Given how rare it is for a team to qualify three cars for the semi-finals of a World Rallycross Championship round, the fact that a trio of 208 WRXs made it to this phase was an extremely promising achievement for Team Peugeot Hansen, especially after the triumph of its one-off recruit Andrew Jordan in Heat 3 to celebrate his 26th birthday in the welcome spring sunshine. Shortly afterwards, team-mate Timmy Hansen came within a tenth of a second of imitating his British team-mate in Heat 4…
Unfortunately, the last phase of the meeting in Kent failed to smile on any of the three PEUGEOT 208 WRXs. Despite his best efforts, Timmy Hansen failed to improve on his start position in the first semi-final and he was forced to settle for a frustrating fourth place. In the second semi-final, his team-mates were equally unsuccessful in earning a ticket to the final for Team Peugeot Hansen after they, too, finished outside of the top three.
Peugeot Red Bull Hansen Junior Team runner Kevin Hansen defended the team’s colours, however, by winning the season’s second RX Lites race to go equal first in the class’s provisional standings.
Davy Jeanney, PEUGEOT 208 WRX #17
“I was quite pleased with the pace I found for free practice but then I picked up some minor technical problems and I didn’t go so well in the first heat. I made up for it in Heat 2, though, and I had a strong third heat which helped me to qualify for the semis. I had a small technical issue in my semi-final, however, and I ended up fourth. It was still a positive weekend because I felt good in my car and I hope that will continue to be the case at the next rounds.”
Timmy Hansen, PEUGEOT 208 WRX # 21
“It was a very frustrating weekend. We were fast and up there with the best but my chances took a blow when I picked up a puncture in Heat 2. As a result, I found myself on a damp track in the third heat and that cost me two seconds a lap. The fact that I was second in the fourth heat confirms that we were quick. Unfortunately, I was unsighted behind Kristoffersson in my semi-final and I hit a barrier. I was fortunate that my car didn’t suffer any damage but I lost a big chunk of time. Nothing seems to be going our way at the moment…”
Andrew Jordan, PEUGEOT 208 WRX #177
“It was really fun being part of the team this weekend. Winning not only my run but also the third heat overall on my birthday – and on home turf – was a huge moment for me. When I crossed the line I saw all the fans waving for me. It’s the first time I’ve ever experienced that at world championship level! I’m obviously a little frustrated not to have reached the final, but that’s rallycross!”
Kenneth Hansen, Team Principal
“It was a tough weekend for us all. I’m not at all happy with the outcome, even though the Junior Team won its race. The car had far more potential but we failed to convert that into a result on the track. On top of that, we were down on luck when we picked up a few small technical problems, and also when the dampness of the track slowed us on a number of occasions. None of these factors helped. It’s a shame because Andrew won a heat and Timmy was the fastest driver in Heat 4. The speed is there; we just need succeed in putting all the pieces of the puzzle together.”
Lydden Hill standings:
1. Petter Solberg (SDRX, Citroën DS3)
2. Mattias Ekström (EKS, Audi S1)
3. Johan Kristoffersson (Volkswagen Team Sweden, Volkswagen Polo)
4. Andreas Bakkerud (OlsbergMSE AB, Ford Fiesta ST)
5. Reinis Nitiss (OlsbergMSE AB Ford Fiest ST)
6. Guy Wilks (JRM Racing, Mini)
2015 FIA World Rallycross Championship standings (after four rounds):
Drivers
1. Petter Solberg (SDRX, Citroën DS3), 112 pts
2. Johan Kristoffersson (Volkswagen Team Sweden, Volkswagen Polo), 83 pts
3. Andreas Bakkerud (OlsbergMSE AB, Ford Fiesta ST), 77 pts
4. Timmy Hansen (Team Peugeot Hansen, PEUGEOT 208 WRX), 63 pts
5. Reinis Nitiss (OlsbergMSE AB Ford Fiest ST), 61 pts
6. Mattias Ekström (EKS, Audi S1), 59 pts
7. Toomas Heikkinen, (Marklund Motorsport, Volkswagen Polo), 59 pts
8. Pier Gunnar Andersson (Marklund Motorsport, Volkswagen Polo), 47 pts
9. Davy Jeanney (Team Peugeot Hansen, PEUGEOT 208 WRX), 47 pts
Teams
1. Ford Olsbergs MSE, 138 pts
2. SDRX, 132 pts
3. Team Peugeot-Hansen, 110 pts
4. Marklund Motorsport, 106 pts