Everywhere men

At the end of last year’s truncated FIA World Rallycross Championshipo there were three drivers who had driven in every event. The COVID-19 pandemic meant that the series did not make it to Spa or Nurburgring for the last two events, and that the season concluded in Barcelona.

The fourth of four double-header weekend that delivered eight rounds of the 2020 championship, that weekend in Barcelona provided the 78th and 79th World RX events.

In the fickle world of motor sport it’s remarkable that three drivers remained present for that long and, no matter how disappointing, perhaps not surprising that one of them has slipped off the entry list this year.

Those three are Andreas Bakkerud, Timmy Hansen and Timur Timerzyanov. Each has won events, and Hansen was the champion in 2019, shading Bakkerud in the closest contest the series has seen.

All three drivers starred in four laps of pure magic in the now legendary Q3, R3 at Spa in 2019, as good an example of brilliant rallycross as you could ever see.

Timerzyanov’s 2019 victory at Spa is, perhaps, the most popular and widely celebrated win of any in those 79 events, the former European champion having completed 63 events before netting an emotional victory.

Timerzyanov’s participation in World RX so far does not go beyond round one, but the Russian star continues to work to extend his season.

We will let Bakkerud tell you in his own words why he will not be on the grid in Barcelona.

Hansen is set for a full season and may well become the only driver to have started in all events quite soon.

Starting every round does not, of course, get you any awards or prizes. It’s just a stat. And as World RX gets older so the liklihood of any driver staying there and driving in all events diminishes. The effects of the pandemic, the unscheduled change in the promoter of the championship and the upcoming move to electric cars are all factors that complicate life for drivers and teams. What we do know is that the 17-strong field for round one is more than respectable and bodes well for the 2021 season.

In the meantime, this seemed like a good opportunity to look at what Timerzyanov, Hansen and Bakkerud have done over the last seven years and 79 events.