After two seasons away from competition, Robert Vitols has chosen RallyX and the Supercar Lites category to mark his return, starting this weekend on the Valkenswaard circuit.
A former Junior champion in the British Rallycross Championship in 2020, Vitols went on to finish third in the Supercar standings the following year, racking up three wins and seven podiums. Now 22 years old, the Latvian driver brings with him a wealth of motorsport experience, from dirt tracks to circuit racing and Rallycross—an impressive technical background he fully intends to capitalize on this season.
“First of all, it feels amazing to be back on track and to join the RallyX here in Valkenswaard. It’s truly a joy to return to racing after such a long break. I hadn’t set foot in a race car since 2023, so of course, I was eager to get going again.”
“We’ve been following RallyX closely for quite a while now. We even took part back in 2019 at Riga’s Bikernieki circuit with Jussi Pinomäki’s RX Academy. I have great memories from that time—it was perfectly organized, very professional, and we had a fantastic experience. Since then, this championship has only grown stronger. Today, it’s clearly one of the most solid and attractive series in Rallycross.”
Now armed with the very Supercar Lites machine that propelled Ben-Philip Gundersen to the RallyX title in 2019, Robert has no regrets about the path he’s taken.
“We looked carefully at the different options and opportunities available to us. With the current uncertainty surrounding Rallycross, turning to the Supercar Lites category felt like the natural choice. It’s a perfect way to get back into competition. What we really like about it is that performance relies mainly on driving skills rather than the differences between the cars. In this category, everyone fights with the same material. As a driver, you couldn’t ask for a better challenge.”
Naturally, the young Latvian has high ambitions for this Supercar Lites campaign.
“When I’m on the grid, there’s only one goal: to fight for victory. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here. I don’t get any satisfaction from racing unless I’m chasing victory. But I’m realistic: it’s been a long time since I’ve competed officially. The only test I’ve done was last Sunday, but it was reassuring to see that my hands and feet still remember what to do!”
“Honestly, it’s hard to say exactly where I’ll be. I’m just going to focus on taking it one step at a time and learning as much as I can. This car is very different to anything I’ve driven before, with a rear-mounted engine and a unique weight distribution… it’s a completely different feel to the Supercars and Super1600s I’ve driven in the past”
“The aim is to build up momentum, find my rhythm and see how far I can push myself over the coming weeks”