Team Peugeot-Hansen for World Rallycross

Peugeot will enter the FIA World Rallycross Championship this season, joining forces with one of the most successful teams in the sport, Hansen Motorsport.

The new ‘Team Peugeot-Hansen’ will be partnered by Total and contest the full World championship with the French marques 208 T16 model. “We were attracted to the sport by a long list of factors, including its spectacular side, the big crowds it draws and the cars that are involved. They are very close to our target.” said Peugeot Sport Director, Bruno Famin. “We naturally sought to strike up a relationship with one of the best teams in the business, namely Hansen Motorsport. Team Peugeot-Hansen is starting from scratch for this new championship and we face a fascinating challenge with a calendar of 12 rounds across the world in some of the most strategically important markets for the brand.”

The announcement from Peugeot makes them the second manufacture to pledge it’s support to the series following the Ford/OMSE calibration last month. Hansen Motorsport has 18 European titles to it’s name, under the guidance of Kenneth Hansen who was first a driver and more recently team manager.

“We are very proud and honored to be working with Peugeot Sport in this year’s FIA World Rallycross Championship,” said Hansen. “We couldn’t be more motivated, but we are also acutely aware that the program comes with a huge responsibility. Be sure, though, that we will do everything in our power to make sure Peugeot has no regrets about placing its faith in Hansen Motorsport. My entire focus is now on getting on with the work that awaits us, from the team’s branding to the tiniest of screws which will go into the car.

Hansen Motorsport can look back at a successful record and our big dream right now is to fight at the very front with Peugeot. This is a completely new project which starts here and now, so we will need to work harder than ever in our bid to secure more success in 2014.”

Although yet to announce it’s driver line-up for 2014, Hansen has a recent record of getting the best from his drivers. He coached British driver Liam Doran to event wins in 2010, and Super1600 graduate Timur Timerzyanov to double European titles in 2012-2013. The squad has most recently assisted Timmy Hansen with a transition from circuit racing to rallycross success in 2013, winning only his third rallycross event.

Peugeot machines are no strangers to success at the highest level in rallycross, Finnish drivers Seppo Niittymaki and Matti Alamaki claimed four European titles in a row between 1987 and 1990 at the wheel of the legendary Peugeot 205 T16.

[portfolio_slideshow]