A familiar face in both the World and European Rallycross Championships, Janis Baumanis has officially confirmed his return to action. The Latvian driver will be back behind the wheel of his Peugeot 208 Supercar at his home event in Riga, scheduled for May 9–10.
Naturally, Baumanis couldn’t miss the chance to compete at the Bikernieki circuit, especially with RallyX making its long-awaited return to the Baltic region. The championship hasn’t visited Latvia since 2022, a year that saw Thomas Bryntesson and Yury Belevskiy claim victories on the iconic track.
Baumanis, a former Euro RX3 European champion in 2015 and two-time Euro RX1 runner-up in 2022 and 2023, Baumanis boasts six wins and 20 podiums on the international stage.
“This Rallycross comeback is, first and foremost, a great opportunity to shine a light on our sport here in Latvia,” Baumanis explained.
“I’ve got everything I need to take part in this event: the right car, the right team, and the right conditions to be competitive. And honestly, I’d started to really miss Rallycross. It’s been over a year since I last had the chance to drive the Peugeot 208, so when a series of RallyX’s caliber comes so close to home, there was no way I could say no. For me, this is the perfect moment to get back into the sport.”
While the comeback is highly anticipated, Baumanis is approaching it with measured expectations.
“At the moment I’m just concentrating on this one event in Riga. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to commit to a full season. I’m heavily involved in professional projects this year, even more so than usual. That said, I’m not ruling out another appearance, maybe at Buxtehude—a circuit I’ve always enjoyed—but nothing is certain yet.”
Baumanis continues to keep a close eye on the RallyX scene, a testament to his ongoing engagement with the sport.
“Of course I watched the Montalegre round. On Saturday, I tuned into RallyX’s YouTube channel for the final stages and followed the FC2 and Supercar races closely. I saw Ulrik Linnemann take the win on Saturday, but when I noticed he wasn’t on the grid for the semi-finals of Race 2, I immediately started digging around and found out he’d had an engine issue.”
When it comes to preparation, Baumanis is clearly taking his return seriously.
“A few days ago, I managed to put in around 40 laps at Bikernieki with a Speedcar chassis, and I have to say the feeling came back quickly. In the coming days, I plan to step things up with a karting session in a KZ machine before moving on to a full day of testing in the Peugeot 208. The goal is to get back into the rhythm and make the most of this event. We all know how passionate and enthusiastic the Latvian fans are, and I can’t wait to reconnect with the unique atmosphere of the Bikernieki track.”