Thed Björk and Polestar Cyan Racing received their World Champion trophies at the legendary FIA prize giving ceremony at Château de Versailles in France yesterday, exactly one week after securing the double FIA World Touring Car Championship title in Qatar.
The World Champion trophies were awarded by FIA president, Jean Todt on the same stage where legendary World Champions such as Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher received theirs.
“To become the first-ever Swedish motor racing world champion is something I have dreamt about since I started racing. To step up onto the podium together with Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton felt fantastic,” said Björk, who claimed the 2017 WTCC title following a tough six-way showdown. “This is, by far, the greatest moment of my racing career. A massive thank you to everyone in the team - they are as much world champions as I am.”
The World Champion trophy for WTCC manufacturers was collected by Alexander Murdzevski Schedvin, Head of Motorsport at Polestar.
“We entered the WTCC in 2016 with a five-year plan to become world champions with the Volvo S60 Polestar TC1 developed in Sweden. We achieved this goal and claimed both titles in just two years. The Polestar Cyan Racing team, the Volvo engineers who provided the original car and Thed has done a fantastic job and are worthy champions. This is the proudest moment in our motorsport history and I am honored to be a part of it and to be able to say that we are the world champions,” said Alexander Murdzevski Schedvin.
Polestar, the performance road car brand of Volvo Cars, released a tribute video to Thed Björk on the same day as he received his World Title trophy, watch the video here.
FIA WORLD TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP HALL OF FAME
Year Driver (NAT) Manufacturer
2017 Thed Björk (SWE), Volvo S60 Polestar, Volvo Polestar
2016 José María López (ARG), Citroën C-Elysée WTCC, Citroën
2015 José María López (ARG), Citroën C-Elysée WTCC, Citroën
2014 José María López (ARG), Citroën C-Elysée WTCC, Citroën
2013 Yvan Muller (FRA), Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T, Honda
2012 Rob Huff (GBR), Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T, Chevrolet
2011 Yvan Muller (FRA), Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T, Chevrolet
2010 Yvan Muller (FRA), Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T, Chevrolet
2009 Gabriele Tarquini (ITA), SEAT León TDI, SEAT
2008 Yvan Muller (FRA), SEAT León TDI, SEAT
2007 Andy Priaulx (GBR), BMW 320si, BMW
2006 Andy Priaulx (GBR), BMW 320si, BMW
2005 Andy Priaulx (GBR), BMW 320i, BMW
1987 Roberto Ravaglia (ITA), BMW M3, Ford