The FIA World Rallycross Championship heads south to Montalegre in Portugal this weekend (7-8 September), as the track that hosted the very first World RX event ten years ago prepares to stage the fourth intriguing instalment in the series’ new ‘Battle of Technologies’.

Inaugurated in 1999 – making this year its 25th anniversary – the Circuito Internacional de Montalegre’s undulating layout and unpredictable weather have generated countless crowd-pleasing moments.

Located high up in the Vila Real mountains – some 1,000m above sea level – its power-sapping altitude is a key consideration. Factor in the longest main straight on the calendar, and conventional wisdom says the pendulum could swing in favour of the electric brigade in Portugal, following four triumphs out of six for sustainably-fuelled combustion cars so far in 2024.

All of those ICE successes have been claimed by Johan Kristoffersson, who will travel to Montalegre – where he is four times a previous winner – with a commanding 39-point advantage at the summit of the standings in his quest to clinch an extraordinary seventh career crown at the highest level. The Swede, of course, has never held much regard for conventional wisdom, and he will be bidding to overturn the odds once again this weekend.

Kristoffersson’s closest challenger is his KMS - HORSE Powertrain team-mate Ole Christian Veiby, who arrives off the back of five consecutive podium finishes at the international pinnacle of the sport – but still in search of his breakthrough victory.

Hansen brothers Kevin and Timmy are in hot pursuit, separated by just one point in third and fourth positions respectively. Buoyed by the latter’s first win in almost two years last time out at Mettet, Hansen World RX Team believes the forthcoming event represents its best chance of the season to-date, with its pair of electric Peugeot 208 RX1e cars expected to be among the pace-setters in Portugal.

Much the same applies to fellow electric protagonist CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction Equipment. Kristoffersson aside, Niclas Grönholm is the only current driver to have won at the track – in both 2021 and 2022 – while it was at Montalegre that Klara Andersson made history two years ago as the first female ever to reach the rostrum in top-flight international rallycross.

ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport’s René Münnich and JDM Raptor Racing ace Anthony Pelfrene – who spends much of his time in Portugal – complete the World RX entry list in sustainably-fuelled combustion machinery, with more than 50 competitors in the field in total including support categories RX2e, Euro RX1 and Euro RX3, all of which will crown their champions this weekend.

Swedes Nils Andersson and Isak Sjökvist will duel it out for glory in RX2e, as Patrick O’Donovan aims to fend off Yury Belevskiy in Euro RX1. The lion’s share of local interest, however, will be reserved for Euro RX3, after João Ribeiro cut the gap to fellow Audi driver Nils Volland at the top of the table to a single point when he prevailed in Belgium last month. The Baltar native is one of a record-breaking 13 home heroes set to take to the track during World RX of Portugal.

All of the non-stop thrills will be broadcast live on the pioneering Rally.TV platform.

For more information about the event, including the weekend timetable and entry lists for all four categories, see here. Tickets can be purchased either in advance or on the gate.

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About the FIA World Rallycross Championship
An evolution of the popular FIA European Rallycross Championship, the FIA World Rallycross Championship (World RX) was launched in 2014. Representing the international pinnacle of the dual-surface discipline, the series blends cutting-edge innovation with family-friendly spectator appeal and visits some of the most iconic venues in the sport. In evidence of its commitment to sustainability, World RX entered a new era in 2022 by embracing electric technology, while 2024 heralds the beginning of the ‘Battle of Technologies’, as the championship’s powerful EV cars take on their sustainably-fuelled combustion counterparts on equal terms for the first time.

About Rallycross Promoter GmbH
Rallycross Promoter GmbH, a joint company of Red Bull GmbH and KW25 Beteiligungs GmbH, is responsible for all commercial aspects of the FIA World Rallycross Championship, including TV production and the marketing of global media and sponsorship rights. The Promoter also has responsibility to increase the field of participants and to propose the venues that form the calendars in the FIA World Rallycross Championship and supporting series.