How the champ can have input

Many drivers, teams and even manufacturers have fallen foul of thinking rallycross’s small circuits and short race durations mean the discipline is a straightforward affair.

Ignoring the nuances often results in failure. But there are success stories too, and the Xite squad is working hard to be the next of those. As a former motocross rider, Oliver Bennett has been adept on rallycross’s loose surfaces since his 2017 debut.

Renowned for his flamboyant style, his weakness, perhaps, has been on Tarmac. For 2022, not only is every FC1-X car identical, but for the first time he has someone to directly compare to. What better way to work on his Tarmac pace than by karting with Jenson Button, which they did recently in California, along with some off-road Can-Am driving?

Then, half a day after working for Sky F1 at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Button was climbing into an RX150 buggy at Pembrey to work on his rallycross preparation.

While racing is out of the question on a test day, running cars close together on track isn’t. Button and Bennett spent time with RX150 champion Patrick O’Donovan and myself (after a late call-up) on track, driving in the dust of another car for half a run, before swapping positions. That commitment to learning the nuances is impressive.

Unsurprisingly, Button was far neater and faster than me on the Tarmac, and he was quickly up to speed in Xite’s Ford Fiesta Supercar too. For me, it was amazing to be on track with an F1 legend. For him, Bennett and the team, hopefully those extraordinary efforts pay off when they go racing for real.