Hansen’s 650-kilometre mission for Junior ERC joy

Hansen lives 650 kilometes from Karlstad, which is hosting the fifth round of the 2023 ERC season and round three of Junior ERC from 6 - 8 July.

After finishing third among the Junior ERC contenders in Poland and second in Latvia, 23-year-old Hansen is, in theory, due his turn on the top step of the podium this weekend, although he’s keeping all expectations firmly in check.

“Winning is always the target but the other guys are pretty fast,” said Hansen, whose family-run Peugeot 208 Rally4 is co-driven by his fellow Swede Victor Johansson. “We will go with a humble attitude and will do our very best like always.”

Prior to the inaugural BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia, Hansen recalled spectating on the WRC-counting Rally Sweden when it was based in the Värmland region of the country – albeit during the thick of winter.

“It’s going to be interesting and fun,” he said. “The stages are going to be very, very fast but with a hard surface and a good grip. We won’t see so many rutted places. It should be good.”

He continued: “It’s been a good start to the season with good pace. We had some margin in the driving, not over the limit, so it feels nice.”

Hansen is among a quintet of Swedish drivers chasing Junior ERC success on BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia. In addition to championship regulars Simon Andersson (above) and Mille Johansson (below), newcomers Patrik Hallberg and Isak Reirsen will also be vying for home glory as they graduate from national level to the ERC for the first time.

After two rounds, Norway’s Ola Nore tops the provisional Junior ERC standings with a 15-point margin over Romanian Norbert Maior and Victor Hansen, who are equal second in the championship order. 

As well as Swedish and Norwegian participation, Austrian Alfred Kramer’s co-driver Jeannette Kvick is from Denmark, while Estonia (Mark-Egert Tiits), Finland (Miko Jalava), Germany (Timo Schulz), Great Britain (Max McRae), Ireland (Aoife Raftery), Italy (Roberto Daprà and Mattia Zanin) and Mexico (Patrice Spitalier) are all represented on the 16-strong Junior ERC entry.

Tickets are still on sale for BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia but must be purchased in advance. More information is available at: https://ercroyalrally.com.