A prestigious line-up takes shape for the World RX in Mettet
The FIA World Rallycross Championship (World RX) is gearing up for its return to the Circuit Jules Tacheny. The World Championship field will head to Belgium for the third round of the season, scheduled for August 17-18.
The Jules Tacheny circuit has already hosted the Word RX from 2014 to 2018 and in 2023. This demanding, winding track has been the setting for some of the greatest moments in the history of the World Championship. Emblematic figures in the discipline such as Sébastien Loeb, Petter Solberg, Johan Kristoffersson and the late Ken Block have all shone here.
A high-flying grid
For 2024, the FIA has decided to introduce a new raceformat called ‘Battle of technologies’. The emphasis is on the battle between internal combustion engines and electric motors. The list of World RX and RX2 entrants has not yet been finalised, but we can already expect a selection of the best drivers. Among them, of course, is Johan Kristoffersson. Six-time FIA Rallycross World Champion, the Swede is back at it again this year with the firm intention of adding a second victory at Mettet to his already impressive Rallycross record.
However, he will have to contend with Finland’s Niclas Grönholm, currently third in the overall standings and winner in Hungary. Klara Andersson, the only woman in the field, is also in the running and is equal third in the Championship with Grönholm. Among the other contenders in the discipline are brothers Timmy and Kevin Hansen. On the podium four times last year, Kevin Hansen is sixth overall, just one point behind Timmy. And let’s not forget Ole Christian Veiby, second in the Championship with 76 points on his tally, who will be representing Norway in Mettet.
An exceptional line-up for Euro RX
The entry lists for the Euro RX1 and Euro RX3 categories of World RX Benelux have been announced. Patrick O’Donovan leads the Euro RX1 Championship at the start of the season after his second consecutive victory. However, the young British talent will face fierce competition, particularly from Höljes runner-up Mika Liimatainen and his team-mate Mikko Ikonen, both driving their Hyundai i20s. He will also have to keep an eye on the Volland Racing duo of Damian Litwinowicz and Yury Belevskiy, as well as Sivert Svardal in his Volkswagen Polo wagon and Máté Benyó (Peugeot 208), who is entering his second season in the series.
In Euro RX3, Nils Volland and João Ribeiro dominated in Sweden, but Hungary’s Sámuel Kovács and Balázs Körmöczi proved that the Audi drivers won’t have it easy this year, demonstrating impressive speed.
Tickets for the World RX of Benelux are already available from Ticketmaster Ticketmaster and from Night and Day points of sales. Find out more here !