World RX: Mattias Ekström beats two world champions to win the Mettet RX

  • World RX, Mettet, Mattias Ekstrom

Mattias Ekstrom beats two world champions to win the third round of the 2016 FIA World Rallycross Championship. In the exciting final of the Mettet RX, at the Belgian Circuit Jules Tacheny, Ekstrom’s Audi S1 was fastest than Sebastien Loeb‘s Peugeot 208 WRX and Petter Solberg‘s Citroen DS3. For the nine-time world rally champion Loeb, who is the rookie in the World RX, this is the first podium in the season. Peter Solberg reached his second podium, after victory in Portugal and fourth place at Hockenheim.

After three round of the championship Ekstrom is in the lead with 78 points, four more than Solberg. Johan Kristoffersson, who finished sixth in the Mettet’s final, is third in the championship with 58 points, four more than Loeb.

Kristoffersson’s teammate Antun Marklund finished fourth in the final, after he made a fantastic progress in the first lap from sixth to second, but helater spun and dropped in the order. Fifth place in the final is taken by hero of the Belgian crowd Francois Duval.

Sebastien Loeb, Johan Kristoffersson, Mettet RX

Sebastien Loeb reached his first World RX podium

The other six drivers who reached the semifinals but didn’t pass to final were Janis Baumanis, Timur Timerzyanov, Davy Jeanney, Timmy Hansen, Kevin Eriksson and Reinis Nitiss.

Nineteen drivers participated in the Belgian round of the championship. The trio who reached the final podium also dominated during the qualifying heats. Loeb was fastest in Q1, Ekstrom has won Q2 and Q3, Solberg was fastest in the last qualifying session.

World RX, Petter Solberg

Reigning world champion is currently second in the classification Petter Solberg


Check the full World RX results from Mettet


Photos: fiaworldrallycros.com

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