Since 2017, Johan Kristoffersson has clinched the
FIA World Rallycross Championship crown in every season he has contested. It is
a quite remarkable record, and one that the Swede admits is ‘surreal’ as he
sets his sights on title number seven in 2024.
Kristoffersson made his World RX debut back in
2014, the inaugural campaign of the world championship, entering four rounds
and immediately showcasing his very special talent by placing a superb second
in the intermediate classification at Franciacorta in Italy behind the wheel of
his family-run Volkswagen Polo.
In 2015, he threw his hat into the ring for a
full season, winning the Montalegre curtain-raiser ahead of Petter Solberg and
Timmy Hansen and going on to secure third in the overall standings. He improved
upon that to finish second in 2016 – and since then, he has been unstoppable.
The statistics make for pretty sobering reading
for Kristoffersson’s rivals. From his 87 starts in World RX to-date, the Arvika
native has claimed no fewer than 55 podium finishes – a staggering 40 of them
victories, equating to a win in practically every other round. Take a moment to
think about that. Mind-blowing, isn’t it?
In terms of world championship crowns, he is
just one behind Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher, and he has already
hinted he has one eye on Sébastien Loeb’s legacy in the FIA World Rally
Championship sister series.
Even more impressively, Kristoffersson is no
one-trick-pony. It is not just in rallycross that this Scandinavian speedster has starred. Far from it. He has
proven he can prevail in every discipline he has attempted in the sport, with
title triumphs in the V8 Superstars Series, Scandinavian
Touring Car Championship, Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia and Extreme E,
not to mention race wins in the FIA World Touring Car Cup and podium finishes
in-class in the WRC.
Only 35, he is palpably still very much at the peak
of his powers, and while remaining humble about his success, it is clear from
the fire in his eyes that Kristoffersson is far from finished yet.
“If somebody had told me ten years ago when I
started out in World RX that I would become a six-time world champion, I would
absolutely never have believed them,” he told French website, Pure Rallycross.
“It’s incredible to think what we’ve achieved –
our results over the past seven years have been way beyond what I could have
expected. When I look at the names of those who have won more world titles than
me, it’s pretty surreal. Of course, Formula 1 and WRC remain a level above, but
what an incredible journey we’ve had so far!
“Beyond my world championship titles, I’m equally
as proud of having shown that I can be competitive and win races in different disciplines
that I’ve had to learn ‘on the job’. I’ve always been able to adapt quickly to
new situations – that’s a real source of satisfaction.”
Finland
Italy
Hungary