Jānis Baumanis

 

Jānis Baumanis has been a familiar name on the international rallycross scene since 2014, when he contested the FIA European Rallycross Championship’s Super1600 (now Euro RX3) category, claiming three wins in a SET Promotion Renault Twingo on his way to third in the drivers’ classification.

The following year, the Latvian added two more victories and the Super1600 crown to his rapidly growing résumé, while simultaneously making his debut at Supercar (now Euro RX1) level in Norway in a Peugeot 208 under the Hansen Talent Development banner – impressively reaching the rostrum at the first time of asking.

Sporadic World Championship outings the same season were highlighted by a maiden final appearance and fourth-place finish in the last round in Argentina, behind the wheel of a World RX Team Austria Ford Fiesta.

Baumanis remained with the squad in 2016, regularly progressing through to the semi-final stage and advancing to his second career final in Barcelona en route to a top ten championship ranking. He continued to score consistently over the following two years with STARD before breaking through in 2019 as he ascended the podium in both Norway and Canada, going on to clinch sixth spot in the end-of-season standings.

Following a year’s absence, he rejoined the fray in an ESmotorsport Škoda Fabia in 2021, popularly triumphing on home soil in Rīga as he raced to third in the title table. In 2022, Baumanis returned to the Hansen Motorsport fold, switching to a Peugeot 208 run under the #YellowSquad banner and improving to second overall courtesy of a trio of rostrum results.

For 2023, the Mārupe native has resurrected the RX Team Latvia moniker – last seen in the World RX paddock in 2016 – and got his season off to the perfect start with victory in the Nyirád curtain-raiser.