- BORN: 10 October 1991
- NATIONALITY: Norway
- HOME TOWN: Bergen
- INTERESTS: Go-karting, training, skiing, kickboxing
Norwegian racer Andreas Bakkerud competed in karting from the age of eight until 15 when he switched disciplines to rallycross. He was second in the Norwegian Championship in 2009 before stepping up to the Super1600 European Championship in 2010 and going on to secure back-to-back titles for the Set Promotion team in 2011 and 2012.
From here, Bakkerud graduated to Supercar machinery in the 2013 FIA European Rallycross Championship with Monster Energy and LD Motorsport, finishing fourth overall driving a Citroen DS3 and winning in Sweden and France. In 2014 he moved to Ford Olsbergs MSE for the inaugural FIA World Rallycross Championship, winning two events and playing a pivotal role in spurring the team towards the FIA Teams’ Championship title.
Retained by Olsbergs MSE in 2015, Bakkerud claimed another win at World RX of Italy before switching to Ken Block’s Hoonigan Racing Division team for 2016. Completing a hat-trick of victories in Norway, Sweden and Argentina on his way to third overall in the Ford Focus RS RX Supercar, Bakkerud would add four more podiums to his career tally in 2017 when he secured another top six championship finish.
Bakkerud was the first driver – and remains one of only two drivers – in World RX history to have amassed maximum points through each stage of an event weekend after winning all four qualifying sessions, the semi-final and the final at World RX of Norway in 2016.
2018 saw Bakkerud take on a new challenge by joining Mattias Ekstrom’s Audi Sport-backed EKS RX team at the wheel of an Audi S1. He took five podiums in the season, including second in the World RX of Great Britain at SpeedMachine, earning him third place in the championship. Bakkerud has a strong presence on social media and often keeps fans up to date with vlogs from race weekends. He also has a fan club called the Bakkerud Blue with groups travelling to all races to support him.
Q&A
Who is your biggest rival on the World RX circuit?
Must be Petter, he's the reigning World Champion and the guy to beat! But I have always had good fights with Timmy Hansen. This year, I will also get to meet the legend that is [Sebastien] Loeb which will be great fun
What’s been your career highlight so far?
Winning three World RX events and also being S1600 Champion twice
Who was your biggest inspiration?
Martin Schanche
What advice would you give to young rallycross drivers?
Work hard. Quitters never win and winners never quit!
What’s your favourite World RX track and why?
Höljes, the magic weekend. The track has it all: the crowd and the atmosphere
If you weren’t a rallycross driver what would you be?
The president of America! But seriously, I guess I would have had a regular job in my hometown Bergen which I love
Who’s the funniest World RX driver?
Topi, because of his sense of humour
If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life what would it be?
Pasta
What one item would you take with you if you were stuck on a desert island?
A helicopter
Which three celebrities would you invite to a dinner party, and why?
Kevin Hart, Kimi Raikkonen and Megan Fox. A strange combination and someone nice to look at!
Tell us a secret !
No, because then I would have to kill you!
