Hungary: Hansen and newbies

Timmy Hansen claimed his first rallycross victory in the third round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship in Hungary on a day when every category had a first-time winner.

Hansen only led the last two corners, passing team mate Timur Timerzyanov as the reigning champion took his joker on the last lap. “This is absolutely amazing,” said Hansen, the third winner in as many events. “I really can’t believe it, Timur’s been so fast all weekend but I just had enough in the final. The car was so perfect all weekend, we have had to make no set-up changes today because it has been just right.”

Timerzyanov and Hansen shared the front row of the final, having each won their semi-finals. Timerzyanov made the best start but Davy Jeanney flew up from the from the second row to split the Hanse Motorsport pair in the first lap. Jeanney chased Timerzyanov and made a bold attempt to pass the leader around the outside at the end of lap one. He ran wide however, allowing Hansen into second. Hansen jokered on lap three, while Jeanney took his joker on lap four. Timerzyanov took his joker on the sixth and final lap, but Hansen had closed the gap, just getting ahead as the pair headed for the final corner. Timerzyanov tried to find a way past, making contact with Hansen’s car but not enough to stop the Swedish driver taking the win, with Timerzyanov second and Jeanney third.

Knut Ove Borseth finished a brilliant fourth, bouncing back after a difficult first two rounds of the championship. He drove a clean race having made his way into the final with third place in semi-final one. One place behind was Borseth’s team mate Peter Hedstrom, who finished third in semi-final two and had his best run of the year in the final, despite clearly driving a car that wasn’t in full health. Behind the Hedstroms Motorsport pair, Alexander Hvaal was Hansen’s third man in the final and ran fourth until lap four when he picked up a puncture, ruling him out of contention and slowing his Citroen DS3 to a crawl.

It was a day debut victories in Hungary, Reinis Nitiss coming through the Super1600 class to take his first victory. Second was Russian driver Ildar Rakhmatullin, who had previously passed Kevin Eriksson on the final lap of semi-final two to claim victory. Eriksson would finish third in the final, although he finished fourth on the road, only to be promoted when Ulirk Linnemann’s Peugeot 207 failed post event scrutiny.

TouringCar was won by Daniel Lundh, who made a brilliant start from the second row of the grid to lead from the first corner until the end. Pole man Derek Tohill was involved in a first corner incident that ended his victory hopes, although he fought back to third place. Championship leader Robin Larsson hounded Lundh for the first two laps, before picking up a puncture.

JRX made its first appearance of a six-event schedule, the victory taken by Swedish rookie William Nilsson who took the lead and victory after a passing pole starter Magda Andersson.

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Full event story to follow.

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