If Simon Tiger has become one of the defining figures of the RallyX championship, it is equally clear that the 2025 season did not go his way. A frustrating campaign that has only strengthened the resolve of the Kalix native ahead of the upcoming season.
A three-time RallyX champion at the wheel of his formidable BMW E30 M3, Tiger endured a dramatic fall from grace last year. With 17 career victories since joining the Open 2WD category in 2021, 2025 marked the first and only season in which the Swedish driver failed to claim a single win.
Technical issues struck from the very start of the campaign, effectively crushing his hopes of securing a fourth crown. With his budget depleted following the Swedish round in Älvsbyn, Tiger made the difficult decision to end his season as early as July.
“Nothing really worked for me,” Simon admits.
“From the very first race in Portugal, I could feel we were lacking engine power. We were missing between 200 and 250 horsepower for most of the season and, despite that, we still managed to remain relatively competitive, which is something positive. We had issues with the ignition system and couldn’t clearly identify the root cause. Now the problem is solved. I was able to test at the end of the season during a sprint race at our home track in Kalix, and the difference was obvious. The car feels like a rocket again.”
Despite his early withdrawal, the Swede continued to closely follow the championship battle. One thing is certain: Tiger acknowledged the full value of the second RallyX title secured by his “favourite rival” Viktor Johansson in August 2025 at Buxtehude.
“Of course I kept following the races on YouTube. I don’t mind seeing Viktor win. He’s still Swedish, and we both come from the north of the country, so when I’m not racing, I support him. We’ve also shown that the best two-wheel-drive drivers come from Norrbotten. There must be something special in the air up there,” Simon says with a smile.
That, however, did little to ease the frustration of watching the RallyX season unfold from afar.
“I’m not the best at handling frustration. When things don’t go my way, I can quickly lose my enjoyment of Rallycross, and I’m not a big fan of the long hours in the workshop. I’d sometimes rather spend that time with my girlfriend or out on the golf course — that’s become my new passion.”
A rare honesty that speaks volumes about the mindset of a driver accustomed to winning. Still, the setback of 2025 has not dented his determination.
“At the moment, we’re working hard on the car and hope to do some testing soon.”
The project, however, remains constrained by financial reality.
“The main issue this year is the budget. We exceeded it by a large margin last season and we’re still feeling the consequences.”
Under those circumstances, long-term planning becomes nearly impossible.
“We’ll have to take the season race by race and adjust our programme according to our resources. We’ll start in Tierp at the beginning of May and then see how things develop. We hope to secure new partners so we can contest the full championship, but for now the priority is simply to make it to the start line in Tierp.”
Beyond technical and financial considerations, though, the true objective lies elsewhere.
“My main goal is to rediscover the enjoyment of Rallycross. Last season, I sometimes struggled to see the fun side of it. It’s important for me to regain that motivation and desire.”
“Our technical problems from last year are now resolved and the car is running perfectly. It came down to a lack of knowledge on our part, but every experience is a lesson. We’ve identified the root cause and can now prevent it from happening again. We’re also working on improving every aspect of the engine to gain a few extra horsepower. Not that we necessarily need it, but more power always means more fun.”
One thing is certain: the driver from Kalix is far from finished.