Timur Timerzyanov departs OMSE for World RX Team Austria, to form new World RX Team to compete in the FIA World Rallycross Championship in 2016. The team will be headed up by Entrepreneur Max Pucher, who announced plans for his World RX Team Austria during a YouTube Press Release posted this morning.
The team have announced that they will compete for full participation in the FIA World Rallycross Championship – signing two top drivers – Timur Timerzyanov, the former European Supercar Champion and current Super1600 Champion, the Latvian driver Jānis Baumanis.
Three time European Champion Timerzyanov said: “Today we are presenting the World RX team Austria for the 2016 season, we hope this year will be good to us. Me and my teammate Jānis Baumanis will try to do a perfect job and hope to be at the end of the season in the first position of the championship.”
Jānis Baumanis: “This season, I will drive for World Rallycross Team Austria. I’m really excited about it because I’ve tried this car in Argentina and I got to the Final so I’m looking forward to doing my best in 2016.”
Manfred Stohl, the Austrian rally driver who debuted in the World Rally Championship in 1991, and competed in the 2015 season said : “A great season is in front of us. Two European Champions form the team. And I’m really looking forward for the season ahead.”
Pucher also announced that he will drive in the five FIA European Rallycross Championship events and other ‘selected World RX events’. “I’m looking forward to the 2016 World RX season and I’m sure that we will have a fantastic year in front of us.”
It is understood that Stohl will take a step back from driving to focus on the engineering side of Rallycross and to focus on other driving projects.
Timur Timerzyanov former European Champion and current Super1600 Champion Jānis Baumanis. © World RX Team Austria/ERC24
The Russian driver from Kazan, Timur Timerzyanov made his way on to the scene switching to karting and then to Rallycross. Timerzyanov won the coveted Super1600 class in 2010. Impressing the RX community, he joined Hansen Motorsport in 2011 and became FIA European Rallycross Champion in the Supercar category (2012 and 2013).
Last season, Timerzyanov drove an Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta in the World Rallycross Championship after parting from the Peugeot-Hansen team.
Timerzyanov’s Ford was categorised by the team as an ‘individual entry’ rather than part of the main Olsbergs MSE team.
Jānis Baumanis had a very successful 2014 season, reaching 3rd place overall wins in Norway, Belgium and Germany. His development continued into 2015 with consistent results throughout, eventually crowning him Champion ahead of Dane Ulrik Linnemann.
Top photo: Timerzyanov will swap from OMSE to World RX Team Austria in 2016 © JKR/ERC24