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Franciacorta World Rallycross: Bakkerud wins, Solberg nears title

Andreas Bakkerud claimed his first victory of the World Rallycross Championship season at the penultimate round in Italy, as trouble for Timmy Hansen left Petter Solberg close to the 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:

Pos Driver Team Car Gap
1 Andreas Bakkerud Olsbergs MSE Ford 4m45.216s
2 Johan Kristoffersson Volkswagen Team Sweden Volkswagen 1.951s
3 Petter Solberg SDRX Citroen 4.081s
4 Anton Marklund EKS Audi 12.874s
5 Manfred Stohl World RX Team Austria Ford 24.021s
6 Timur Timerzyanov Namus OMSE Ford 31.426s
7 Timmy Hansen Team Peugeot-Hansen Peugeot 6 Laps
8 Robin Larsson Audi 6 Laps
9 Reinis Nitiss Olsbergs MSE Ford 6 Laps
10 Davy Jeanney Team Peugeot-Hansen Peugeot 6 Laps
11 Tord Linnerud Volkswagen Team Sweden Volkswagen 6 Laps
12 Liam Doran SDRX Citroen 6 Laps
13 Toomas Heikkinen Marklund Motorsport Volkswagen 6 Laps
14 Per-Gunnar Andersson Marklund Motorsport Volkswagen 6 Laps
15 Henning Solberg Per Eklund Motorsport Volkswagen 6 Laps
16 Guerlain Chicherit JRM Racing Mini/BMW 6 Laps
17 Gaetan Serazin Peugeot 6 Laps
18 Max Pucher World RX Team Austria Ford 6 Laps
19 Gianni Morbidelli All-Inkl.com Munnich Motorsport Audi 6 Laps
20 Rene Munnich All-Inkl.com Munnich Motorsport Audi 6 Laps
21 Andrew Jordan EKS Audi 6 Laps
22 Gigi Galli KIA 6 Laps
- James Grint Peugeot Not classified
- Robert Czarnecki Mitsubishi Not classified
- Ollie O'Donovan Ford Not classified
- Alexander Hvaal JC Raceteknik Citroen Not classified
- Jean-Baptiste Dubourg Citroen Not classified
- Ole Kristian Temte Citroen Not classified
- Peter Hedstrom Ford Not classified
- Tamas Karai Racing-Com Kft. Skoda Not classified
- Riku Tahko #Minisuomi Mini/BMW Not classified
- Anders Braten Knut Ove Borseth Ford Not classified
- Lukas Walfridson Helmia Motorsport Renault Not classified
- Ole-Christian Veiby Volkswagen Team Sweden Volkswagen Not classified
- Tamas Pal Kiss Hansen Talent Development Peugeot Not classified
- Joni-Pekka Rajala Marklund Motorsport Saab Not classified
- Jonathan Pailler Peugeot Not classified
- Fabien Pailler Peugeot Not classified
- Philippe Maloigne Citroen Not classified
- Tommy Rustad HTB-Marklund Motorsport Volkswagen Not classified
- Jerome Grosset-Janin Albatec Racing LTD Peugeot Not classified

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