Franciacorta World Rallycross: Bakkerud wins, Solberg nears title

Despite the Franciacorta event being the eighth time OlsbergsMSE driver Bakkerud, who won twice in 2014, had reached the final this year, he had only twice finished on the podium.

Starting on the front row of the grid for the final, Bakkerud beat polesitter Johan Kristoffersson to the first corner.

The pair ran up front throughout, with Kristoffersson taking his joker on the penultimate lap and Bakkerud taking his on the last before scoring the OMSE outfit's first victory since Turkey 12 months ago.

With title rival Hansen having crashed out of the second semi-final at the first corner, a Solberg win in Italy would have sealed a second straight championship.

An unwell Solberg had been up against it on Sunday. Feeling progressively more under the weather, he jumped the start in heat three and then forgot to take his second penalty joker lap, landing him a further 30-second penalty.

He was still third at the intermediate classification behind Kristoffersson and Hansen, then followed the former home in their semi.

Solberg climbed to third in the final when Anton Marklund spun on the first lap, then took an early joker, but wasn't able to make an impression on the leaders and settled for third.

Regardless, he now just needs a handful of points at the season finale in Argentina next month to retain his crown.

Fellow former World Rally Championship driver Manfred Stohl made it into the final despite a huge end-over-end roll in Saturday's free practice session that looked like it would end his weekend.

He spun at the first corner of lap two of the final after a fight with Marklund, and finished fifth.

Double European champion Timur Timerzyanov reached the final following a semi-final battle with Robin Larsson, but struggled with a rear puncture.

RESULTS - 6 LAPS: