The king remained firmly ensconced atop his throne in the FIA World Rallycross Championship in 2023, as Johan Kristoffersson swept to his sixth Drivers’ crown in seven years in comprehensive fashion.
From the get-go, the Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS star made it clear that he was in no mood to mess about. Three full scores from the opening three rounds set the tone, and earned Kristoffersson a 27-point advantage over his nearest pursuer by the time the action was paused at Lydden Hill.
When racing resumed in South Africa with the entire field now behind the wheel of the ZEROID X1, the Swede faced a challenge to his supremacy. Both Timo Scheider and Kevin Hansen pipped him to the highest step of the podium over the course of the second half of the season, but ultimately, nobody could get close to knocking him off his perch at the top of the title table.
It was just the kind of consummate performance we have come to expect from the 34-year-old Arvika native. He was the only driver to reach the final in every round, and his average margin of victory – a crushing 3.7 seconds – proves that his rivals will need to pull something pretty special out of the bag indeed if they are to stop him in his tracks next year...
2023
Stats
World
RX Starts:
7
Wins: 5
Podiums: 6
Finals
Reached:
7
Best
Result: 1st
Points: 141
Championship
Position:
1st
Finland
Italy
Hungary