Klara Andersson Explained

Klara Andersson
Nationality: Swedish
Birth Date:29 February 2000
Birth Place:Löberöd, Sweden
Related To:Magda Andersson (sister)
Current Series:FIA World Rallycross Championship
First Year:2022
Current Team:Construction Equipment Dealer Team
Car Number:12
Starts:10
Wins:0
Podiums:1
Best Finish:7th
Year:2022
Titles:Swedish Rallycross Championship - SM 2150
Title Years:2021

Klara Augusta Linnéa Andersson (born 29 February 2000)[1] is a Swedish rallycross driver who currently competes in the FIA World Rallycross Championship for the CE Dealer Team.[2]

Biography

A member of the Sweden Junior National Team of Motorsport, Andersson started her career in karting before switching to rallycross in 2018 after a five-year hiatus.[3] She made her way up the national motorsport scene, including a wildcard appearance at the 2019 RallyX Nordic season finale, and finished runner-up in the JSM (Junior) class of the 2020 Swedish Rallycross Championship, driving a BMW 120.[4] The following year she made the step up to the SM (Senior) 2150 class, unexpectedly winning the title in her first season in a field that consisted of more than 50 drivers.[5] [6]

After impressing in the FIA RX2e Championship,[7] where she achieved a best finish of 4th at Spa-Francorchamps from two rounds,[8] [9] and in the Extreme E rookie test,[10] Andersson was signed by Xite Energy Racing to partner team owner Oliver Bennett for the 2022 Extreme E season.[11] [12] However, she contracted COVID-19 shortly before the opening round in Saudi Arabia and was replaced by the championship's female reserve driver Tamara Molinaro.[13] Molinaro was eventually retained by the team, with Andersson taking her place as reserve. The Swede would make her long-awaited Extreme E debut in September at the fourth event of the season, the Copper X-Prix in Chile, standing in for Jutta Kleinschmidt, who injured herself during free practice, at Abt Cupra XE.[14] Together with Dakar Rally legend Nasser Al-Attiyah, Andersson took third place, thus achieving a podium finish on debut.[15] Andersson joined SUN Minimeal Team for the 2024 season as Abt Cupra XE left Extreme E.[16] [17]

In May 2022 it was announced that Andersson would join Niclas Grönholm at the Construction Equipment Dealer Team in RX1e, the top class of the 2022 FIA World Rallycross Championship, in what became the first full-season gender equal line-up of the championship.[18] She made history in round 5 of the season in Portugal by becoming the first ever woman to step on a top-flight rallycross podium.[19] [20]

She is the younger sister of former FIA European Rallycross Championship event-winner Magda Andersson.[21] Her father Håkan formerly competed in the Swedish Rallycross Championship for Volvo and BMW.[22]

Racing record

Complete FIA World Rallycross Championship results

(key)

RX1e

YearEntrantCar12345678910Points
2022Construction Equipment Dealer TeamPWR RX1eNOR
LAT
LAT
POR
POR
BEL
BEL
ESP
ESP
GER
7th102
Rowspan=22023Rowspan=2Construction Equipment Dealer TeamPWR RX1ePOR
NOR
SWE
GBR
BLX
GER
Rowspan=27thRowspan=271
OMSE ZEROID X1ZAF
ZAF
CHN
CHN

Complete Extreme E results

(key)

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Klara Andersson . . hitta.se. 22 May 2024.
  2. Web site: Klara Andersson and Niclas Grönholm join forces in groundbreaking gender-equal line-up at CE Dealer Team . 2022-06-23 . FIA World Rallycross Championship . en.
  3. Web site: Klara Andersson - RX2e. FIA-RX2e.com. 2022-02-26.
  4. Web site: Tabell Rc SM Hö 1+2 Vä 3+4 A 5 2020 prepp final. Svenska Bilsportförbundet. sv. 2022-02-26.
  5. Web site: Brunsdon . Stephen . 2021-11-26 . Sweden's next rallycross talent with big ambitions . 2022-02-26 . DirtFish.
  6. Web site: Championship Standings Rallycross SM 2021 mk 210815. Svenska Bilsportförbundet. sv. 2022-02-26.
  7. Web site: Klara Andersson set to become first Female to race in RX2e. thecheckeredflag.co.uk. Lindroos. Pontus. 2021-09-28. 2022-02-26.
  8. Web site: Andersson a step closer to World RX dream after electrifying RX2e bow. FIA-RX2e.com. 2021-10-21. 2022-02-26.
  9. Web site: Klara Andersson klar för finaltävlingen av Rallycross-VM. Skånesport.se. sv. 2021-11-12. 2022-02-26.
  10. Web site: Peterhansel leads Extreme E rookie test line-up for Rosberg. Motorsport.com. Kew. Matt. 2021-10-27. 2022-02-26.
  11. Web site: Rallycross star Klara Andersson to make Extreme E debut. Racers - Behind the Helmet. Strebelow. Vivien. 2022-02-12. 2022-02-26.
  12. Web site: XITE Energy Racing announces new driver line-up for Extreme E. Racer.com. 2022-02-12. 2022-02-26.
  13. Web site: Tamara Molinaro subbing for Andersson in Desert X Prix. thecheckeredflag.co.uk. Nguyen. Justin. 2022-02-18. 2022-02-25.
  14. Web site: Klara Andersson to fill in for Kleinschmidt in Copper X Prix. The Checkered Flag. Nguyen. Justin. 24 September 2022 . 2022-09-24.
  15. Web site: Turner. Kevin. Copper X-Prix: Hamilton's X44 squad takes Extreme E win after McLaren penalty. Autosport. 25 September 2022. 26 September 2022.
  16. Web site: Wilde . Dominik . 29 January 2024 . SUN Minimeal joins Extreme E with Scheider and Andersson . 29 January 2024 . . en-US.
  17. Web site: 2023-12-06 . ABT CUPRA to focus entirely on Formula E in 2024 . 2024-01-30 . ABT Sportsline . en.
  18. Web site: CE Dealer Team announces world-first gender equal World RX line-up with Klara Andersson and Niclas Grönholm . 2022-06-23 . CE Dealer Team . en-GB.
  19. Web site: 'Proud' Andersson reflects on history-making weekend. FIA World Rallycross Championship. 2022-09-20. 2022-09-26.
  20. Web site: The World RX rookie that's already made history. DirtFish. 2022-09-24. 2022-09-26.
  21. Web site: Klara Andersson - World RX. FIA World Rallycross Championship. 2022-02-26.
  22. News: The Team. magdaandersson.se. 16 May 2019.