- BORN: 06 December 1988
- NATIONALITY: Sweden
- HOME TOWN: Arvika
- INTERESTS: My family and fitness
Defending World RX Champion Johan Kristoffersson may be relatively new to rallycross racing but the 29 year-old Swede is already a record-breaking title winner. Prior to making his World RX debut in 2013, Kristoffersson enjoyed success on the circuit racing scene with prestigious title wins in the International Superstars Series, the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship (STCC) and the Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia, all of which he achieved during a single season in 2012.
Following a handful of European RX and World RX outings in 2013 and 2014, Kristoffersson made the full-time switch to the FIA World Rallycross Championship in 2015 with Volkswagen Team Sweden and won the curtain raising World RX of Portugal event and four more podiums before going on to claim third in the overall standings.
A second career success followed at the World RX of France round in 2016 for Kristoffersson en route to clinching the runners-up spot behind countryman Mattias Ekstrom, a breakthrough season that would ultimately set him up for his dominant title-winning World RX campaign in 2017.
Paired with Petter Solberg in the rebranded PSRX Volkswagen Sweden team and driving a factory-developed Volkswagen Polo Supercar, Kristoffersson reached 11 of 12 finals and swept to a record-breaking seven victories – including five-in-a-row – to win the 2017 drivers’ title by a vast margin. For 2018, Kristoffersson will stick with PSRX Volkswagen Sweden to defend his title, once more alongside Solberg.
Q&A
Who is your biggest rival on the World RX circuit?
There’s so many, especially this year. Of course my teammate (Petter Solberg) is very, very fast, and then Sebastien Loeb, Ekstrom, Bakkerud, Hansen… there’s a lot!
What’s been your career highlight so far?
It has to be winning the 2017 World RX Championship for sure, as well as bringing home the Team’s Championship for PSRX Volkswagen Sweden
Who was your biggest inspiration?
I never really had one to be honest
What advice would you give to young rallycross drivers?
Focus on your goal and fight for it – anything is possible if you keep pushing hard enough
What’s your favourite World RX track and why?
Höljes: two jumps, high speed sections, technical sections and the track conditions are always fair
If you weren’t a rallycross driver what would you be?
Any other racing driver
Who’s the funniest World RX driver?
Tord Linnerud is always very funny
If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life what would it be?
Pasta – our chef is fantastic at pasta at races too
What one item would you take with you if you were stuck on a desert island?
A Helicopter
Which three celebrities would you invite to a dinner party, and why?
Jason Statham, Kimi Räikkönen and Barack Obama
Tell us a secret!
Sure, but only after you’ve sorted my dinner with Obama :-)
