Belevskiy might be regarded as one of the leading
protagonists in his quest to clinch a second European crown with Volland Racing
in 2024, but the Swiss star is keeping his feet firmly on the ground as the forthcoming
campaign approaches apace, suggesting that it may be more than just the ‘usual
suspects’ in with a shout.
“With the changes to the regulations, there are
a lot of new elements to take into account,” he mused in an interview with French website Pure Rallycross, picking out the likes of
Patrick O’Donovan and Sivert Svardal as key rivals before adding: “Who knows,
perhaps the new tyres and sporting format will bring some drivers to the front
that we aren’t accustomed to seeing up
there... I’m sure we will see some surprise results and performances from people
we wouldn’t normally expect.
“Let’s see how everything plays out. When new
rules are introduced, it’s generally those who can adapt the quickest who reap
the rewards. The good news is that everybody is in the same boat, and I’m not
planning to change much in my approach. We’re not taking part in this
championship merely to make up the numbers – the goal is 100 per cent to win another
European title.”
Belevskiy has similarly made no secret of the
fact that he debated a return to the FIA World Rallycross Championship this
season, having stunned on his debut at the highest level at Germany’s Nürburgring
at the end of 2021, when he finished runner-up to multiple world champion Johan
Kristoffersson. While he has elected for an assault on European honours for
now, his World RX ambitions clearly still burn bright.
“We’ll keep a close eye on how the ‘Battle of
Technologies’ develops this year,” the 29-year-old revealed. “If we see that
the combustion cars can be competitive against the electric cars, maybe we will
consider stepping up in 2025.”
Finland
Italy
Hungary