Eye witness

Kevin Eriksson 16.10.2016

This race at Hockenheim was so important for me because it was my frst – and so far my only – FIA World Rallycross Championship round win. But of course no one remembers that! What they remember instead is the overtake I made at the frst corner. I’d spoken about the start with my father after the semi-fnal and so it was in the plan. Of course Plan A was to go up the inside, but I knew this wasn’t possible because I was starting towards the outside. However, I’d already worked out that there was good grip out wide at the frst corner, and also that at that corner, which is a long right-hander tightening into a hairpin, I could send it sideways really early and carry so much speed in without braking.

So that’s what I did. I had an OK start, but I think I was still fourth or ffth as we approached that corner, and then, when everyone else dived towards the apex, I don’t think I braked at all, I just threw it sideways – didn’t even use the handbrake. I mean, I had my hand on it, but I had so much speed, I just ficked it in and changed down a gear… but then the revs were too high – I was on the limiter – so I changed up again almost immediately. In fact, come to think of it, I think I geared up while I was going backwards!

I had so much angle and I got the line just right. I mean, I wanted to do it, and there was some skill, but there was also some luck involved, I admit that. I knew I had the speed and it was certainly my type of track, but even so, as I saw that I was going past people, I was surprised. It felt so good. I was just hoping that I hadn’t miscalculated and that I would have grip the whole way around the corner.

But even when I’d thought about it before, I only thought it was possible to gain a couple of places. If it worked perfectly, I thought I might maybe come out in second, but never frst.

I was just happy to be in the fnal, that’s why I was prepared to take a risk like this. If I ended up in a barrier or a sandtrap in the fnal, I wouldn’t have minded too much. It was worth having a go at something ridiculous because I knew there was a chance, even if it was a not-so-large one, that it might work and I might get a better place.

Anyway, I think I might have used the handbrake to make one small angle adjustment, but then I was at the end of the corner, accelerating up the next straight and I was in front. And that was it – I went on to win the race and we had a great celebration afterwards. But then the video was posted online [search for Kevin Eriksson overtake] and the next three days… they were just crazy. I had messages and phone calls from all over, from the United States, Malaysia, Colombia even.

It was a good weekend... the best.