Patrik Sandell

Patrik Sandell is a Swedish rally and rallycross driver whose greatest success in a career is the Junior WRC championship title in 2006. Sandell made his maiden WRC start in 2005 and the last in 2012, recording 41 WRC starts in total.

Since 2013, Sandell is active in rallycross, spending five seasons in the US-based Global Rallycross Championship and then switching to the ARX Americas Rallycross in 2018.

Patrik Sandell

Two trophies in the national rally championship

Born in April 1982, Patrik Sandell started his rally career in 2002. His first rally car was a Seat Ibiza GTi. In 2004, he switched to Renault Clio RS Light and won the Swedish Junior Rally Championship, finishing second in the OT2WD class. His navigator was Emil Axelsson.

Next year, Sandell won the Swedish Rally Championship in OT2WD class at the wheel of Renault Clio Ragnotti. He made a WRC debut in the same car, participating in Rally Sweden. He retired with a broken gearbox.

Patrik Sandell has won the 2006 Junior WRC title in a Renault Clio S1600

Junior WRC champion in 2006

In 2006, Sandell continued his winning streak at the wheel of Renault Clio S1600. He participated full season in the Junior WRC competition, scoring JWRC victory at Rally d'Italia Sardegna and adding two more podiums (Sweden, Argentina). He won JWRC trophy with just one point advantage over Estonian driver Urmo Aava.

Sandell spent two more full seasons in the JWRC. In 2007, driving a Renault Clio R3, he finished sixth in the points, scoring a victory in Finland and a second-place finish in Norway. In 2008, he was driving Renault Clio S1600 again, scoring a podium at Rally Finland and finishing seventh in the points.

Patrik Sandell was driving Škoda Fabia S2000 for Red Bull Rallye Team in 2009 and 2010

SWRC vice-champion in 2010

In 2008, Sandell had a double programme. Parallel to his JWRC commitments, he raced in Production WRC category, using Peugeot 207 S2000 in five events a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX in one event. He was on a podium three times, finishing fourth in the points.

In 2009, Sandell joined Red Bull Rallye Team to drive Škoda Fabia S2000 in PWRC. He was a rally winner two times, in Norway and Cyprus, finishing again fourth in the points. In 2010, he stayed in Red Bull Škoda in a competition which was renamed to SWRC. He won in Germany and France to finish second in the points, behind Xavier Pons.

Patrik Sandell in the #52 Mini at 2012 Rally Sweden

Two last WRC starts in a Mini John Cooper Works WRC

In 2011, Sandell made just one WRC start, driving a Škoda Fabia S2000 at Rally Sweden. He was first in class and 11th overall. Later in the season, he recorded six starts in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, driving a Fabia S2000 for Škoda Sweden. He was on a podium just once, at Cyprus.

In 2012, Sandell made his WRC debut in a World Rally Car, joining Mini WRC Team at Rally Sweden. At the wheel of the #52 Mini John Cooper Works WRC, sharing a car with navigator Staffan Parmander, he finished 8th. Two months later, he rejoined Mini WRC Team at Rally Portugal, together with navigator Maria Andersson.  They retired after an accident on the penultimate stage.

Patrik Sandell scored three Global Rallycross Championship wins between 2013 and 2017

American rallycross championship regular since 2013

In 2013, Sandell switched his interest to rallycross. He joined Swedish team Olsbergs MSE to drive their Ford Fiesta ST Supercar in the Global Rallycross Championship and in the Swedish round of the European Rallycross Championship. He scored one podium in GRC to finish sixth in the points. He stayed with Olsbergs MSE in the 2014 GRC season, taking his first victory in Washington DC and finishing sixth in the final championship classification.

For the 2015 GRC season, Sandell joined Bryan Herta Rallysport, continuing to race in a Ford Fiesta. He was a winner at Detroit, ending a season 8th in the points. In 2016, he won at Dallas and recorded his career-best GRC result, ending a season in the fifth place.

Patrik Sandell joined Subaru Rally Team USA in 2017

Racing with Subaru wince 2017

For his fifth GRC season in 2017, Sandell joined Subaru Rally Team USA. He reached two podiums to finish 8th in the points.

In 2018, the championship was converted into the ARX Americas Rallycross. He stayed with Subaru and finished third in the points. One more ARX season with Subaru followed in 2019 and Sandell was third again.

Photos: Patrik Sandell, Petr Sagner, Robert Tuchowski, Petr Eliaš/ewrc-results.com,