The 9 times WRC Champion Sebastien Loeb won his first FIA World Rallycross Championship event today.
The French driver beat Championship leader Mattias Ekström in the finale, whilst Loeb’s teammate Timmy Hansen finished 3rd.
There was a bit of crisis at Team Peugeot-Hansen Sunday morning, when Hansen drove Loeb off the circuit in one of the qualifying races while they were 1-2 in the heat. To Hansen’s defence, there was a very heavy rain shower and he aquaplaned into Loeb – but there was probably still a bit of French and Swedish words exchanged in the team tent.
It wasn’t a praising language that should be used at Petter Solberg World RX Team over the weekend either. In the second Qualification race, the Norwegian was excluded because of a collision with Ekström. Solberg was so angry about that, that he planned to pack up Saturday evening! He calmed down a little and went on for Sunday – but eliminated himself after a driving error which send the car into the barrier, all while leading.
Solberg said straight afterwards that he was out of the Championship hunt – and he might be right about that. Mattias Ekström extended his lead to 27 points ahead of Johan Kristoffersson, while Petter Solberg are further 7 points behind.
But with two Rounds left, there is still a lot of things that can happen. The next Round will be held in 14 days at Estering, which is located south of Hamburg near Buxtehude.