No findings have yet been announced, and after the absence of the top class from the Belgian and German rounds as well as the UK, second-tier RX2E cars are being shipped to Cape Town, so the lead championship title fight can resume in South Africa on October 7-8 using the lower-powered machinery. The final round is due to take place at a new street circuit in Hong Kong in November.
However, Loeb’s team will not be taking part. With little left of their equipment and an uncertain future for the team amid the championship’s uncertainty, the Frenchman says the effect on Special One has been devastating.
“Everything burned,” he told Motor Sport. “For the guys who were around it was shocking, for all the engineers that were stuck in the motorhome – it was quite brutal.
“It’s never nice to see a garage on fire, it was a bad experience [for the team], and a bad experience for the whole championship because at the moment, they didn’t start [the top class again] because they need to find a solution and understand exactly what happened, so these things don’t happen [again] – but for sure: shocking.”
The WRC legend says it’s difficult to see a way forward for Special One at this point in time.
“I don’t think so,” he replied when asked if it would be taking part in WRX again soon. “The cars burned and I don’t think they really plan to make some new ones at the moment.
“First, just we need to see how the championship will carry on, then we will be able to take a decision.”
There are no current plans to rebuild the Special One cars — which ran with Lancia Delta-themed bodywork
Red Bull
The reduced WRX grid will include the Hansen brothers: 2019 champion Timmy and his race-winning brother Kevin.
Both emphasise the need for the WRX title fight to go on at these events, and what they mean to a championship which is attempting to reinvent itself with electric cars and more diverse locations.
“They’re both hugely important races,” says Timmy. “The last time we went to South Africa, I won my title in 2019, but Hong Kong is going to be the first time that rallycross races properly in a city centre – in one of the biggest cities in the world.
“It’s the first event that the new promoter [which also promotes the World Rally Championship] has built from the ground up. We’re not going to let the championship die – we’re going to give the fans what they want, and give the promoter something to show for next year.”
Kevin also notes the significance of the fire not just for WRX but also for motor sport as a whole. “Electric racing championships have been around for a long time, at some point something was going to happen, and unfortunately it did for Special One Racing,” he says.
“It’s such an incredible team, such an incredible car they built and it was really a big shame.
“Obviously we have taken every security measure that we can to make sure it’s always safe for everyone and that’s why we’ve said we won’t use the cars again until [the issue is diagnosed and fixed].
“I’m actually happy there is a little break for that time to reflect, really put all the clever minds together and decide what rallycross will stand for moving forward from 2024.”