Sjökvist remains in RX2e title-contention after Belgian weekend
Swedish ace Isak Sjökvist remains in contention for the FIA RX2e Championship title following an extremely challenging penultimate round of the series at Mettet in Belgium.
International rallycross returned to the Wallonia-based venue for the first time since 2018 last weekend, where drivers from the FIA World Rallycross Championship who were unable to compete in the top category also made guest appearances in the RX2e division.
RX2e title-contender Sjökvist, from Sweden, and latest #YellowSquad signing Molly Taylor, from Australia, faced some of the most challenging track conditions witnessed in any World RX event in years, with the wet weather, loose-surface sections, and large kerbs providing the biggest challenges.
Working hard as a team to progress every time on track, both drivers increased their pace and performances throughout the weekend and challenged for the lead of Qualifying races on track, but unfortunately mitigating circumstances meant neither driver made it through the Semi-Final stages into the Final.
Sjökvist now lies third in the championship standings, just five points off the lead with one round remaining and 23 points up for grabs. #YellowSquad is now fully focused on the final round at Estering, Germany, next weekend (August 19-20).
Isak Sjökvist said: “The result was not what I expected from the weekend. I’m feeling a bit empty right now as I didn’t get the result I was aiming for, but I am only five points behind the lead in the championship and there is still a load of points to gain.
“I will work really hard in the days between now and the next race in Germany to be more prepared than ever to do the best I can. I just need to drive with passion and focus on what we need to do. Nevertheless it was an amazing experience to drive against the World RX drivers this weekend and to see what is possible with these cars. There are always positives you can take from a race. I learnt from the World RX drivers this weekend and that will help me for the upcoming challenge at the final round in Germany. We just need to go flat out.”
Molly Taylor said: “The track at Mettet has such mixed surfaces so there was a lot for me to manage while figuring out the driving style and the head-to-head racing involved in rallycross. I feel I was progressing in every session which is all I can really ask for in my first rallycross experience.
“The overall result represents mixed fortunes but I enjoyed leading some laps and learning how to make the most of the action around me. I have come away with heaps of experience. I’m part of a great team, benefitting from the guidance of fantastic drivers and engineers, and I’m really grateful to E.ON, #YellowSquad and Veloce for this opportunity.”
Eric Färén said: “It wasn’t the easiest weekend for us. Isak spent a lot of time battling in traffic and it wasn’t easy for him to find the pace he needed, but he made some big steps forward on Sunday, and I think he learned a lot.
“It was brilliant to have Molly in the team for the first time. She made progress every time she went on track in a really difficult weekend for even the most experienced drivers because of the conditions. We are now fully focused on the final round with both drivers, where we are targeting nothing but finishing the season on a high.”
