As you may have gathered by now I don't normally write about motorsport. This is mainly because I don't watch it. I know, a car mad person who gives motorsport a miss is a bit of a paradox. I used to watch Formula 1 when I was a younger but when my dad got out of the habit so did I. I tried to get back into it about 2 years ago or so but I just found it a bit, well, boring. Since then I've not really checked any other motorsport but after seeing the new Ford Focus RS RX I was interested.
When I first saw the 600 bhp racer in its bold Hoonigan Racing Division livery all I could think about was what it would be like in action. So this weekend I immersed myself in the world of Rallycross as the new season of the FIA World Championship opened in Portugal.
I came for the Focus RS RX but stayed for the sheer excitement of the racing that was on show. For those of you unfamiliar to Rallycross, let me explain how it works. The race takes place over a circuit which is part tarmac and part loose surface, such as mud or gravel. This means you get a a mix of normal circuit driving and slide-inducing rallying. So you're getting the best of both worlds.
There are 4 qualifying sessions, with the 12 fastest drivers going in to the 2 semi-finals which then takes the 6 best drivers from there in to the final. On each race the drivers have to do a 'joker'lap which is a when they have to take a longer section of the track.
The conditions were far from ideal for qualifying as there was heavy rain making the circuit extremely difficult to navigate. Even double world champion Petter Solberg struggled in the conditions as his first session saw him run wide, allowing everyone to pass his Citroen DS3.
Ken Block also had trouble in his Focus RS RX as his throttle stuck wide open, forcing him off the track. Solberg did have a much better time in the second qualifying session and found himself back in top form.
Mattias Ekstrom in his Ford Fiesta ST was the top qualifier after setting the fastest time in qualifying 4 with a time of 02:45.542, almost 2 seconds quicker than Solberg. Liam Doran also put some impressive work behind the wheel of his Mini to get in to the semi-finals but was unable to make it to the final.
But he got further than Block who was not able to get through qualifying which is sure to be a disappointment but the season is still young. The new Focus was put together very quickly, with little testing so there are bound to be teething problems.
His teammate Andreas Bakkerud was able to make it though, but just missed out on the podium in the final behind Toomas Heikkinen's Audi S1 Quattro. Behind Heikkinen was newcomer to the sport Sebastian Loeb, who is well known for his vast success in rallying. He is competing in this year's season in Peugeot 208 WRX. Johan Kristofferson came last after suffering damage to his Volkswagen Polo after colliding with Solberg's DS3.
Solberg himself had his own trouble, as his launch control system was not working meaning he had to start the race the old-fashioned way. Even so, he was able to get a decent start and claim the first win of the season, even with Robin Larsson's Audi A1 not too far behind.
All in all a very entertaining race and I will definitely be tuning in the competition's next race which takes place in Hockenheim, Germany from the 6th to the 8th of May, For more information and full championship standings, go to fiaworldrallycross.com.