The World Rallycross Championship continues with two rounds in Belgium at the historic Jules Tacheny Circuit in Mettet, a venue that has been part of the championship calendar since 2014.
Representing CE Dealer Team, Grönholm heads to Belgium sitting third in the championship standings. Out of the four rounds held so far, three have been won with combustion engine cars. Grönholm is the only driver who has managed to claim victory with a fully electric vehicle.
This season, the World Rallycross Championship’s top class has allowed competition with both fully electric and combustion engine cars. Swedish star Johan Kristoffersson has dominated the series so far with his Volkswagen Polo, which runs on a traditional combustion engine.
“It’s been a bit surprising that the combustion engine cars have been this strong. They’ve really got their cars working well, especially at the starts. The best tracks for us, like the one in Portugal, are still ahead,” Grönholm explains.
Kristoffersson, with three wins under his belt, holds a 25-point lead in the championship over Norway’s Ole Christian Veiby. Grönholm trails Veiby by just nine points.
“The gap isn’t as big as the standings suggest. Without a few minor issues, we could have challenged the leaders more effectively earlier on. For the championship, it’s good that there are cars that can compete evenly against each other,” Grönholm points out.
Grönholm expects a tight battle for victories in the Belgian rounds at Mettet.
“The track has a lot of chicanes, where the cars need to be well-balanced during weight transfers. Our fully electric car is slightly heavier, which could be a disadvantage for us. But as long as the track stays dry, we can fight for good positions.”
A successful start will be crucial at Mettet, where Grönholm’s reaction times have been among the best in the sport.
“It’s important to maintain those strong reaction times. The first corner is a tight over-90-degree turn, so the driver starting from pole has the advantage of the inside line. It’s difficult to overtake anyone from the outside. I expect to see quite a few incidents in that first corner.”
Grönholm emphasises that his goal in Belgium is to add two more wins to the tally for fully electric cars.
“Winning is always my number one goal, and I believe I have the chance to do that in Belgium,” Grönholm concludes.
