Kristoffersson commits to 2022 title defence with Volkswagen
Four-time FIA World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson has set his sights upon a fifth drivers’ championship at the pinnacle of the sport this year, following the confirmation that he will return in a Kristoffersson Motorsport-run Volkswagen in the all-electric 2022 season.
Kristoffersson is the most successful driver in World RX history, clinching his fourth World Championship in dramatic fashion at the Nürburgring last November after overturning a 17-point deficit to beat countryman Timmy Hansen on countback.
That achievement came behind the wheel of an Audi S1, but the 33-year-old Swede’s three previous top-tier triumphs were all secured in Volkswagen machinery, meaning Kristoffersson will be back in familiar surroundings.
As in its title-winning season in 2020, the team founded by former FIA European Rallycross Championship front-runner and multiple Swedish Champion Tommy Kristoffersson will run under the Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS banner, in deference to its loyal partner BAUHAUS.
The team will field three electric VWs during the World Championship’s inaugural electric campaign in 2022, with the precise model and Kristoffersson’s team-mates to be unveiled in due course. Underpinning every car on the grid will be the RX1e kit developed by Austrian firm Kreisel Electric. This will generate greater all-round performance than ever courtesy of 500kW delivered to the twin motors – equivalent to 680bhp – and 880Nm of instant torque at the touch of a pedal.
The action is set to get underway at iconic Swedish rallycross track Höljes on July 2-3, followed by rounds at Germany’s Nürburgring (July 30-31), Hell in Norway (August 13-14), Rīga in Latvia (September 3-4), Montalegre in Portugal (September 17-18), Belgium’s Circuit de Spa Francorchamps (October 8-9) and Cape Town in South Africa (TBC).
“It’s really inspiring to be part of rallycross’ new electric era right from the outset. The last time we undertook a project on a scale of this kind was in 2014, when we built our own cars for the first season of the World Championship. The big difference is that back then, I was completely inexperienced in rallycross – whereas things are a little different now,” Kristoffersson said.
“Electricity is the future for both motor sport and the automotive industry in general, and helping to drive that development is one of the most fascinating aspects of the sport for me. I expect an incredibly tough and competitive season ahead, and I’m excited to get started.”
Kristoffersson Motorsport, team manager, Tommy Kristoffersson, said the 2022 season would be the “largest project in the team’s history. It’s a great privilege to work at this level, you realise that the more you learn, the more you understand how little you actually know. We are looking forward to putting to use all the lessons we have learned over the years in this exciting new adventure – and to challenge for the world championship under our own steam once again.”
Sten Forsberg, CEO, Volkswagen Sweden, added: “Johan Kristoffersson is one of the biggest motorsport names Sweden has ever known. Four FIA World Rallycross Championship titles is an outstanding accomplishment, and we wish him all the best now that he is taking the step into the sport’s new electric era – most importantly, with a Volkswagen emblem on the front of his car.”