M-Sport apprentice becomes youngest-ever to win Swedish Rally Championship Class

Posted: July 1, 2007 9:47 AM

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M-Sport apprentice becomes youngest-ever driver to win Swedish Rally Championship class
M-Sport apprentice Victor Henriksson (19) from Stockholm, Sweden, took his first class victory in the Swedish Rally Championship (Svenska Mästerskapen) on the Sandviken Rally in Gästrikland last weekend to finish thirteenth overall. The IT Support Center-sponsored Swede drove 75 km in his GpN Ford Fiesta ST to finish 4.4 seconds ahead of second-placed Andreas Sjölander, also in a Fiesta ST, in the N2-2 class. Henriksson has now set the record for the youngest-ever driver to win his class in a Swedish Rally Championship event, the record previously held by Harry Källström for winning the Finspångsrundan Rally overall at the age of 20 in 1959.

Henriksson is the inaugural winner of the Fiesta SportingTrophy (FST) International ‘Shootout’. Held in December 2006, this pitched the top two drivers and a ‘wildcard’ selected by the individual FST championship organisers from each national FST championship (of which there are now twelve worldwide) against each other. Henriksson was selected as the Swedish wildcard and competed against 22 drivers in a series of mental and physical challenges over two days.

Based at M-Sport’s HQ in Cumbria, each competitor had to undertake a mental assessment developed by the Sports Department at Edinburgh University in order to identify drivers with a specific mental aptitude required to compete at the highest level of rallying. Next was a physical assessment designed to ascertain not only their physical condition, but their determination to overcome physical challenges. Drivers were then placed before a panel of journalists from around the world for a mock press conference, which tested their mental responsiveness and allowed judges an insight to the competitors’ personalities. Once all the data had been analysed, Malcolm Wilson, Team Principal of the BP-Ford World Rally Team and Managing Director of M-Sport, had a chance to watch each competitor in driving action at M-Sport’s Greystoke test facility. The field of 23 was narrowed then down to six and each driver had a one-on-one interview with Malcolm Wilson.

The prize on offer was a 12-month contract with M-Sport to live and work at the Dovenby Hall headquarters on a driver apprenticeship. The intention of the programme is that, over the course of the year, Henriksson will get the opportunity to see ‘behind the scenes’ how a WRC team operates. To date, he has been to Monte Carlo, Sweden, Norway, Portugal, Sardinia and Greece rallies, working with former factory co-drivers Phil Short and Howard Davies to supply Marcus Grönholm and the other BP-Ford, Stobart and Munchis’ drivers with last-minute weather and road condition information. Work can be varied for Henriksson; when not travelling to events, or assisting with PR functions, he can be found working in the workshop building cars or even washing parts!

2007 is proving to be a busy year for Henriksson; he is attending 23 rallies and, alongside his M-Sport placement, he is competing in the Swedish Rally Championship and Swedish Fiesta SportingTrophy (known as the FlexiFuel Cup). For the Sandviken Rally, he was co-driven by Jonas Andersson, who is currently leading the FIA Junior Rally Championship with Suzuki driver P-G Andersson.

Henriksson said: “After my big crash in the South Swedish Rally, I didn’t think that a win at Sandviken was possible. The main thing was just to finish rally without any problems. I had pain in my back and neck and I was afraid to make a mistake. But, with Jonas [Andersson] as my new co-driver, everything felt much better.

“The first stage was a short stage (only 4 km) and we dropped 3.5 seconds to the fastest time on the stage. Stage 2 was longer (28 km) and, without pushing, we were only 5.8 seconds off the pace. I was regaining my confidence and we decided to try to push a little bit more. I was very nervous and when we passed the finish, I was very, very happy! Thanks to all the mechanics in Sweden who helped me, and I hope that I can keep the same speed in the future.”

After taking his first class victory in the Swedish Rally Championship, Henriksson returned to work at M-Sport and was given the trusted task of shaking down Henning Solberg’s Ford Focus RS 06 WRC car. “I drove the Focus WRC car in the beginning without anti-lag system just to learn how the car felt, and the car was very quick. It was my first time in a 4wd rally car. After a couple of runs, I drove with the anti-lag on and it made a huge difference. The car was very quick in responding, but very easy to drive; you don’t feel the speed until you have to brake. I really enjoyed every single minute and I can’t wait until the next opportunity I get to drive the Focus.”

