WRX
06 Apr 2019
Credit: World RX Media
Kevin Hansen topped qualifying for the first time in his World Rallycross career after a horror smash for brother and Team Hansen MJP team mate Timmy Hansen forced him to retire from the season opener in Abu Dhabi.
Timmy Hansen headed qualifying after the first two rounds of heat races but retired after Q3 following a hard collision with Andreas Bakkerud.
After taking the joker lap the elder Hansen emerged ahead of Bakkerud on the penultimate lap. The Audi driver carried too much speed into the merge, thinking it was the final lap so he wouldn’t need to slow for the first corner, and the pair collided.
Bakkerud’s Audi S1 had a destroyed front-left quarter and he stopped immediately, while Hansen managed to continue in his Peugeot 208 and win the heat on-track, finishing Q3 seventh fastest overall.
Hansen’s car suffered severe damage to the left side, with that impacting the roll cage which forced his retirement, but Bakkerud’s car was able to be repaired for Q4 with seconds to spare.
With Timmy Hansen’s crash in Q3 and absence in Q4, along with Bakkerud’s DNF in Q3 and slow run in Q4, Kevin Hansen topped Q3 and Q4, setting the fastest time of the weekend in Q4.
Niclas Gronholm, while having weaker overall results compared to yesterday (eighth in Q3, fifth in Q4), ended qualifying second overall, ahead of Timo Scheider, and Jani Baumanis.
Anton Marklund, completed the top five, beating Krisztian Szabo, Timur Timerzyanov, while world championship debutant Rokas Baciuska finished qualifying in eighth. Despite sitting out the final part of qualifying Timmy Hansen wound up ninth, with Guerlain Chicherit, Liam Doran, and Cyril Raymond taking the final advance positions.
With Hansen’s retirement, 13th place Reinis Nitiss will advance in his place. Bakkerud was also set to qualify but was disqualified following the crash.
Credit: World RX Media
| Rank | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | QP | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kevin Hansen | 45 | 38 | 50 | 50 | 183 | 16 |
| 2. | Niclas Gronholm | 42 | 40 | 36 | 39 | 157 | 15 |
| 3. | Timo Scheider | 40 | 33 | 38 | 45 | 156 | 14 |
| 4. | Janis Baumanis | 36 | 36 | 42 | 40 | 154 | 13 |
| 5. | Anton Marklund | 38 | 39 | 32 | 42 | 151 | 12 |
| 6. | Krisztián Szabo | 34 | 34 | 45 | 38 | 151 | 11 |
| 7. | Timur Timerzyarnov | 37 | 32 | 40 | 36 | 145 | 10 |
| 8. | Rokas Baciuska | 33 | 37 | 39 | 35 | 144 | 9 |
| 9. | Timmy Hansen | 50 | 50 | 37 | 0 | 137 | 8 |
| 10. | Guerlain Chicherit | 35 | 35 | 30 | 34 | 134 | 7 |
| 11. | Liam Doran | 32 | 31 | 35 | 30 | 128 | 6 |
| 12. | Cyril Raymond | 26 | 30 | 34 | 37 | 127 | 5 |
| 13. | Reinis Nitiss | 30 | 42 | 29 | 26 | 127 | 4 |
| 14. | Pal try | 26 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 118 | 3 |
| 15. | Andreas Bakkerud | 39 | 45 | 0 | 31 | 115 | 2 |
| 16. | Guillaume De Ridder | 0 | 28 | 33 | 33 | 94 | 1 |
| 17. | Oliver Bennett | 31 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 57 | 0 |
