Per-Gunnar Andersson

Per-Gunnar Andersson, widely known also as PG Andersson, is a Swedish rally and rallycross driver who collected several championship titles during his career.

Earlier in a career, he was a class champion in Norway and Sweden, then reaching the top of the world in the Junior WRC category in which he was a champion two times, in 2004 and 2007, driving a Suzuki.

Most recently, Andersson spent a season in the 2015 FIA World Rallycross Championship and then returned to rallying, capturing the Swedish Rally Championship title in 2016.

Per-Gunnar Andersson

Starting a rally career in 1999, WRC debut in 2002

Born in March 1980 in Årjäng in Värmland County, PG Andersson started his rally career in 1999, participating in Swedish and Norwegian national events. His first rally car was a Seat Ibiza GTi 16V but also drove Volkswagen Polo in 2001 ADAC 3-Städte Rallye, a part of the European Rally Championship.

In 2002, Andersson switched to Renault Clio RS, winning the F2 Class title in Norway and finishing third in a 2WD class of the Swedish championship, with Jonas Andersson as his navigator. In February 2002, PG made a WRC debut at Uddeholm Swedish Rally, finishing 43rd overall and first in N3 class.

Suzuki Ignis S1600 was Andersson's championship winning car in 2004

Two Swedish 2WD titles and Junior WRC triumph in 2004

In 2003, Andersson was driving Renault Clio S1600, winning the T2WD class title in the Swedish Rally Championship. He made four WRC starts ina Renault - in Finland, Italy, Spain and Great Britain, reaching the finish line just once, at Rallye Sanremo.

In 2004, Andersson defended Swedish T2WD title in a Suzuki Ignis S1600 but, what is more important, he also became the Junior World Rally Champion with that car, winning three JWRC rounds and defeating Nicolas Bernardi in a fight for the title. Outside JWRC, he was driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII at Swedish Rally, finishing 12th in Class N4.

First full WRC season in 2005

In 2005, Andersson spent a full season in the World Rally Championship, driving Suzuki Ignis S1600 and Suzuki Swift S1600 not just in seven JWRC rounds but also six other events. He won in JWRC category at Acropolis Rally, finishing sixth in the points.

In 2006, Andersson was driving Suzuki Swift S1600 in just six Junior WRC rounds, winning in Sweden and adding two more podiums to finish third in the points, behind Patrik Sandell and Urmo Aava.

Per-Gunnar Andersson was the Junior WRC champion for the second time in 2007

One more Junior WRC title in 2007

In 2007, Andersson decided to stay in the Junior WRC category for the fourth year in a row, driving factory-entered #45 Suzuki Swift S1600. Jonas Andersson was still his navigator. In five rounds, they were winners three times, in Norway, Portugal and Spain, capturing their second JWRC title.

In October 2007, Andersson tried World Rally Car for the first time, driving a Ford Focus WRC in one Norwegian sprint rally. The real WRC challenge came after that.

PG Andersson was driving a Suzuki SX4 WRC in 2008

Suzuki factory driver in the 2008 WRC season

For the 2008 World Rally Championship season, PG Andersson has been chosen to drive the #12 Suzuki SX4 WRC for Suzuki World Rally Team, alongside Toni Gardemeister in the #11 car. A new team had no chance against experienced WRC squads of Citroen, Ford and Subaru, finishing in the fifth place.

Andersson was in the points four times, finishing 12th in the final standings, one place ahead of his teammate Gardemeister. PG's best result was the fifth place at Rally Japan and Wales Rally GB.

Racing with Škoda Fabia WRC in 2009

Suzuki left the championship after just one full season so Andersson was forced to find a new challenge. He was driving his own Škoda Fabia WRC in Swedish and Norwegian events, participating in just one WRC round, at Rally Norway, not finishing the event.

He also raced at Rally of Nations in Mexico, finishing 12th in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX.  During 2009, his navigator in most rallies was Anders Fredriksson.

PG Andersson at 2010 Rally Sweden

One victory and three podiums in the 2010 SWRC Championship

In 2010, Andersson stayed in a Škoda but switched to Škoda Fabia S2000 to compete in the SWRC category of the World Rally Championship. He was  SWRC winner at Rally Sweden and added three more podiums later in the seasons.

Unfortunately, the Rufa Sport team, for which he was driving, failed to compete in a required number of events and all results except Sweden's victory have been annulled. That put Andersson in the ninth place in the final standings.

Besides competing in SWRC, he also made one starts in a World Rally Car, driving Stobart's Ford Focus RS WRC at Rally Bulgaria and finishing seventh.

PG Andersson at 2012 Rally Sweden

Two seasons with Proton Motorsport

In 2011, Andersson joined Malaysian Proton Motorsport to drive a Proton Satria Neo S2000 in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, with Emil Axelsson as his new navigator.The results were disappointing as he scored points just once in six events. Outside IRC, he recorded three WRC starts, with Ford Fiesta RS WRC at Rally Sweden (7th) and Rally d'Italia Sardegna (15th) and with Tommi Makinen's Subaru Impreza  STi R4 at Rally Finland (15th).

In 2012, Proton Motorsport entered SWRC with Andersson as the main driver in the #33 Satria Neo S2000. He retired from a lead at Rally Monte-Carlo and then scored SWRC victory at Rally Sweden. He later won in Finland and finished second in the points at the end of the season, behind Craig Breen.

PG Andersson made a World RX debut in 2014

Combining rally and rallycross

In 2012, Andersson also made a debut in the international rallycross, participating in Swedish round of the European Rallycross Championship. Driving a Škoda Fabia T16, he finished eighth. In 2013, he made four WRC starts in private cars (Ford Fiesta S2000 and Ford Fiesta RS WRC), finishing best in the 8th place at Rally Finland.

In 2014, Andersson focused more on rallycross, driving Hedströms Motorsport's Škoda Fabia T16 in German round of the ERX and World RX, and then Audi S1 for Mattias Ekstrom's team in Turkish World RX round.

Per-Gunnar Andersson in 2015

A full season in the 2015 World Rallycross Championship

In 2015, PG joined Marklund Motorsport for the full season in the FIA World Rallycross Championship, driving the #45 Volkswagen Polo Supercar. He participated in ten of thirteen rounds, entering Finals in three rounds. He was sixth in Portugal, fourth in Belgium and fifth in Norway. PG ended the season 13th in the points.

He didn't return to the championship next year, focusing on the Swedish Rally Championship instead.

PG Andersson won five rallies in 2016 and captured Swedish title

Five wins for Swedish Rally Championship title

PG Andersson returned to rallying in 2016, spending a full season in the Swedish Rally Championship. He was driving a Škoda Fabia WRC with Emil Axelsson as his navigator. They won five times in a row, skipping one round and retiring only in season's finale at Rally Uppsala, capturing the championship title in T4WD class.

In 2017, Andersson participated as a guest in Swedish World RX round, driving an Audi S1 for EKS RX. In rallying, he appeared in two rounds of the national championship with Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII and Škoda Fabia WRC.

PG Andersson in Audi S1 at Swedish World RX round in 2017

Photos: fiaworldrallycross.com, Fredrik Värnebjörk, Petr Eliaš, Petr Sagner, Libor Jungvirt, Martin Stanislav/ewrc-results.com,