Behind the wheel of his
sustainably-fuelled, internal combustion-engined Volkswagen Polo KMS 601 RX,
Johan Kristoffersson unusually did not win either of the two finals at Istanbul
Park Circuit – the first time since 2021 that the series’ most successful competitor
has left an event without a first-place trophy in his luggage.
In the grand scheme of
things, however, that mattered little, as he walked away with an infinitely
bigger prize – his seventh world championship title, and first in the new
‘Battle of Technologies’ era.
The job was done as
early as heat two on Saturday. A maiden victory for KMS - HORSE Powertrain stablemate
Ole Christian Veiby in the final then meant the Arvika-based outfit required only
four points the following day to similarly wrap up the Teams’ laurels – with a full
score from Kristoffersson in Sunday’s first heat race sealing the deal in
style.
“We came here to tick
three boxes and we did that,” the 35-year-old reflected, referring to the two
championship triumphs and Veiby’s breakthrough success. “You can’t ask for more
than that. Results-wise, it wasn’t the best weekend for me personally, but I’m
very happy for Ole Christian to get his first win – we’ve been racing together
for many years and he fully deserves it.”
Indeed, Veiby wound up
as the event’s highest scorer, just ahead of team-mate Kristoffersson, with the
pair’s performances and results over the course of the campaign propelling KMS
- HORSE Powertrain to Teams’ glory by a commanding 52-point margin.
“It’s proof that work
hard pays off,” commented Team Principal, Tommy Kristoffersson. “We have
incredible knowledge throughout the entire team, with an open atmosphere
everywhere. Also, the collaboration between Johan and Ole Christian works
optimally.
“Johan has shown he can
adapt and win in different types of cars. In addition, he is loyal to the team
and always participates in the hard work. He deserves credit for having
been an important part in the development of the new cars, and it makes me
especially happy that Ole Christian managed to secure another top three championship
finish as well.
“We have faced a lot of
pressure this year, but we are lucky to have partners that support us financially,
despite tough times in the world. They give us the conditions in which to
perform, and we are humbly grateful for that. It feels extra-satisfying to be
able to deliver these results for them.”
Japan
Poland
Turkey