Sandviken Rally Results (Class N2-2):
1. Victor Henriksson, Ford Fiesta ST, 44 min 47.2 sec
2. Andreas Sjölander, Ford Fiesta ST, 44 min 51.6 sec
3. Carl Ward, Renault Clio, 44 min 58.5 sec
4. Anders Gullstrand, Ford Fiesta ST, 45 min 0.1 sec
5. Mats Adielsson, Ford Fiesta ST, 45 min 51.5 sec
6. Patrik Johansson, Ford Fiesta ST, 46 min 12.4 sec
7. Jimmy Holmkvist, Ford Fiesta ST, 47 min 47.7 sec
8. Jonas Ericsson, Honda Civic Type R, 47 min 49.5 sec
9. Fredrik Menk, Renault Clio, retired SS5
10. Joachim Nyman, Ford Fiesta ST, retired SS2
11. Johan Karlsson, Peugeot 206, retired SS2

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PPIK announce backing for record-breaking rally driver
Leeds-based Pole Position Indoor Karting (PPIK) have announced that they are to provide financial and public relations support to up-and-coming Swedish rally driver, Victor Henriksson.

At just 19 years old, Henriksson recently broke the record as the youngest ever class winner in a Swedish national rally. He is midway through a 12-month apprenticeship with M-Sport - the company which runs Ford's World Rally Championship team - having been selected as the best of 23 young rally drivers from across Europe.

"PPIK looks to embrace raw talent in various forms of motor sport," comments PPIK Commercial Director, David Dobson.

"We believe that Victor has the necessary attributes to succeed in today's rally environment. It is not just a question of his speed in the car, but his mental and presentational approach to competing that has impressed me."

PPIK already sponsors Gavin Kirby in the Lotus Elise Trophy Championship, and is negotiating two other packages with drivers in other motor sport disciplines.

"To the vast majority of our customers, we are their first taste of the excitement motor sport can generate. By providing support to competitors, we aim to narrow the gap between possibility and reality," says Dobson.

"Let's not forget that it was in karts that Formula One's new phenomenon, Lewis Hamilton discovered his driving talent - so it's always possible that the next motor sport hero will graduate from PPIK's Leeds karting circuit.

"We believe Victor to be the highest-profile driver addition to our current competitor line-up, and we are pleased to be helping to promote his driving career and the PPIK brand to even greater success."

Henriksson currently competes in his native country in the Ford Fiesta ST Flexi Fuel Cup, in which all cars run on Bio Ethanol fuel, but he has yet to drive a car in competition on UK soil. PPIK are to support Victor on the Swansea Bay Rally on 21 July, when Victor will compete in his Swedish-spec Fiesta ST.

Dobson stresses: "We would have liked to have used Bio Ethanol, but unfortunately the fuel is not yet generally permitted in UK rallying. PPIK is exploring the technical implications of using this fuel in our new fleet of karts. We believe it is important to embrace green technology and will continue to lobby event organisers to permit Victor to run in full 'green' Swedish specification in the near future."

Victor's first event under the PPIK banner is likely to be action-packed. Saturday 21 July will see the PPIK Fiesta ST pounding through the south Wales forests, followed by a dash back north, because Sunday 22 July will see Victor and the Fiesta in 'green mode' alongside PPIK karts in a charity race at Odsal Stadium, part of the PPIK contribution to the much anticipated "Bradford Classic".

The highlight will be a visual and audible feast of Group B rally cars, which are to be permitted to drive on closed public streets before contesting a rally stage around Odsal Stadium in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

Says Dobson: "It would be fantastic if Victor could surpass the achievements of his older Swedish compatriot, multiple world rally winner Stig Blomqvist. Unfortunately (or fortunately!), I am old enough to remember watching Stig compete in a Ford RS200 in Wales in the 1980s. If Victor gets anywhere near as good in a Ford, our support will have been worthwhile. . ."