Pontus Tidemand

Pontus Tidemand is a Swedish rally driver and world champion in the WRC2 category in 2017, winning the title with Škoda Motorsport's Škoda Fabia R5.

Earlier in a career, Tidemand was the Asia-Pacific rally champion in 2015, Junior WRC champion in 2013 and Swedish rally champion in 2011.

Pontus Tidemand and his family

Family directed Pontus into rallying

Born in December 1990 in Charlottenberg, Pontus started rallying in 2007, affected by his step-father and world-famous rally driver Henning Solberg. His mother Maud Tidemand-Solberg was also involved in rallying as a co-driver.

After few rally events in 2007 and 2008, driving a Volvo 940 and Subaru Impreza STi N14, Pontus expanded his rally activities in 2009, after he gets a driving license. He spent two seasons in a Subaru Impreza, mostly with Jørgen Nordhagen as a navigator, improving his results in Norwegian and Swedish national events.

Henning Solberg and Pontus Tidemand in 2011

Swedish rally champion in 2011

In 2011, Tidemand started a season with Subaru Impreza in few Norwegian events but then he switched to Ford Fiesta S2000 in the Swedish Rally Championship. He scored two overall victories and four wins in the OT4WD class, dominantly winning the championship title.

In 2012, Tidemand was using a Škoda Fabia S2000 in the Swedish championship, finishing in the second place, but he moved his interest to international rallying.

Pontus Tidemand in 2012

WRC debut at 2012 Rally Sweden

Tidemand made a WRC debut at 2012 Rally Sweden, driving a Škoda Fabia S2000 with Göran Bergsten as his navigator. They finished 18th overall and third in the SWRC category.

Later in the season, Tidemand participated in six events of the WRC Academy championship, driving a Ford Fiesta R2. His navigator was Stig Rune Skjaermoen. Tidemand was on a podium three times (Portugal 3rd, Finland 2nd, Catalunya 2nd), finishing the season third in the points, behind Elfyn Evans and Jose Antonio Suarez.

Two world champions in 2013: Pontus Tidemand (JWRC) and Sebastien Ogier (2013)

Junior WRC champion in 2013

In 2013, the championship was renamed to Junior WRC and Tidemand continued to compete in it, with Ola Floene as his navigator. In six events, they were winners three times – Portugal, Germany and France, winning the championship title.

Among other events, Tidemand has won one national rally in Sweden with Ford Fiesta RS WRC, as a preparation for Swedish WRC round where he was using the same car. At Rally Sweden, he retired with engine failure.

In 2014, Tidemand was driving the Audi S1 RX Supercar for EKS RX team

2014 – a rallycross season with EKS RX team

In 2014, Tidemand made a switch to rallycross. He made a rallycross debut in the Swedish round of the 2013 European Rallycross Championship and then signed for Mattias Ekstrom's EKS RX team to compete full season in the 2014 Euro RX and part-time in the World Rallycross Championship.

Driving the Audi S1 RX Supercar, Tidemand scored one podium and finished third in the final Euro RX standings. He participated in seven World RX events, finishing best in the fourth place at German round. At the end, he was classified 8th in the points.

Victory at 2014 ADAC Rally Deutschland was Tidemand's first in the WRC 2 category

Class victory at 2014 ADAC Rallye Deutschland

While driving for EKS RX in rallycross championships, Tidemand didn't pause his rally career. He appeared in four WRC events. At Rally Sweden, he finished 8th in a Ford Fiesta RS WRC. After that, he switched to Ford Fiesta R5 and finished third in class at Rally Portugal.

In the next event, the ADAC Rally Deutschland, Tidemand was the winner of the WRC 2 class. At Rally de France Alsace he finished fourth in the class. In 2014, he was also the winner in two Norwegian events.

Emil Axelsson and Pontus Tidemand - 2015 APRC champions

2015 Asia-Pacific Rally champion with Škoda

Tidemand started the season 2015 with three national events in a Ford Fiesta RS WRC, preparing for Rally Sweden where he finished 17th in a Ford Fiesta RRC.

After that, he was recruited by Škoda and Team MRF to drive a Škoda Fabia S2000 in the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship. He was APRC rally winner five times, dominantly winning the title. He also added Asia Pacific Cup and Pacific Cup trophies to his account.

Pontus Tidemand joined Škoda Motorsport in 2015

Chasing the WRC 2 title with Škoda

In the 2015 WRC season, Tidemand participated in five events with Škoda Fabia R5, driving for Škoda Motorsport factory team alongside Emil Axelsson as a navigator. He scored three WRC 2 podiums before winning the category at Rally Catalunya. At the end of the season, he was fifth in the WRC 2 standings.

In 2016, Tidemand's focus was on the WRC 2 Championship with Škoda Motorsport. His new co-driver was Jonas Andersson. They participated in seven WRC events in a Škoda Fabia R5, winning just once, at Rally Portugal. Tidemand reached class podiums in Sweden, Catalunya and Wales, finishing fifth in the WRC 2 points again.

Pontus Tidemand triumphed five times in 2017

World champion again in 2017

In 2017, his third WRC season with Škoda Motorsport, Tidemand finally reached the top of the world. He was a winner five times in the WRC 2 category (Sweden, Mexico, Argentina, Portugal, Wales), dominantly taking the championship title. Outside WRC 2 competition, Tidemand made his debut at Rallye Monte-Carlo, finishing 11th overall and fourth in the RC2 class in a Škoda Fabia R5.

In 2018, he was trying to defend WRC2 title with Škoda Motorsport, winning three times, but the championship title went to his teammate Jan Kopecky.

Pontus Tidemand in 2017

Photos: Pontus Tidemand,