Despite a spectacular crash in the first race of the weekend in Riga last weekend, Lukas Andersson continues to go from strength to strength after a slow start to the season in which he struggled to regain his formidable form.
It’s all about patience in Rallycross, and Lukas Andersson has understood that since last March. Even though the JC Raceteknik driver managed to score the most points in the Supercar Lites class, he still had a scare when trying to catch Roberts Vitols in the final. A slight contact with the tyre barrier marking the apex of turn 3 sent the Swede flying through the air.
Fortunately, despite having to retire from the race, the damage was limited for the 2025 season favourite.
‘It was definitely a mistake on my part, as I didn’t need to attack so much, but as a competitor, I naturally wanted to take back the lead from Roberts Vitols. I tried to dive a little too early on the apex and that was enough to send the car airborne. Even though I tried to regain control, the steering was broken and there was nothing more I could do. It was certainly a spectacular accident, but in the end, the damage wasn’t as bad as it might have seemed, as we only had to replace a broken wheel rim and the steering.’
Indeed, Lukas Andersson went on to secure his third podium finish of the 2025 season in six races the following day without any problems. Second in the intermediate standings behind Roberts Vitols, with three second places in the qualifying heats, the Swede maintained his position until the final race of the Riga stage.
‘Of course, the accident in Race 1 was disappointing, but these things happen in Rallycross, and I’ll learn from it for the next races. Anyway, Roberts Vitols was untouchable on this track. He knew it like the back of his hand, but I’m focusing on the positives. If you look at the points scored since the start of the season, I’m the one who’s picked up the most. That’s very satisfying and gives me the confidence I need going into the next few rounds of the 2025 season.’
‘Despite the accident, I managed to score some big points and that’s the main thing. This circuit didn’t really suit my driving style. It was very asphalt-based, whereas I’m more comfortable on traditional RallyX tracks with real gravel sections. Nevertheless, it can only strengthen my motivation ahead of the next round of the championship in Finland.’