Running a pair of
all-electric PWR RX1e beasts, the Swedish squad began 2024 in fine style on
home soil at Höljes back in July, as Klara Andersson vied for victory on the
opening day – on her way to clinching the runner-up spoils behind multiple
world champion Johan Kristoffersson – and Niclas Grönholm repeated his
team-mate’s result 24 hours later.
There followed an
eighth career triumph for the flying Finn at Nyirád in Hungary, and another
rostrum appearance for Andersson at the same circuit, but since then, pickings
have been slim, with just a solitary podium finish between them, achieved by
Grönholm last time out in Portugal.
“Our goal in Türkiye is
to get back to the strong performance we showed at the start of the season,”
affirmed the 28-year-old. “A third-place finish in the Drivers’ championship is
still within reach, so I’ll be pushing hard for that and of course also in the Teams’
championship fight. The track is new to me, so there will probably be a
learning curve throughout the weekend, but we’re determined to end the season
on a high note.”
Grönholm has slipped to
fifth in the overall classification ahead of the forthcoming Turkish
double-header, albeit only ten points shy of a fourth consecutive top three
finish in the world championship standings. He is one spot ahead of Andersson,
who will similarly be discovering Istanbul Park Circuit for the first time.
“I’m excited to be back
racing again,” enthused the 24-year-old Löberöd native. “It’s a new track for
me, which is a thrilling challenge. Our goals and ambitions are high – we want
to finish the season on top and score as many points as possible. Of course,
it’s tough with a larger field and many fast drivers, but hopefully we’ve
learned from the past two weekends and can show the true potential of this
groundbreaking team.”
With the track having
not hosted top-flight rallycross for the best part of a decade, Volvo
Construction Equipment has spent some time upgrading the Turkish venue’s safety
barriers and infrastructure in advance of the eagerly-anticipated ‘Battle of
Technologies’ showdown, pitting cutting-edge EV machinery directly against
sustainably-fuelled internal combustion cars.
And as World RX’s bold new
era speeds towards a captivating conclusion, CE Dealer Team is eager to sign
off its third season at the discipline’s highest level in positive fashion.
“Istanbul Park brings
back great memories,” commented Team Manager, Jussi Pinomäki. “The championship
was here ten years ago, and it was a nice, challenging track back then. Now,
we’re returning for a double-header finale with a lot on the line. Following a
break after Portugal, the team is excited and ready to finish 2024 on a high.
“Our preparation
meetings have shown just how motivated everyone is to step up. Recent races
haven’t been easy, but the pace was there if you look beyond the results. It’s
all about pulling everything together and staying focussed and hungry. I’m
looking forward to an exciting event with new competitors in the mix, aiming to
end the campaign better than we have done so far.”
Japan
Poland
Turkey