Victory for Niclas Grönholm and CE Dealer Team as Klara Andersson claims historic first female World RX podium

Construction Equipment Dealer Team turned around a challenging Saturday at Montalegre in Portugal, to get a historic double podium on Sunday as Niclas Grönholm claimed the team’s first FIA World Rallycross Championship win - with team-mate Klara Andersson becoming the first-ever female to secure a podium in the championship.

Niclas Grönholm was piling the pressure on reigning world champion Johan Kristoffersson through the Sunday final and crossed the line in second place. But just minutes after the chequered flag fell, Kristoffersson got a 10 second penalty for contact with Timmy Hansen - promoting Grönholm to winner of round five in the FIA World RX. 

”I hoped we could be challenging for a podium, and in the end we did. I guess we did something right, and this is something that will boost for the coming races this year. And it feels especially great to stand on the podium together with my team-mate Klara,” said Niclas Grönholm.

Klara Andersson fought, just as team-mate Niclas Grönholm, back from a difficult first day of action. The Swede secured a place in the final with second behind Grönholm in their semi-final.

Klara Andersson fought Ole Christian Veiby for third in the final, with Kristoffersson’s penalty meaning that Klara Andersson is the first-ever female driver to climb onto the FIA World RX podium.

”Wow, what a weekend, especially as this is my first time driving here! And it was one of the most difficult but fun tracks I’ve ever raced on. I’m really proud of the teamwork and progress we’ve had. To claim my first FIA World RX podium is of course amazing, but I’m above all proud of the development I’ve made with my pace in the final. This is a well-needed boost for everyone in the team and that we will carry with us for the next round,” said Klara Andersson. 

The double podium in Portugal means that Niclas Grönholm moves to fifth in the championship with Klara Andersson climbing to sixth, eight points behind her team-mate.

CE Dealer Team holds third in the team championship heading into the next FIA World RX round which will take place at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on October 8-9.

”Today was a real team effort and a really strong result, with everyone pulling together to bounce back from a difficult first day. Niclas once again showed that he is one of the world's best drivers and Klara is making impressive progress as a newcomer in the championship. We will celebrate tonight, but there is no rest as we need to keep pushing forward to challenge for the very top in the final half of the season,” said Jussi Pinomäki, Team Manager of CE Dealer Team. 

Results and standings after FIA World RX of Portugal.

More information about the CE Dealer Team programme: www.cedealerteam.com 

Ends.

Media contact information:

Emil Axelsson
Sporting & Commercial Director
CE Dealer Team
+46(0)70 233 51 23
emil.axelsson@cedealerteam.com

Johan Meissner
PR & Communications Director
CE Dealer Team
+46(0)70 241 3234
media@pwrgrp.com

About CE Dealer team

CE Dealer Team is operated by PWR RX, a sister company of the successful Swedish motorsport team PWR Racing, a company founded in 2012 by Daniel Haglöf and Peter Wallenberg Jr. PWR are constructors of PWR001, the world's first fully electric touring car, and are multiple Scandinavian Touring Car Championship champions. The rallycross programme 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 and Africa. 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.