Niclas Grönholm claims vital FIA World RX podium and points for CE Dealer Team in Portugal
Construction Equipment Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment stays in the hunt for the 2024 FIA World RX medals, as Niclas Grönholm secured his third podium of the season in the second to last double-header weekend at Montalegre in Portugal.
Niclas Grönholm bounced back after a challenging round in Belgium, with the Finnish rallycross star claiming two heat wins on his way to Saturday’s final, where he finished second after an action-packed race.
On Sunday, Grönholm once again made it to the final, ultimately finishing sixth after a puncture. The eight-time World RX winner remains in the fight for silver in the drivers’ standings, currently sitting fifth, just 21 points from second place.
“The feeling is good after yesterday’s podium, today was a struggle, also with the puncture in the final. One positive from the weekend is that we had really good starts, so we'll take that with us. I’ll take some time off now to come back ready to work hard and improve for the finale where we will fight to finish as high up as possible,” said Niclas Grönholm.
Klara Andersson heads into the final round of the championship in China holding sixth in the standings, 17 points behind her team-mate. After an incident-filled Sunday, the Swedish racer fought back strongly to finish a solid fourth in the final.
“This was the toughest weekend I’ve had in a while. It’s a shame because I love this track and know we can be fast here. We had a bit of bad luck, and I just didn’t feel comfortable in the car. We tried a lot, but now it’s time to dig deep, analyze, and do the homework for the next race” said Klara Andersson.
“It was great to see the full grandstands and the love for rallycross this weekend. We’ll be back stronger in the next race, ready to put on another great show - showcasing the thrills of sustainable motorsport."
CE Dealer Team continues its fight for the FIA World RX team medals, heading into the season finale ranked third overall.
"Mixed emotions from the weekend. Niclas had good pace on Saturday and was in the fight for the win but ran out of tires in the final. He was close, but not quite there. Klara had a tough start but showed great improvement on Sunday. Overall, we’re not fully satisfied with the weekend. We need to learn from this and come back stronger in the season finale where our goal is still firmly set high," said Jussi Pinomäki, Team Manager of CE Dealer Team.
CE Dealer Team hosted more than 150 guests from several countries in Europe throughout the weekend from hosting dealer Ascendum, as well as from team partners Parker Hannifin and CTEK.
Volvo Construction Equipment is the Official Track Building Partner to the FIA World RX championship in 2024 and showcased its electric product range and innovative services at Montalegre while maintaining the circuit in excellent condition.
The final round of the 2024 FIA World Rallycross Championship is set for China on October 19-20.
Results and standings after the FIA World RX of Portugal available here.
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
An evolution of the popular FIA European Rallycross Championship, the FIA World Rallycross Championship (World RX) was launched in 2014. Representing the international pinnacle of the dual-surface discipline, the series blends cutting-edge innovation with family-friendly spectator appeal and visits some of the most iconic venues in the sport. In evidence of its commitment to sustainability, World RX entered a new era in 2022 by embracing electric technology, while 2024 heralds the beginning of the ‘Battle of Technologies’, as the championship’s powerful EV cars take on their sustainably-fuelled combustion counterparts on equal terms for the first time.
