Volkswagen has announced that it is to enter a new team in the 2016 FIA World Rallycross Championship. The Volkswagen RX Sweden Team is the result of Marklund Motorsport and Volkswagen Team Sweden joining forces, competing in two Polo RX Supercars, piloted by Johan Kristoffersson and Anton Marklund.
The team is also working in collaboration with Volkswagen Sweden. Marklund Motorsport finished second in both the drivers’ championship and the teams’ championship in 2014, while Johan Kristofferson of Volkswagen Team Sweden finished third in the overall driver standings this year.
“Volkswagen Motorsport is positive about the merger that came about as a result of the team’s initiative,” explained Jost Capito, technical director at Volkswagen Motorsport. “A collaboration between Marklund Motorsport and Volkswagen Team Sweden will strengthen Volkswagen’s position in one of the fastest growing areas of motorsport. Combining our capabilities will create good possibilities for further success in the sport.”
Team bosses Jan Marklund and Tommy Kristoffersson also back the new collaboration. “We already discussed a merger last year, but we never got around to it,” explained Marklund, father of Anton. “Now we will be added to the mix of Volkswagen’s involvement and our joint goal for 2016 is very clear.”
Marklund revealed that the new team will invest a lot of resources in testing. “We will have a separate test unit with a racing car, staff and trailer that will manage our development activities. The competition in World RX is becoming increasingly tough and to be in with a chance of winning the championship, we need to constantly improve and optimise the equipment.”
The team’s new cars will be built at Marklund Motorsport’s premises in Boliden. As the season gets closer, the work will be relocated to Arvika, where Volkswagen Team Sweden is based.
