Following the cancellation of the planned gala dinner in Prague due to the global pandemic, the leaders of the FIA World or European Rallycross, Autocross and Cross Car Championships were honoured virtually under the guidance of master of ceremonies Ben Constanduros, from a purpose-built studio in Zürich.

The review of the 2021 season opened with the Autocross category and was supported by videos which highlighted the intensity and spectacular nature of the discipline. The trophy presentation began with the award of the best organisation prize to the Prerov (CZE) event, represented by Jakub Vymazal.

The next award went to the Czech Republic, represented by the President of its ASN, Jan Stovicek: the country is undefeated in the Nations Cup since its creation 21 years ago. The 2021 Champions Jan Medlik (JuniorBuggy), Andri Oun (TouringAX Cup), Timo Pähler (Buggy1600) and Florent Tafani (SuperBuggy) were then cast in the spotlight.

Two drivers penned the opening chapter in the annals of Autocross, being the first winners of the newly introduced Cross Car categories in 2021. In the competition for drivers over 16 years old, Frenchman David Méat was crowned ahead of Spain's Ivan Pina with France’s Tristan Fauconnier third.

The FIA Cross Car Academy Trophy (of which one vehicle was on display on stage) was organised according to a different concept, with all the 13-16 years old drivers competing in the same equipment provided by the LiveLife company, which is owned by WRC driver Thierry Neuville.

The FIA Cross Car Academy Trophy was secured by Hispano-Latvian Gil Membrado over Frenchman Etan Pepujol, with Norwegian Karl Peder Nordstrand completing the podium. Accessible for an affordable budget, with vehicles delivered and supervised on site by the supplier, the FIA Cross Car Academy Trophy will continue in 2022 and will include five rounds.

Director of World RX at Rallycross Promoter GmbH, the entity in charge of promoting the Championship since 2021, Arne Dirks revisited the highlights of last season and the future prospects, which include the electrification of the premier category from the summer of 2022.

Raimonds Strokss was presented with the award for the best organiser of the 2021 season, for the event in Riga, Latvia, which was organised in the space of just a few weeks, as the event was not on the initial calendar.

Already awarded at the FIA Gala in Paris last December, the Euro RX and World RX winners took part in a question and answer session, recalling the highlights of 2021 while looking to the season ahead.

The other champions to be recognised included Norway’s Andreas Bakkerud who took the spoils in Euro RX1 from Fabien Pailler of France and Latvia’s Jānis Baumanis.

In the inaugural season for the electric feeder series RX2e, Belgium’s Guillaume De Ridder saw off the season-long challenges from Finland’s Jesse Kallio and Pablo Suárez of Spain. RX2e served as the prelude to the fully-electric world championship in 2022.

In the highly-competitive Euro RX3 category, Switzerland’s Yury Belevskiy was crowned champion ahead of Kobe Pauwels. The Belgian’s efforts had earlier earned him the ‘Rookie of the Year’ accolade from the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium (RACB). Marat Knyazev of Russia took the third-place trophy in RX3 – after finishing a mere point behind Pauwels in the final standings.

Hansen World RX team, founded by multiple European champion Kenneth and wife Susann, was crowned the 2021 champion team in which Timmy was partnered by his younger brother Kevin.

Sweden’s Johan Kristoffersson linked via video to acknowledge receipt of his fourth FIA World Rallycross Championship title. The runner-up trophy went to compatriot Timmy Hansen, the 2019 champion, with Finland’s Niclas Grönholm third.

The ceremony turned the page on the 2021 season and all eyes are now on 2022, a year full of promise as the switch to electric cars with the Kreisel kit in common could generate a redistribution of the cards among the participating teams.

After a convincing first season in 2021, the RX2e Championship, with its one-design electric cars developed by QEV, will continue, while the Euro RX1 and Euro RX3 Championships will continue to support most of the World RX events on the 2022 programme.

To rewatch the 2021 FIA Off-Road Prize Giving ceremony, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD_RK_vMQP0

List of FIA Awarded Off-Road Drivers, Teams and Organisers

2021 FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

Drivers: 1. Johan Kristoffersson (SWE); 2. Timmy Hansen (SWE); 3. Niclas Grönholm (FIN)

Teams: Hansen World RX Team (SWE)

2021 FIA EUROPEAN RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

Euro RX1: 1. Andreas Bakkerud (NOR); 2. Fabien Pailler (FRA); 3. Janis Baumanis (LVA)

Euro RX3: 1. Yuri Belevskiy (CHE); 2. Kobe Pauwels (BEL); 3. Marat Knyazev (RUS)

2021 FIA RX2e CHAMPIONSHIP

RX2e: 1. Guillaume De Ridder (BEL); 2. Jesse Kallio (FIN); 3. Pablo Suarez (ESP)

2021 FIA EUROPEAN AUTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

SuperBuggy: 1. Florent Tafani (FRA); 2. Ervins Grencis (LVA); 3. Jakub Kubicek (CZE)

Buggy1600: 1. Timo Pähler (NLD) ; 2. Kevin Peters (LUX); 3. Jakub Novotny (CZE)

JuniorBuggy: 1. Ondrej Mednik (CZE); 2. Daniel Pytloun (CZE); 3. Jakub Safranek (CZE)

2021 FIA EUROPEAN CROSS CAR CHAMPIONSHIP

XC Senior: 1. David Méat (FRA); 2. Ivan Pina Chinchilla (ESP); 3. Tristan Fauconnier (FRA)

2021 FIA CROSS CAR ACADEMY TROPHY

XC Junior: 1. Gil Membrado (LVA); 2. Etan Pepujol (FRA) ; 3. Karl Peder Nordstrand (NOR)

2021 FIA EUROPEAN TOURING AUTOCROSS CUP

Touring AX: 1. Andri Oun (EST) 

2021 FIA EUROPEAN AUTOCROSS NATIONS CUP

1. Czech Republic

2021 FIA OFF-ROAD BEST ORGANISERS

Rallycross: Ferratum World RX of Rīga (LVA)

Autocross: Autocross of Prerov (CZE)