Istanbul Park Circuit is preparing to welcome
international rallycross’ top-flight for the first time in almost a decade,
having staged some sensational action back in the world championship’s early years.
Before the competitive action gets underway,
Kevin Hansen (Hansen World RX Team), Klara Andersson (CE Dealer Team by Volvo
Construction Equipment), Ole Christian Veiby (KMS - HORSE Powertrain) and
Patrick O’Donovan (Team RX Racing) joined Turkish DTM driver and Red Bull
athlete Ayhancan Güven for a photo opportunity at Ortaköy Mosque, overlooking
the Bosphorus Strait that separates Europe from Asia.
“I’m really happy to see the return of World RX
to Istanbul, not just as a racer but also as a fan!” enthused Güven. “I tested
an RX Lites car back in 2016, and since then, I’ve been interested in rallycross.
It always produces great action, so I’m looking forward to watching this
weekend’s event trackside.”
Indeed, there could scarcely be a better
choice than Türkiye to conclude the current campaign. As the boundary between
two continents, Istanbul is a meeting-point of two distinct cultures – a clear
synergy with World RX’s inaugural ‘Battle of Technologies’, which for the first
time sees cutting-edge electric rallycross cars go directly up against their
sustainably-fuelled internal combustion-engined rivals.
“I’m very excited for the weekend and I
enjoyed the track when I drove it in RX Lites,” commented Hansen, who heads
into the weekend sitting second in the Drivers’ standings, 46 points shy of
world championship leader, Johan Kristoffersson. “Türkiye is a big
motorsport-loving country, so it’s great to be here and for the event to be
open to the public.
“With so many corners, we may struggle with
the extra weight of the electric car at this track, and with three quick new
drivers in the field – all with nothing to lose and hungry to come away with a
good result – it will be a tough challenge, but it will also provide great
entertainment!”
“It’s going to be a really fun and exciting
weekend,” echoed Veiby, one spot behind Hansen in third in the title table.
“It’s my first time in Istanbul whereas some of the other guys have been here
before, but equally, that was many years ago so it’s going to be interesting.
“Second in the championship is definitely up
for grabs, and I think this circuit could suit us quite well. The slippery
surface should play to our advantage and it would obviously be nice to score my
first World RX win. Maybe I will get some help from Johan [Kristoffersson –
team-mate] since he is relatively secure in the championship. One thing is for
sure – it’s going to be spectacular!”
All of the non-stop thrills will be broadcast live on the pioneering Rally.TV platform.
For more information about the event,
including the weekend timetable and entry list, click here.
Japan
Poland
Turkey