Having already won the ultimate F1 crown when competing for Williams in 1997 and the legendary Indianapolis 500 – the world’s richest race – the 42-year-old French-Canadian ace is now gunning for yet more glory in the exciting new FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy, which roars into Lydden Hill over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend (24-25 May).

Though hugely experienced in grand prix and IndyCar as well as at Le Mans where he finished second for Peugeot in 2008, Villeneuve faces new challenges racing one of the latest generation World RX Supercars. The flame-spitting Peugeot 208 prepared by Albatec Racing that he will be driving boasts more than 600bhp and thanks to its turbo and four-wheel-drive can accelerate to 60mph faster than an F1 car.

“It is vital that he gets as much track time as possible, on different circuits, to help him acclimatise to a world rallycross car,” said Andy Scott, Team Principal at Albatec Racing (above left). “We chose Lydden Hill, the home of rallycross in the UK, as it is the perfect circuit for this, providing a good mixture of challenges, requiring very fast and precise lines and braking points.

“It was also good for him to drive on a rallycross circuit that’s on the world championship schedule, as it gives him the chance to experience the whole atmosphere of racing in an amphitheatre circuit,” continued Scott, who was clearly pleased with Villeneuve’s swift progress. “As expected, he was immediately fast and just got quicker and quicker as the day progressed.”

Villeneuve, too, was delighted to be given a chance to experience the delights of the historic Kent circuit where rallycross was first conceived back in the 1960s. “To come to Lydden Hill is great,” he enthused. “It’s fast, a real fun track with quite high speeds. It was also great to finally drive on a proper FIA World Rallycross Championship track with a combination of asphalt and graveI. It’s a nice circuit, it’s how tracks used to be made as it follows the lay of the land.”



Lydden Hill has already announced a raft of upgrades in preparation for its very first world championship motor sport event. What’s more, several famous names have already confirmed that they will be rolling up their sleeves to compete in the premier World RX Supercar class. Petter Solberg, the 2003 FIA World Rally Champion, is one of a number of international stars contesting the full FIA World Rallycross Championship, while reigning BTCC champion Andrew Jordan will be a notable ‘wild-card’ entrant at Lydden. A host of other superstar drivers will be announced in the coming weeks as well as a full support package of exhilarating entertainment for all ages.

Tickets for the British round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship at Lydden Hill on 24-25 May – with discounts of up to 20 per cent for those booking in advance – are available via the official www.lyddenhill.co.uk website. Accompanied children aged 12 and under are admitted free.

See all news »