Niclas Grönholm will return to the grid for his eighth full campaign in the FIA World Rallycross Championship in 2023, after signing a multi-year extension to his contract with Construction Equipment Dealer Team.

Grönholm has been a World RX front-runner since 2019 – a year when he would almost certainly have been right in the mix for title glory but for a mid-season bout of appendicitis that ruled him out of two events.

A winner in each of the past four campaigns, the 26-year-old Finn – son of two-time FIA World Rally Champion, Marcus Grönholm – triumphed at Montalegre in Portugal with CE Dealer Team last summer, one of four podium finishes on his way to a career best-equalling third in the standings. In 2023, he has set his sights higher still.

“I’m thrilled to get continued trust to move forward in our groundbreaking World RX journey together, which really motivates me ahead of the challenges to come,” said Grönholm.

“While we had a strong first season for the team, I’m never satisfied until we are at the very top – and that’s just what we have worked very hard for throughout the winter. The opposition will no doubt be just as tough this season, but we continue to work in earnest to achieve our goals. I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel of my PWR RX1e!”

CE Dealer Team debuted in World RX in 2022, placing third in the Teams’ table. In re-confirming Grönholm, the Swedish squad has underscored its long-term commitment to competing at the international pinnacle of the sport.

“We reached our initial goals for the first season by winning races, finishing in the top three overall and highlighting a more diverse and sustainable motorsport world,” commented Team Manager, Jussi Pinomäki, “but we are far from satisfied.

“We will continue to push the envelope, both on and off-track. The future is electric, inclusive and exciting – something we will continue to work hard for. And our long-term goal of challenging for the FIA World Rallycross Championship titles has not changed.”

The 2023 World RX campaign will get underway at Montalegre – scene of CE Dealer Team’s greatest success to-date – on 3-4 June. The edge-of-the-seat globe-trotting series then travels throughout Europe, before concluding with long-haul double-header events in Cape Town (South Africa) and Hong Kong (China) in the autumn.