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Hansen barred from Hockenheim semi-finals after fiery exit

Following a stewards investigation on Saturday evening after the qualifying stages, Team Peugeot-Hansen driver Timmy Hansen was disqualified from Q4.

Timmy Hansen, Team Peugeot Hansen

Timmy Hansen, Team Peugeot Hansen

FIA World Rallycross

Petter Solberg, Petter Solberg World RX Team
Hockenheim atmosphere
Rallycross action
Sébastien Loeb, Team Peugeot Hansen
Timmy Hansen, Team Peugeot Hansen
Timmy Hansen, Team Peugeot Hansen
Timmy Hansen, Team Peugeot Hansen
Timmy Hansen, Team Peugeot Hansen, Johan Kristoffersson, Volkswagen Team Sweden, Mattias Ekström, EKS RX Audi S1, Petter Solberg, PSRX Citroën DS3 RX, Sébastien Loeb, Team Peugeot Hansen

As a result of which, Hansen drops out of the qualifying positions for the semi-finals at Hockenheim.

Hansen’s exit promotes each driver who had qualified behind him, up a position, meaning Hoonigan Racing Division driver Ken Block will join teammate Andreas Bakkerud in the semis for the first time.

Hansen had an eventful second day to the German event; he retired from his Q3 race on the opening lap when his Peugeot 208 caught fire in dramatic fashion, when a fuel line broke.

 

The Swedish-French team worked hard to repair the car in time for Q4, and just made it to the grid.

Hansen won the first race of the session but was found to be under the minimum weight limit of 1300kgs.

“It was a fuel line that caused the fire in Q3. I tried to guide Timmy to the nearest fire extinguisher point over the radio, but he had to jump out because there was a lot of fire,” Peugeot-Hansen team principle Kenneth Hansen told Motorsport.com.

“At that moment we didn’t believe that we would be able to run the car again. We tired really hard and with one minute to spare we made it back to the start for Q4.

"Timmy did a perfect run in the first race of Q4 but afterwards the car was underweight. The reason for that is down to the fire," he added.

"We lost a lot of things on the car that lost us weight. We have never been underweight before so it’s not a cheating thing, but anyway as it was the stewards needed to disqualify Timmy.”

Despite not making the top 12 for a place in the semi-finals as a result of the disqualification, Hansen is pleased with the pace shown at Hockenheim.

“The good sign is that we have the speed now, so even if it’s hard not to be in the semi-finals it feels quite ok anyway.”

The team’s other driver, Sebastien Loeb, will start in the semi-finals and has moved to the second row of the semi-final one grid thanks to the demise of his team mate.

“Seb is growing up as a rallycross driver,” said Kenneth Hansen. “I was very happy after Q4 and we’re looking forward to the semi-final.”

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