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World Rallycross Portugal: Ekstrom beats Loeb to second 2017 win

Reigning World Rallycross champion Mattias Ekstrom claimed his second 2017 victory in a row at Montalegre in Portugal, leading Sebastien Loeb home.

Ekstrom and Petter Solberg won their semi-finals to start on the front row of the final, Solberg getting the better launch away from the start line.

As the Norwegian took the standard route on lap one, Ekstrom headed straight into the joker-lap section.

Saturday leader Johan Kristoffersson pressured the rear of team-mate Solberg's Polo hard in the opening two laps, before Solberg suffered a slow left-rear puncture, also delaying Kristoffersson.

But Kristoffersson took the lead heading down the main straight to start lap three, while Reinis Nitiss climbed up to second and Ekstrom moved into third.

Behind, Peugeot-Hansen team-mates Loeb and Timmy Hansen had both taken a lap one joker with Ekstrom and fought among themselves but stayed with Ekstrom.

Nitiss released EKS team owner Ekstrom into second by taking his joker on lap five, and returned to the main circuit fifth, by which point it was damage limitation for leader Kristoffersson ahead of the chasing pack.

The Swede took his joker on the final tour and returned to the main circuit just fractions ahead of Hansen, as up the road Loeb was lining up a move on Ekstrom for the lead.

Heading through the last corners on the loose section of the Montalegre lap, Loeb pressured Ekstrom as hard as he could without making undue contact, but couldn't find a way by.

Ekstrom held on to win, maintaining his perfect record in 2017 and extending his championship lead to 14 points, with Kristoffersson completing the podium.

"I must say this is one of my hardest fought wins in rallycross," said Ekstrom.

"We were not really on the pace, especially as Johan this weekend. Also Seb and the Peugeots have been very fast.

"It was a really enjoyable fight [with Loeb] and to see so many cars close together, it's a great way to win a race when the competition is so hard."

Hansen was fourth, with Nitiss fifth and Solberg competing the race with his Polo running on the left-rear wheel rim.

Zdroj: autosport.com