Following Finland’s Mikael Uitto clinching consecutive titles in 2022 and 2023, Hampus Hagström has brought Sweden back into the spotlight in RallyX, making his mark in the CrossCar Junior category’s record books this year.
To achieve his goals, Hagström spared no effort, as evidenced by his impressive statistics.
With a total of six wins and nine podiums across ten races, Hampus also secured victory in 15 of the 30 qualifying heats and recorded the fastest lap in 21 races.
After finishing fifth in the RallyX championship in 2023, with three final qualifications to his name, it seemed only natural for the Torsby driver to claim the top spot in the overall standings, outpacing Oliver Sollie and Pauli Turpeinen.
“After winning his second Junior title in 2023, Mikael Uitto told me that if I did everything right, I could take over from him in the Junior category’s record books,” Hampus Hagström recalls with a smile.
Swedish champion in 2023, the Speedcar chassis driver wasted no time confirming the words of the former double RallyX champion, as well as demonstrating the strength of his impressive second half of last season. Hagström explains his upward trajectory in simple terms.
“We made several upgrades to our car, focusing on the exhaust and intake manifold. These adjustments translated into strong performances. On a personal level, I refined my approach to competition over the winter, focusing on being more present in my races. Each race weekend, my only focus was giving 100% of what I’m capable of,” emphasized the 2024 RallyX champion.
“I think the biggest difference for me between 2023 and 2024 was mental. I learned how to make the right decisions at the right time.”
Despite being under pressure from Oliver Sollie during the first half of the season—with three consecutive wins credited to the Norwegian driver—Hampus Hagström seized control of the championship at Älvsbyn.
While Sollie had to settle for a fifth and then a fourth-place finish, Hagström rose to the occasion with back-to-back victories. That was enough to firmly secure his lead in the overall standings.
“For me, Älvsbyn was the true turning point of the championship. I can’t fully explain what happened on that track—I just felt confident. When you’re in that mindset, you know you can push even harder. That feeling stayed with me throughout the championship, but it was especially strong between Älvsbyn and Buxtehude.”
“From that point on, I tried not to overthink things. Leaving Denmark for the final round of the championship in Germany, I knew I was in the lead, but I didn’t dwell too much on my advantage in the standings. All I focused on was staying true to my goals and giving my absolute best in every race.”
Now positioned as one of the rising stars in the RallyX championship, Hampus Hagström is contemplating his next moves.
“At this stage, we’re not entirely sure which direction to take. We have three options on the table. My CrossCar is up for sale. If we don’t manage to sell it, we’ll probably return to the Juniors with the firm intention of defending my RallyX Nordic title while adding a few rounds from the RallyX South League,” explained the young Swedish driver.
“On the other hand, if we do sell it, we’ll weigh the pros and cons between a Supercar Lites program and competing in Sweden’s Junior Championship with a 2150 cc car. For now, Supercar Lites requires a much larger budget compared to a season in Sweden. RallyX is a fantastic series—I truly enjoy competing here—but we’ll see where the future takes us.”
