Team Hansen secures World RX comeback after Peugeot exit

The squad, which will be called Team Hansen MJP, will field Peugeot 208 WRX Supercars for the Swede’s sons Timmy and Kevin.

The Hansen family was left without employment when Peugeot withdrew from World RX last year, having taken the World RX operation previously run together with Hansen’s team totally in-house.

After what 14-time European Rallycross champion Hansen describes as the some of his toughest months ever, his family team will return to the series this season with a pair of 2018 208 Supercars, the same specification as used by Sebastien Loeb to win the Belgian round of the season, rather than the Evolution version introduced by Peugeot from the middle of the year.

“The months following Peugeot Sport’s decision to close their RX activity, which saw the Hansen family stranded without a team and programme have been some of our toughest ever,” said Hansen.

“Since then, with a commitment deeply rooted in our love for rallycross, Hansen Motorsport has used almost every single waking hour to find ways and possibilities to get a team and budget together to be able to return to World RX.

"It was a real last-minute agreement, but we are here and ready to race with a small yet efficient team. 

"To be able to contest not just one but two major international rallycross series this year is a dream come true. You really can’t wipe the smiles off our faces at the moment!”

Timmy Hansen, Team Peugeot Hansen

Photo by: FIA World Rallycross

 

Timmy Hansen has won five World RX rounds since the series’ inception in 2014 and finished second in the points in 2015, the same year that the Hansen squad won the teams’ title.

“It feels like it’s been a long winter so it’s brilliant to confirm that we’ll be back in World RX,” said the 26-year old.

“For a long time, we genuinely weren’t sure if we were going to make it or not so it’s a huge relief to know we will be there and I couldn’t be more excited right now. The 208 WRX is a great car that I feel very comfortable in.”

Kevin Hansen, who like older brother Timmy will also race in the new GRC Europe series this season, has partnered his brother and Sebastien Loeb in the previously Peugeot-backed squad, but was always competing with a year-old specification compared to his teammates.

“It feels amazing to return to World RX as a proper family team,” he said. “We have worked so hard to make this happen, and to finally be able to say I’m a driver for Team Hansen MJP is crazy.

"After two full seasons in World RX, I really feel that I’ve found my feet in the series and that I’m capable of taking on the very best drivers.”

Lithuanian team ES Motorsport has also announced that it will field a single-car permanent World RX entry for reigning Euro RX Super1600 Champion Rokas Baciuska in its new Skoda Fabia.

The team is working on a second Fabia which will be driven by former works WRC driver Kevin Abbring.

“We developed our car with help of many different drivers from different categories, not only rallycross, but at the end we decided to start with young talent from our country,” said team owner Ernestas Staponkus.

“We are sure that Rokas will be able to fight with the fastest drivers in the world this season.”

Permanent World RX entries so far