The multiple champion Kristoffersson could not match Grönholm’s pace in the early heats of the first Turkish round, but in the final the Swedish star found the speed to take victory.
Starting from pole, Grönholm held Kristoffersson behind him for the opening two laps, but on the third lap the Finn made a mistake. Kristoffersson seized the opportunity and dived past at the hairpin.
“I guess I left a little bit of an opening in the corner and he took it. Then I couldn’t match him after that,” Grönholm lamented.
Kristoffersson ultimately sealed the win by four seconds over Grönholm in the penultimate round of the season. Grönholm would have needed victory to keep realistic hopes of a maiden title alive, but now Kristoffersson is on the verge of his eighth crown.
“It’s not good for the championship, but what can you do,” Grönholm admitted.
Kristoffersson leads the standings by 19 points ahead of Grönholm going into the season finale, which will be held on Sunday at Istanbul Park. Only a major failure on Sunday could stop him, as the final round features just four cars.
Kristoffersson relished his Saturday win, which has likely decided the championship battle.
“It was a nice fight. We really didn’t know our pace today and my engineer was asking if we really had the speed. I was quite keen to show it,” Kristoffersson said.
