CE Dealer Team charged up for start of historic second World RX season in Portugal
CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment will open chapter two of its journey in the all-electric FIA World Rallycross Championship with the Montalegre curtain raiser this weekend.
The 2023 season will see the team sporting a fresh look with an all-new livery, which was revealed earlier this week, bringing it in line with a new modern design language for Volvo CE products.
New key partners have strengthened the team for the upcoming season - including Parker Hannifin, a global leader in motion and control technologies - alongside the strong existing line-up of partners Ascendum, CTEK, Engcon, SMT, SSAB and Swecon.
The winter has seen the team working tirelessly on technical upgrades of the car to improve performance, including the areas of suspension, weight balance and reliability.
After announcing a multi-year commitment to the FIA World RX earlier this year, CE Dealer Team has extended its contracts with Niclas Grönholm and Klara Andersson who will continue the team's ground-breaking journey on track.
The 26-year-old Finn Niclas Grönholm took CE Dealer Team's maiden World RX-victory in Portugal last season on his way to third in the championship standings.
The seven-time winner is keen to fight for the overall title this year.
”No matter where you are in your career, it’s always exciting to start a new season. The team and our partners have put in a great effort during the winter to improve the car, and I hope we can achieve our ambitions of fighting at the very top,” said Niclas Grönholm.
”I expect the racing to be even tighter this year, and I have a really good feeling going into the second season together with the team. I cannot wait to get started this weekend at Montalegre, a track we achieved amazing success at last year.”
23-year-old Klara Andersson wrote history last year as the first-ever female to finish on the World RX podium. The Swede is looking to build on a promising debut season at the top level of world rallycross.
”I am super excited to start my second season in the World RX and it feels fantastic to do it at the amazing Montalegre circuit. It will no doubt once again be a tough season, as we face the toughest competition in the world. But I am keen to continue my development and my first podium finish last year definitely left me with a taste for more,” says Klara Andersson.
The all-electric World RX season premiere features a highly competitive grid, where CE Dealer Team will face experienced opponents such as reigning World Champion Johan Kristoffersson and nine-time World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb who returns to the championship.
”The team has worked tirelessly since the conclusion of last season to improve the car and the whole organisation ahead of the new season. We got a promising start to our ground-breaking journey in the all-electric World RX last year, but we are far from satisfied. We will have to fight very hard for each millimetre on track as we raise our ambitions for 2023 to fight for the overall crown. And it’s a challenge we are ready for,” said Jussi Pinomäki, Team Manager of CE Dealer Team.
CE Dealer Team made a mark on the sport last year, debuting with the series’ first-ever gender equal full-season driver line-up – a key part of the team and its partners’ ambition to drive the shift to improved sustainability in society and highlight the excitement that a move to an electric future offers.
The World RX of Portugal action starts on Saturday with practice sessions, SuperPole, and the two first heats. Sunday features heat three, four and the finals.
The action is broadcast LIVE worldwide on TV – as well as through the RX+ online streaming platform.
The full World RX of Portugal schedule is available here.
Media contact information
Johan Meissner
CE Dealer Team
+46(0)70 241 3234
media@pwrgrp.com
About CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment
CE Dealer Team was founded in 2022 by the PWR Group in cooperation with Volvo Construction Equipment and its partners. The core goal of the rallycross programme is to drive the shift to improved sustainability and diversity in society and highlight the excitement that a move to an electric future offers. CE Dealer Team is run with support from independent dealers of Volvo Construction Equipment, along with several prominent industrial partners, who together share a commitment to leading a sustainable future, both on track and off.
About FIA World Rallycross Championship
The FIA World Rallycross Championship is one of six official World Championship in motorsport alongside Formula 1 and World Rally Championship. The championship runs on seven venues across Europe, Africa, and Asia. Rallycross is a combination of rallying and circuit racing. It is head-to-head short, sharp races on mixed surfaces (dirt and asphalt) contained within amphitheatre venues. In the headlining FIA World Rallycross Championship, high-profile drivers are equipped with fully electric RX1 cars producing over 600bhp and the ability to accelerate from 0-100km/h in less than two seconds – faster than a Formula 1 car.
Photos: Joerg Mitter / Red Bull Media House
