Jānis Baumanis began the 2023 FIA European Rallycross Championship campaign in perfect fashion, overcoming illness to triumph in the Nyirád curtain-raiser and seize the early initiative.
The popular Latvian would almost certainly have repeated that result in Portugal a few weeks later, but for a jump-start in the final that obliged a double joker and restricted him to third. It was one of several ‘ifs, buts and maybes’ that ultimately ended up costing him the coveted Drivers’ crown.
The mid-season rounds in Norway and Belgium dealt further blows to Baumanis’ ambitions, as penalties for contact kept him out of the all-important final on both occasions. The RX Team Latvia ace bounced back with his eighth career victory at Germany’s Estering – making him the only driver in Euro RX1 to win more than once in 2023 – but in terms of the bigger picture, the damage was already done. Despite his best efforts, he fell six points short of championship glory, scooping the runner-up spoils for the second consecutive campaign.
It was a case of so near yet agonisingly so far,
but after tallying an impressive 12 top three heat results out of 24, should Baumanis
return for another shot in 2024, he will assuredly be very well-placed indeed
to challenge for a second European title...
2023
Stats
Euro
RX Starts:
6
Wins:
2
Podiums:
3
Finals
Reached:
4
Best
Result: 1st
Points:
86
Championship
Position:
2nd
Finland
Italy
Hungary