SPEED IS IN HIS BLOOD

The battle to be the first to cross the finish line is fierce in rallycross. On some stretches, Robin Larsson reaches speeds of about 180 kilometres per hour. On the track, his competitive drive runs from his head all the way down to his toes, and being hit by another driver makes him see red.

“There’s nothing worse than being hit by another driver. If the car is sent spinning, then the race is over.”

Robin Larsson grew up in the rallycross paddock with his father’s team and started his motorsport career in folkrace when he was 15. He then moved to TouringCars in the FIA European Rallycross Championship, finishing fourth after a part season in 2012 and runner-up in 2013. The following year, Larsson stepped up to the headline Supercar category and won the FIA European Rallycross Championship.  He finished on the podium twice.  In 2015, Larsson embarked on his first full-time World Championship campaign and ended the season in style with victory at World RX of Argentina.

“It’s fun to be able to compete with the best drivers. But, it’s really tough to keep up with the best of the best. Your performance has to be as consistent as possible throughout the entire season. You can’t make any major mistakes.”

A rallycross race is run in several heats, where the best qualify for the semifinals and final. In the final, the drivers travel six laps around a track that is about 1.5-2 km long.

“The start is extremely important. I listen to music to get in the mood. Hard rock gets me pumped up and ready to go. There’s no better feeling than to start off strong and stay in the lead all the way to the finish line.”

To keep his place among the world’s elite, Robin has to have a great team supporting him. The crew of the Jernberg Larsson Racing Team makes sure the car is in top condition.

“Without my team, I’d be nowhere. They do a fantastic job and make sure I can concentrate on what I enjoy most – driving as fast as possible.”

Robin looks forward to growing more within the sport. He describes the first year in the top series as extremely important.