Patrik Sandell: Subaru’s 2019 car is ‘the best Subaru rallycross car ever made’

Patrik Sandell is confident that Subaru will have its most competitive rallycross season to-date in the upcoming Americas Rallycross campaign.

The Vermont Sports Car-led squad hasn’t won a race since 2014, but is currently developing a new car for 2019 and Sandell – who made the final of every race last year – thinks that the work the team is putting in will allow it to take a big step up in performance.

“We, as drivers, always have a long list of things we want to improve on the car. The car has been really really good, but we know exactly where we need to close the gap,” said the Swede, who is now in his third year with Subaru. “We’ve really been working and focussing on those details so I think the product we’ll see later on this year will be for sure the best Subaru rallycross car ever made and I’m pretty sure we’re going to take the step that was missing last year.”

Sandell and team mate Chris Atkinson, a fellow ex-World Rally Championship driver, will be joined by Scott Speed in 2019. Speed has won the last four US rallycross titles with Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross, and Sandell believes the mix of rallying and track racing experience between all three drivers will be beneficial all-round  – much like it was when the former Formula 1 and NASCAR driver was paired with rally and drifting specialist Tanner Foust.

“It feels really good going into the season, especially also having Scott joining the team with his racing background,” he said. “Me and Atko both have a rally background so we get a little bit of different view of things, which is always helpful, and also good to have a new team mate like that.”

“I think that a part of Scott’s previous success has definitely been that there’s been a racing and a rally driver in the team and here it will be the same,” he added. “I’m sure that both me and Chris and learn from Scott and Scott can learn from us and hopefully that will bring the three Subarus to the top. He’s proven to be super fast in the Volkswagen so it will be fun to be next to him now and to see what he can do in the Subaru.”

Subaru and its highly-rated trio of drivers have a long time to wait before the first round of the 2019 ARX season, which takes place on June 8-9 at Mid-Ohio, but the long run-up is giving the team enough time to insure they’re in great shape for wht Sandell believes will be a hugely competitive second season for ARX.

“At the moment we’re still quite a long way from the first race, so we’re still validating everything back and forth. We’re trying everything – everything that you can change on that car, we have,” he said.

“I’m sure Volkswagen will be very competitive. Even if they just start with the car they had last year, for sure they will be our biggest competitors, next to Arpin who’s going back to the Fiesta that he’s been super-fast in in the past. It’s going to be a tough year.”