The past, present and future of the Hansen World RX Team’s presence at the forefront of rallycross is being celebrated in 2023 with a stunning new livery adorning the squad’s Peugeot 208 RX1es in the FIA World Rallycross Championship.
The Swedish outfit – recently confirmed as the first World RX team to reach carbon neutral status – is widely acknowledged as the most successful rallycross team on the planet, with multiple titles at national and international level.
Prior to the formation of the World Championship, in which the Hansen team has claimed four World RX crowns since its inception in 2014, a large proportion of the outfit’s success came through the 1990s and into the new millennium.
It was during that period, specifically from 1993 to 2011, that the team was synonymous for running a predominantly red livery on its rallycross machinery, driven to success by a range of drivers, with Kenneth and Susann Hansen securing the major honours behind the wheel.
For 2023, in an effort to stand out from the crowd within the exhilarating new era of all-electric rallycross machinery in World RX, Hansen Motorsport is acknowledging its rich history with the stunning new design.
Red features on the front, rear and sides of both 2019 Drivers’ Champion Timmy Hansen and Multiple World RX event-winner Kevin Hansen’s 208 RX1es, giving the machines a fresh new look, standing out over their recent predecessors. Alongside the new colour scheme, all of the team’s valuable partners have been worked seamlessly into the design.
To distinguish between the two cars, white highlights on the front and rear signify the #21 208 RX1e of Timmy Hansen, while the #71 car of Kevin Hansen maintains the base red colour throughout.
The squad has already shaken down the 2023 specification machines in Sweden, and now heads for the official pre-season test in Portugal, before the opening round of the championship takes place at the same Montalegre Circuit on June 3-4.
Kenneth Hansen said: “It’s really nice to be back with some red in the livery. It brings back the history and memories of some very good days for us in Hansen Motorsport, and is a good change for both the team and the championship. It will make a change on the grid colour wise, and I really think the cars look great.
“We had a lot of success with similar colours in the past, and everyone in the team has done huge work over the winter ahead of the new season to give us the best chance of standing on the top step of the podium once again.”
Kevin Hansen said: “The new livery looks stunning. To come back to the red, which is such an important colour in our history as the winning colours of Kenneth and Susann [Hansen], is just fantastic. I’m really happy to be racing with this colour for the first time in my career, and to premiere it in Portugal at a classic track where we have such great support is the perfect first location.”
Timmy Hansen said: “The car looks great this year, and on top of looking good the car is also feeling really good. We’re excited to get going and I think this is the year we can really challenge for the title. I’m hungry for more after second place last year, so hopefully we’ve closed the gap and will be up there fighting for the win in every round.”