CRUNCH TIME AS GRONHOLM SETS OUT WORLD RX FUTURE
Former WRC title winner in talks to embrace an electric RX programme
The future of Marcus Gronholm’s GRX World Rallycross squad will be decided next month.
The team, which runs Hyundai i20 Supercars in the series, is second in the teams’ standings, 18 points behind leader
Team Hansen MJP.
GRX is operated by multiple European Championship-winning team Set Promotion. Gronholm will sit down with Set boss and GRX team manager Jussi Pinomaki next month to make a decision on the future of the squad.
“We [will] decide with Jussi at the beginning of August,” Gronholm told MN. “We must know something [of ] what we are going to do and to not be in the situation again in November or December that we don’t know [the future].”
Asked if those plans include forming a longer term strategy in World RX, Gronholm continued: “That’s the idea. Jussi wants to know what is going on. Timur [Timerzyanov, driver alongside Niclas Gronholm] is doing OK and I think he is happy to continue somehow. He is important for us as well and he is quick on the track and happy, so that’s good.”
Having made no secret of his desire to attract manufacturer support for the programme, Gronholm hopes the revised plans for World RX to introduce electric cars in 2021 will help that cause.
“Let’s see,” he said when asked about fielding electric cars in the series. “I hope we could get Hyundai in somehow when electric is coming in, that’s my only hope otherwise it’s difficult. I know they are interested in electric [racing], but first they have to finish the [WRC] rally [programme] to win the manufacturer title, and I really hope that they do it, then maybe it will be easier to discuss [our future].”