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Flashback: Last time out at Montalegre RX

As World RX teams conclude their winter testing programmes and prepare to hit the road to Montalegre in Portugal for the first round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship next week, we take a look back at the 2015 event held at the picturesque circuit, located high in the Vila Real mountains.

The opening round of World RX 2015 was one of mixed weather conditions, heavy rain on day one blew aside for day two, and it was full-time championship newcomer Johan Kristoffersson who made the best of the challenging conditions to claim his first, and to-date only FIA World Championship victory. Kristoffersson had qualified fourth at the Intermediate Classification, behind TQ driver and reigning champion Petter Solberg, Sweden's Timmy Hansen and Norway's Andreas Bakkerud. While Solberg won the battle of the Norwegians in semi-final one to secure a front row start for the final, Kristoffersson headed compatriot Hansen and Hansen's Peugeot-Hansen team mate Davy Jeanney in semi-final two.

Solberg and Kristoffersson split strategies on the run to the first corner in the final, Solberg sticking to the main circuit while Kristoffersson took his joker, the pair each followed by a Peugeot-Hansen 208, Hansen behind Solberg with Jeanney passing PG Andersson in the joker lap to run behind Kristofferson's Volkswagen Polo. Solberg took his joker on lap four but could do nothing to stop Kristoffersson taking the lead, while Hansen defended the final podium position from team mate Jeanney. Andersson retired mid-race after contact in the frenetic encounter.

Kristoffersson and Solberg left the season opener tied on points in the drivers' championship, while Team Peugeot-Hansen took the lead in the team's championship, thanks to a strong weekend from Hansen and Jeanney.

In the supporting categories at the Portuguese event, Hungary's Krisztian Szabo won the FIA European Rallycross Super1600 Championship final, while Sweden's Kevin Eriksson, who will make his full-time World RX debut for the Olsbergs MSE team next week, won the RX Lites Cup final. Super1600 again joins World RX in Portugal this season; the RX Lites will get their year underway in round two at Hockenheim.

Zdroj: fiaworldrallycross.com