Baumanis becomes Euro RX Vice-Champion with Spa podium
Latvian driver Janis Baumanis is the 2022 FIA European Rallycross Championship for RX1 vice-champion, following the final round of the campaign at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
Heading to the sixth and last round of the Euro RX1 season at one of the most famous race tracks in the world, and having finished third in the Euro RX1 standings in 2021, Baumanis embarked on Spa seeking his maiden win of the season to secure the championship runner-up position, to improve on his 2021 result.
Sixth in the opening Heat, driving the #YellowSquad Peugeot 208 WRX, Baumanis was second and then third in Heats two and three, to finish second at the Ranking stage. He then won his Progression race, and finished second in the first semi-final to progress to the final.
In the last five-lap race of the entire season, Baumanis ran third in the early stages, and thanks to strong pace and consistent lap times, including a good joker strategy, he remained in the position to the finish line to secure a 50% podium rate for the campaign, and ensure he finished second in the standings to newly crowned champion Anton Marklund, who also secured the victory at the final round.
The result underlined a strong maiden campaign for the #YellowSquad team at RX1 level, in which Baumanis was a regular pace setter in a field where the fight for the podium was fierce at every single round.
JANIS BAUMANIS
#YELLOWSQUAD EURO RX1 DRIVER
“To be Vice-Champion in the European Championship is not the result we were hoping for in the beginning of the season, but to be second in such a series is obviously a good result, so we can be pleased with that.
I’m pleased with the work of the whole team and everyone who has been involved. It was not an easy season at all, with a few technical issues and some bad luck on track too.
I’m also maybe not fully satisfied with my performance, but it’s not too bad. In Spa we were very quick on the tarmac but not so much on the gravel, and with the last gravel corner being very important, that was the place we lost the time to the other competitors.
Overall it’s been a good season and I’m looking forward to the future. Thanks to everybody involved.”
ERIC FÄRÉN
#YELLOWSQUAD TEAM MANAGER
“We are happy to finish second in the championship. Anton Marklund and SET Promotion were very strong this year, so we must say congratulators to them for winning the championship.
This being the first year in Supercar and European Rallycross for #YellowSquad, and a new package for Janis to get used to.
I think we did a good job this season, especially against some very good teams and drivers who have already won events and titles at World Championship level.
Big thanks to everyone in the team for their hard work in Euro RX this year.”