“Neither Johan nor I have really shone in Norway or Sweden in the past. As such, these two events are very important for us and the team. Sure, the same number of points are up for grabs at every round of the World Rallycross Championship, but home races are always very special for everyone,” says Petter Solberg.
Solberg is quite certain that Volkswagen Motorsport has found what it takes to make round six of the World Championship in Norway another highlight for the team. “I have to confess that I have always struggled to get my cars working at this track. That shouldn’t be the case this year. We have made progress in many little areas with the Polo since the start of the year. We did not make even the slightest mistake last time out at Lydden Hill. Everything ran absolutely perfectly.”
The racing promises to be exciting from the very first corner. As such, tactics will play a particularly important role at the circuit in Hell.
“I have always been very cautious in Rallycross,” says Petter. “I am not the type of driver who sticks his car in any little gap. Sometimes you get through doing that, but usually it does not come off. There is always a risk involved, and it is a very big risk at this point in the season. Leaving an event empty-handed can cost any of the top drivers any chance of winning the World Championship. As a team, we have to err on the side of caution, as we have done all season so far.”
World Rallycross Championship leader Johan Kristoffersson will also be playing it safe.
“Norway is always one of the most complicated races of the entire year. It will definitely be important not to make any mistakes all weekend,” says Kristoffersson.
“We have made a fantastic start to the season, and both the car and the team are improving all the time. To be honest, I can still hardly believe what we have achieved as a team in such a short time. And that was just the start of things to come. The focus is definitely on carrying the momentum we have into Hell. However, we obviously also have to keep an eye on the big picture – the two championships.”
Qualifying rounds one and two for the WRX Supercar class take place at 11:00 and 14:00 on Saturday. Qualifying sessions three and four follow at 10:00 and 12:00 on Sunday. The semi-final then starts at 15:00, followed immediately by the final.
In selected countries, it is possible to watch the two-hour WRX Live Show via live stream on Youtube from 15:00 on Sunday. You can find more information on TV listings at www.fiaworldrallycross.com/tv_listings
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