienced in World RX a few years ago, and the
final on Sunday was outstanding.
“I have to say, though,
these titles were already won during the winter when everybody put their
absolute soul into this project. There is something very special about this team.
Everyone was on their toes early every morning and even after securing both
championships on the Saturday, we were first in the paddock on the Sunday.
I’m immensely proud.”
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