Timmy Hansen

Timmy Hansen is a rallycross driver from Sweden and freshly crowned FIA World Rallycross Champion. He competes in the World RX since the inaugural season in 2014, driving for a family-run Team Peugeot-Hansen.

Before his victorious season in 2019, his best result was the second place in the championship in 2015. He also finished second in the 2019 Titans RX Series, behind his younger brother Kevin.

Timmy Hansen

Born in the racing family

Kenneth Timmy Hansen, was born in May 1992, in the small town of Lidkoping, as a son of Kenneth Hansen, the most successful rallycross driver so far as he won 14 FIA European Rallycross Championship titles. His mother Susann was the 1994 ERA European Cup winner.

That’s why it was no surprise when the boy decided to follow the footsteps of his parents. As he once recalled, father is Timmy’s biggest inspiration to become one of the greatest rallycross drivers. Timmy's younger borther Kevin is also rallycross driver.

Timmy, Kevin, and Kenneth Hansen

Single-seaters before rallycross

Hansen started his career in karting and in 2008 he won the Swedish Championship title. Interestingly and a bit surprisingly, he decided to try his luck in the circuit racing and spent three years in Formula BMW, Formula Renault 2.0 Alps, and Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 Series. He won several races before switching to rallycross.

Unexpected debut in the European Rallycross Championship

In 2011 Timmy for the first time appeared in the rallycross event in France, driving a Citroen Xsara, previously used by the French champion Davy Jeanney. In the following year, Hansen goes an opportunity to make a one-off appearance for his father’s team in one round of the European Rallycross Championship. Timmy impressed all by taking the 5th place on his debut.

Timmy Hansen started his rallycross career driving a Citroen

That performance persuaded Hansen Sr to give his son a chance to drive full-time season of 2013 FIA European Rallycross Championship. Driving a Citroen DS3, Timmy finished 3rd in the season-opening race. Soon after he won the race in Hungary and that was followed with other two podium finishes in Finland and Sweden. At the end of 2013 FIA European Rallycross Championship, Hansen was 3rd in the overall standings, behind Timur Timerzyanov and Davy Jeanney.

Entering the inaugural FIA World Rallycross Championship

In 2014 the FIA World Rallycross Championship was formed and Hansen alongside Timerzyanom became a member of Team Peugeot – Hansen. Timmy again did an excellent job as he won the round in Italy, finished 2nd in Belgium and Turkey, as well as 3rd in France. With 199 points on his account, Hansen finished 4th in the standings, behind Petter Solberg, Toomas Heikkinen, and Reinis Nitiss.

Timmy Hansen, Peugeot 208 World RX

Vice-champion of the world in 2015

In 2015 the Peugeot 208 WRX was introduced and that car was almost perfectly suited for Hansen. He was the championship runner-up to Petter Solberg. Timmy scored wins in three rounds that year and had other five podium finishes but even that wasn’t enough for the title.

The FIA WRX Championship became even more competitive in 2016 when his teammate became legendary rally driver Sebastien Loeb. Despite fierce competition, Hansen again was able to score many notable results. He won the round in Canada, finished 2nd in Norway and in Spain, and also was 3rd in the UK and in Sweden. He failed to score points only once that year and finished 6th in the WRX Championship for drivers.

Timmy Hansen'smost successful World RX season was 2015 with three wins

No World RX wins in 2017 and 2018

In 2017, Timmy scored no wins in the World Rallycross Championship what was his first season without wins in the premier rallycross competitions. He was on a podium four times, ending a season fifth in the points.

For the 2018 World RX season, the line-up of Peugeot drivers remained unchanged, with Timmy and Seb Loeb as representatives of the French marque. Scoring two podiums, Timmy finished sixth in the points.

Timmy Hansen on the top of the podium in Barcelona in April 2019

Finally on the top of the world in 2019

Ahead of the 2019 World RX season, several manufacturers left the championship, Peugeot among them, so Team Hansen had to find a new partner. The collaboration with Max Pucher was established and Team Hansen MJP was founded to run Peugeot 208 Supercars for Timmy and his younger brother Kevin.

Timmy clinched four victories over the year and entered the season's finale in South Africa as championship leader. His main rival was Andreas Bakkerud. They even collided during the Final race in which Bakkerud was second and Timmy was fourth, ending the season tied in the points. Hansen was declared a champion because he collected more wins.

Parallel to their World RX commitments, Hansen brothers also participated in the new Titans RX Series, run by Max Pucher's company. Both Timmy and Kevin won four times over the season but Kevin collected more podiums and more points so Timmy finished second in the final classification.

2019 World RX champion Timmy Hansen

Photo: fiaworldrallycross.com, rallycrossworld.com, automobilsport.com, hansen-motorsport.se