Klara Andersson

Klara Augusta Linnéa Andersson is a Swedish rallycross driver who became the first permanent female competitor in FIA World Rallycross Championship history in 2022, achieving multiple historic podium finishes and consistently proving she belongs among the sport’s elite.

EARLY YEARS

Born 29 February 2000 in Sweden, Klara Andersson didn’t exactly have to discover motorsport—it was already in her DNA. Her father Håkan competed in the Swedish Rallycross Championship for Volvo and BMW, her mother also raced rallycross, and her older sister Magda Andersson became a FIA European Rallycross Championship event winner. Growing up in a household where rallycross wasn’t just a hobby but a way of life, Andersson was practically born with dirt under her fingernails and the smell of racing fuel in her lungs.

At seven years old, she climbed into her first kart and immediately fell in love. She spent the next six years competing in karting championships across Sweden and abroad, racking up multiple regional titles. But then—in a move that would’ve given any motorsport manager heart palpitations—she took a five-year hiatus. When she returned to racing in 2018 at age eighteen, she’d grown up, gotten serious, and was ready to follow her family’s tire tracks into rallycross.

OTHER INTERESTS

Between karting and her rallycross return, Andersson wasn’t just sitting around waiting for her next race. She worked at a gym for two and a half years as an instructor and personal trainer, which probably explains how she handles the physical brutality of wrestling a rallycross car through mud, gravel, and tarmac at terrifying speeds. That combination of fitness expertise and racing instinct would serve her well when she finally committed to motorsport full-time in 2022, declaring she was focusing 100% on her racing career.

EARLY SUCCESS

Andersson made her rallycross debut with a wildcard entry at the 2019 RallyX Nordic season finale, then dove headfirst into the Swedish Junior Rallycross Championship (JSM) in 2020, driving a BMW 120. She finished runner-up in a season she’d later describe as one of the toughest—and most educational—of her career. But 2020 was just the warm-up.

In 2021, her first season in the senior SM 2150 class of the Swedish Rallycross Championship, she didn’t just win—she demolished the competition. Racing against a field of more than 50 drivers (all men, naturally), she clinched the championship title with a clean sweep in the final race at Arvika. “Becoming Swedish Rallycross Champion last year was the best day of my life so far,” she said. “I raced against 55 men and won it.” She was 21 years old. And she was just getting started.

Later that year, she made her debut in the FIA RX2e series at Spa-Francorchamps in the season finale, finishing fourth and beating Guillaume De Ridder in Q2. It was a statement: Klara Andersson wasn’t just fast—she was ready for the world stage.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2020: Runner-up in the Swedish Junior Rallycross Championship (JSM) driving a BMW 120[1][3][4].
• 2021: Swedish Rallycross Champion in the SM Senior 2150 class in her first season, defeating a field of more than 50 competitors with a clean sweep in the final race at Arvika[1][2][3][5].
• 2021: Fourth place in debut RX2e final at Spa-Francorchamps, beating Guillaume De Ridder in Q2[1][2][3][4].
• 2022: Became the first permanent female competitor in FIA World Rallycross Championship history with CE Dealer Team[1][2][3][4][5].
• 2022: Reached the final on debut at Hell, outperforming teammate Niclas Grönholm[3][4].
• 2022: Achieved first-ever podium by a woman in top-flight rallycross at Montalegre, Portugal (round 5)[1][4].
• 2022: Nearly beat World Champion Johan Kristoffersson in a progression race at Nürburgring[3][4].
• 2022: Finished seventh overall in the World RX Championship with 102 points in her rookie season, reaching two finals[4][5].
• 2022: Became reserve driver for Extreme E from round 2, substituting for injured Jutta Kleinschmidt in round 4 (Chile) with Acciona Sainz XE Team[5].
• 2022: Third place on Extreme E debut alongside Nasser Al-Attiyah[1].
• 2023: Became the first woman to win a qualifying round (heat session) overall in World RX history at Hong Kong[3][4].
• 2023: Reached the final five out of seven times during the season[4].
• 2023: Silver medal in the team world championship with CE Dealer Team[3].
• 2024: Career-high sixth place overall in the FIA World Rallycross Championship[4].
• 2024: Second place at Höljes, Sweden (home soil)[4].
• 2024: Third place at Nyirád[4].
• 2024: Topped intermediate classification twice in the opening four rounds[4].
• 2024: Competed with SUN Minimeal Team in Extreme E[1].

INSPIRATIONS

Andersson’s inspirations didn’t come from posters on her bedroom wall or legendary names in racing history—they came from her dining room table. Her father Håkan, her mother, and especially her older sister Magda all competed in rallycross, creating a family tradition that shaped her entire career. Watching Magda win events in the FIA European Rallycross Championship showed Klara exactly what was possible. Motorsport was never a distant dream; it was the family business.

“I’ve always had a passion about motorsport, especially rallycross,” she said. “It’s so action packed, that feeling you don’t get anywhere else. It’s truly magical.” That passion—inherited, nurtured, and ultimately owned—drove her from karting at seven to World RX podiums at 22.

REPUTATION

By the time Andersson joined the World RX grid in 2022, the Swedish rallycross community had already pegged her as the next big thing. Her rookie season validated the hype: she reached finals, stood on podiums, and consistently pushed drivers with years more experience. Media coverage celebrated her historic achievements—first permanent female competitor, first woman on the podium in top-flight rallycross, first woman to win a heat session—but what impressed insiders most was how she earned those firsts. She didn’t just participate; she competed.

Racing alongside teammate Niclas Grönholm in the first gender-equal lineup in World RX history, she proved she could match and sometimes exceed his pace. Nearly beating World Champion Johan Kristoffersson in a progression race at Nürburgring wasn’t a fluke—it was a preview. “This was probably the year I learned the most in my career,” she said after her 2022 rookie season. “It’s bigger than I thought the season would be and I’m hungry for more. For a rookie year, it was a good one.”

The challenges were real. “I’d never driven a strong car like that before so I had to get used to that first of all,” she admitted. “Moreover, I had to learn new tracks every weekend.” But she handled it with the composure of someone who’d already won a national championship against 55 men. As a member of the Sweden Junior National Team of Motorsport and an FIA Rally Star ambassador, she’s not just breaking barriers—she’s redefining what’s expected of women in rallycross.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

In September 2025, Andersson signed with Carl Cox Motorsport to compete in the FIA Extreme H World Cup alongside teammate and team principal Timo Scheider. The move marked a new chapter after her successful run with CE Dealer Team through 2024, and it came with backing from Volvo Financial Services and Volvo Construction Equipment. She’s no longer the promising rookie—she’s an established competitor with podiums, records, and a hunger for more. And given her trajectory so far, betting against her would be a mistake.

References:

Wikipedia – Klara Andersson
Racers Behind the Helmet – Klara Andersson to Make History
PWR Group – Klara Andersson Driver Profile
FIA World Rallycross – Klara Andersson
Females in Motorsport – Why Klara Andersson
Volvo Financial Services Press Release – August 2025