The thrilling all-electric Lancia Delta Evo-e RX models built by Special ONE Racing for the 2023 FIA World Rallycross Championship were destroyed in a fire at Lydden Hill Race Circuit in the UK on Friday.
FIA has revealed that one of the two cars built by Special ONE Racing caught fire at approximately 8:43 a.m. on Friday. The fire quickly spread and engulfed the team’s entire area, including its second race car and transport truck. Everything we destroyed despite the best efforts from local fire crews.
Read: Sebastien Loeb’s Electric Lancia Delta Evo-e RX Gets Martini Livery For Rallycross Season
While the cause of the fire was not initially known, an investigation initiated by the FIA states that video footage reveals the fire was initiated around the battery of the Delta Evo-e RX while it was charging in the team area. An exact cause is not yet clear but battery manufacturer Kreisel is assisting in the investigation.
Given that the investigation was unable to determine a root cause for the battery fire and that Kreisel was unable to “provide an appropriate level of assurance in the system,” a decision was made to suspend all World Rallycross Championship activities over the weekend, leaving just the FIA RX2e Championship and Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy to proceed.
The Delta Evo-e RX from Special ONE Racing is powered by a pair of electric motors that each deliver 331 hp. The car can sprint off the line and hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 1.8 seconds thanks to its immense power and all-wheel drive system. The two cars are driven by Sebastien Loeb and French rallycross driver Guerlain Chicherit and only last month had been updated with classic Martini-inspired liveries.
It remains unclear if Special ONE Racing will be able to commission Chicherit’s GCK Motorsport to build the replacement Delta Evo-e RXs that it will need to compete in the rest of the season.
