Marklund hoping for happier ending on Hyundai debut at Spa
Anton Marklund is hoping for a ‘happier ending’ to his weekend when he rejoins the paddock for Benelux World RX of Spa-Francorchamps on 9-10 October
Anton Marklund is hoping for a ‘happier ending’ to his weekend when he rejoins the paddock for Benelux World RX of Spa-Francorchamps on 9-10 October, as he prepares to make his maiden public appearance behind the wheel of Hedströms Motorsport’s Hyundai i20.
Anton Marklund is hoping for a ‘happier ending’ to his weekend when he rejoins the paddock for Benelux World RX of Spa-Francorchamps on 9-10 October, as he prepares to make his maiden public appearance behind the wheel of Hedströms Motorsport’s Hyundai i20.
Former FIA European Rallycross Champion Marklund was the undisputed Euro RX1 pace-setter on home soil at Höljes earlier in the campaign, dominating the first three qualifying sessions and looking set to secure Top Qualifier honours until he clipped a kerb on the last lap of his Q4 race, pitching his Volkswagen Polo into a spectacular barrel-roll from which he was lucky to emerge unscathed.
The same could not, unfortunately, be said of the car, with the damage so severe that it ruled him out of the rest of the event. Next weekend, the 28-year-old Swede will return, only this time at the highest level in World RX and he has promising form around legendary Belgian circuit Spa, having posted the second-quickest time there in two of the four qualifiers in 2019.
“I’m super happy to get another chance to drive after what happened at Höljes – that wasn’t the way I wanted to end my season,” acknowledged Marklund, who already has four podiums to his credit in World Championship competition. “Spa is a fabulous track that I really enjoyed two years ago, and I was so disappointed that there was no event there last season.
“I also can’t wait to race the Hyundai for the first time after seeing Peter [Hedström] in it at Höljes – it certainly seems to have plenty of potential. I’ve only had one test day in the car, so I haven’t had much running but at least I have an idea of what to expect when we arrive in Belgium. Hopefully we can end the weekend with a better result than at Höljes!”
Racing is set to get underway at 12:15 CET on Saturday, 9 October. Entry tickets are still available to purchase here.
