After a frustrating weekend in Montalegre that left him hungry for more, former FIA Euro RX3 European Champion Kobe Pauwels made a strong comeback on Saturday at Valkenswaard by claiming his first-ever RallyX career victory.
Second in the intermediate standings thanks to two runner-up finishes behind an unstoppable Thomas Eek Murstad — who won all three qualifying heats — the Belgian driver managed to upset the Norwegian’s plans in the final.
Taking the win in Race 1 ahead of Thomas Eek Murstad and Martin Juga, Kobe Pauwels made no secret of his satisfaction.
“Obviously, I’m super happy. Portugal left a bitter taste. Even though we had the pace, I have to admit we struggled to compete against the 750cc engines. Despite the disappointment, we made the best out of the situation by adding a full day of testing ahead of Valkenswaard to really work on the car,” Pauwels explained after securing his victory on Saturday evening.
“We clearly found some extra speed, and I think it showed today with the fastest laps in qualifying and again in the semi-final. To be honest, even though Thomas Eek Murstad was leading after Q3, I knew I had the pace to turn things around. I just needed a clean lap in the final to make it happen, and in the end, Thomas gave me two – which allowed me to take control.”
Having missed out on the finals twice in Montalegre, Kobe Pauwels clearly took his revenge while sending a strong message to his rivals ahead of the second day of competition.
“It’s an incredible feeling to bounce back like this after a tough weekend in Portugal. Winning my first RallyX race, and doing it at home, makes it even more special. Now the goal is to do the same tomorrow, even though there’s still plenty of work ahead.”
Fully aware that nothing is guaranteed yet, Kobe remained laser-focused on the upcoming challenges.
“My win in Race 1 means I’ll start in the last group for Q1 on Sunday, so the track evolution should work in my favor. We’ll start from pole position, and even though I’ll be up against some serious competitors, I’ll give everything without taking unnecessary risks. The key will be to build strong qualifying runs to lock in a front-row start for the finals.”
“I’m really happy to be racing in the last heat group with the track improving. Starting on pole is great, but there are some heavy hitters next to me, especially the 750s. If I can stay ahead after Turn 1, it would be ideal, but we’ll see. I’ll give it my all without being reckless. The aim is to secure consistent heats to get onto the front row for the final. Even a top-five finish in the heats would be fine. After that, it’s full attack mode in the semi-finals.”
Beyond the result itself, this victory carried extra meaning for Kobe Pauwels.
“This is exactly the kind of weekend I was hoping for when I chose to race in RallyX this year. My GT3 schedule is insanely busy, so coming here feels like a real breath of fresh air. That said, even if I’m here to have fun, I’m still extremely competitive. If things don’t go well, I don’t enjoy it. The atmosphere here is fantastic, the organization is top-notch, and the level of competition is really high. It pushes me — and the entire team — to keep improving. It’s just awesome to be competing in RallyX.”