WRC2 champion Pontus Tidemand gets full season in EuroRX

The Swede, who won the World Rally Championship's second-tier division as a Skoda factory driver in 2017, has switched from Per Eklund's Volkswagen Beetle squad to drive an ex-Marklund Motorsport Polo for the Hedstroms Motorsport team in 2020.

Tidemand, 29, has substantial rallycross experience, having made his top-flight debut with Kristoffersson Motorsport in 2013, then raced in the World Rallycross Championship with Mattias Ekstrom's EKS team in 2014 (below).

Last year he raced in a number of Euro RX rounds with Eklund's team and finished second in his home round at Holjes.

"I'm very grateful for Peter [Hedstrom]'s call in the middle of the rally [Mexico, last weekend]," said Tidemand.

"I want to drive as much as possible and Euro RX will make a good addition to my WRC2 campaign.

"The first tests are something I really look forward to, but I'm pretty sure that together we will do something very good of this collaboration."

Hedstroms Motorsport's lead driver Peter Hedstrom had his plans to enter as a permanent driver in Euro RX this season curtailed due to financial troubles surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, but the team was able to make a late entry for Tidemand to race.

"The big problem was actually to really get in touch," said Hedstrom, who will race as a non-permanent driver in the first three races of the campaign in a second Polo before deciding if he will complete the season.

"Pontus was in Mexico a nine hour time difference and in the middle of the WRC event, but once we could talk to each other everything got settled in a minute."

The first round of Euro RX is due to take place alongside World RX's Belgian round at Spa in May, which is currently in doubt due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation.

"It is tragic times with everything that is happening now and we really, for the sake of our whole world, hope it will calm down soon," said Hedstrom.