After making only a few carefully chosen appearances in this year’s RallyX championship, Viktor Vranckx confirmed late last week that he’ll now contest the entire 2025 season. It’s a change of course that naturally comes with clear and ambitious goals for the young Belgian driver.
A double winner at Valkenswaard in April, the former FIA RX2e champion has already made his mark. Although he missed the podium at the most recent race in Riga, the numbers tell the story.
Since returning to RallyX, Vranckx has claimed seven victories in the 12 qualifying heats he’s entered and set 13 fastest laps in just 20 starts — a level of performance too strong to leave the rest of the season on the table.
“In the few races we’ve done this year, we’ve found a really solid balance within Peter Hedström’s team,” Vranckx explained.
“We took the time to properly understand how to get the most out of the car. After winning twice in Valkenswaard, it made sense to head to Riga too. Even though we didn’t get the result we hoped for that weekend, it confirmed we have the speed to be competitive with this car.”
His return to full-time competition wasn’t originally planned until August, but the desire to continue proved too strong to resist.
“Of course, that made us take a step back and reassess,” he continued. “We had a conversation with Peter Hedström and came to the conclusion that our partnership is working. We’ve got everything we need to go after the RallyX championship. That’s how the idea of committing to the rest of the season started, and we were able to reach an agreement.”
Now, brimming with confidence, Vranckx is set to tackle the brand-new Kymiring layout, which hosts rounds 7 and 8 of the 2025 season this weekend.
“Committing to a full season is a real source of satisfaction for me,” he said. “The first two weekends in Valkenswaard and Riga gave me a good feel for this Peugeot 208. It suits my driving style, although I had to tone down my instinct to slide it around more than necessary. I’ve now figured out how to get the best from the car by leaning more on the front end, and once I understood that, I realized just how much of a beast this 208 really is.”
Unsurprisingly, Vranckx heads to Finland with his sights set firmly on following in the footsteps of reigning champion Joni Turpeinen.
“Now that we’re fully committed to the championship, the goal is clear — we’re aiming for the title. No matter the program, I’m always driven to be the best, and if we can pull it off this year, it would give us a huge boost. Winning a championship in my first season in Supercar would be a massive achievement. Especially three years after my RX2e title, this would be a meaningful milestone — both for me and for everyone on the team who’s put in the work to get us here.”