ERC – Mikkelsen beats the climate and Lukyanuk to steer in Portugal

Andreas Mikkelsen leads Rally Serras de Fafe e Felguieras at the overnight pause as fog, mud, wind and rain combined to kind for a tricky opening day on spherical six of the FIA European Rally Championship.

However Mikkelsen, whose Toksport WRT Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo is co-pushed by Elliott Edmondson, faces a mountainous battle for ERC glory on Sunday’s deciding leg after defending champion Alexey Lukyanuk done the day-closing Boticas stage 4.4s unimaginative in his Saintéloc Junior Personnel Citroën C3 Rally2.

“It’s been a in point of fact tricky day, in point of fact onerous to steal the grip because it was changing the entire time,” stated Mikkelsen, who was delayed by a loyal-rear damaged tyre on SS4. “The final stage was very tough with very deep ruts and I was a vexed I was going to gain the auto with sand. We might possibly had been sooner, but I drove on the faithful aspect because I didn’t desire but every other puncture.”

Part two of the ERC’s Portuguese double-header speedy turned proper into a battle of attrition with the advanced prerequisites hitting the hopes of several leading drivers. They incorporated Dani Sordo (Personnel MRF Tyres Hyundai i20 R5), who led by 28.9s at noon provider, but slipped wait on on SS5 with a damaged tyre. And it would obtain worse for the Spaniard on SS8. Before the total lot stopping with a steering venture, Sordo was in the final kilometre of the stage when he crashed. “We had already some problems, the steering has damaged and that’s why, rapidly after, now we have done out of the road,” he stated.

His pain will have to have place Simone Tempestini wait on into third after the six-time Romanian champion misplaced the place to Sordo on SS6, which proved in particular treacherous resulting from several mud-coated sections. However having been delayed by an overshoot on SS7, the ERC-MICHELIN Talent Manufacturing facility member stopped on the final stage with damaged steering, heart-broken return following a daring efficiency.

As a replace, Portuguese championship leader Armindo Araújo completes the provisional podium despite the water temperature in his Fabia reaching 140 levels centigrade at the pause of SS8. After suffering a “mountainous bolt” on SS3, final year’s Rally Serras de Fafe e Felguieras winner is 13.5s in front of title rival Bruno Magalhães, who’s making his debut in a Personnel Hyundai Portugal-flee i20 N Rally2 on the wait on of a one-day take a look at and restful making an try to search out an optimal space-up.

Having switched to a ‘softer’ space-up for the afternoon after reporting his Škoda Rally Personnel Hungaria-flee Fabia was “too onerous” for the damp prerequisites this morning, Norbert Herczig climbed from P14 to fifth with Erik Cais (Yacco ACCR Personnel Ford Fiesta Rally2) demoting Rallye Personnel Spain’s Nil Solans for sixth on SS8 after Solans was forced to unimaginative when his Fabia’s radiator full of mud and overheated. Cais, who battled space-up and self perception problems this morning, is the tip ERC-MICHELIN Talent Manufacturing facility member.

Yoann Bonato (CHL Sport Auto) overcame two unimaginative punctures to pause day one in eighth with Benito Guerra ninth after stopping on SS1 fearing he’d picked up harm on the front-left of his Fabia. Miko Marczyk is P10 having hit wait on from a damaged tyre on SS1 after Ricardo Teodósio’s Fabia overheated on the final stage. José Pedro Fontes, but every other ex-Portuguese champion, dropped wait on with a puncture.

Rallye Personnel Spain’s Efrén Llarena’s hopes of winning the ERC-MICHELIN Talent Manufacturing facility’s top prize of the corpulent tyre allocation for the final two events of the season explore to be over after he rolled into retirement on SS6. Both he and co-driver Sara Fernández were unhurt though their Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo sustained vital harm.

After being slowed by a driveshaft venture on SS4, Umberto Scandola went no extra than SS6 when his Hyundai Rally Personnel Italia entry was struck down but but every other technical venture. Simone Campedelli (Personnel MRF Tyres) additionally didn’t kind it thru the flee resulting from a turbo venture, while contact pulled the valid-rear wheel from the Hyundai i20 R5 of Iván Ares.

Alberto Battistolli’s possibilities of a tough result were hit by a double puncture on the morning loop but a combating efficiency in the afternoon has enabled the Italian teen to battle wait on to P15.

Alexander Villanueva’s return to ERC shuffle for the first time since 1992 ended when he damaged the front-valid nook of his Citroën C3 Rally2. Luis Vilariño and Alessandro Taddei were non-starters after crashing in free notice on Friday afternoon.

ERC2: Pardo makes up for early errors to transfer personnel-mate Vinyes

Not even an “idiot mistake” might possibly knock Javier Pardo off his bound in his pursuit of a fourth consecutive ERC2 expend. The Spaniard, at the wheel of a Suzuki Motor Ibérica-entered Swift R4lly S, is bigger than two minutes in front of personnel-mate Joan Vinyes after twice going off on SS4. “In a unimaginative left nook I made a mistake and slide to the ditch and stall the engine and can’t restart,” Pardo defined. “Then in but every other unimaginative left nook I don’t kind the nook nicely and I needed to position the reverse. However the auto has been gorgeous and I am fully elated.” Andorran Vinyes, meanwhile, survived a bolt on SS2 and admitted to resisting the temptation to transfer on “most assault” resulting from the necessities. Victor Cartier is third in his self-constructed Toyota Yaris Rally2 Equipment, despite a puncture on SS5 and “some moments in the muddy prerequisites”. The French teen is one place earlier than Dmitry Feofanov, who’s in a shut battle with Pardo for the ERC2 title.

ERC3: Bassas earnings after Franceschi’s slow drama

Jean-Baptiste Franceschi (Toksport WRT Renault Clio Rally4) was bigger than half a minute in front of Pep Bassas starting SS8. However a suspected electrical venture allowed Bassas, in Peugeot 208 Rally4 flee by local personnel The Racing Manufacturing facility, to brush forward to the tune of 1m30.2s heading into Sunday’s leg. It was a tricky blow for ERC3 championship leader Franceschi, who was easy in the fog on SS2 to edge earlier than Bassas. “The pacenotes were nice with a gorgeous distance and angles of the corners,” Franceschi stated. “I depended on my notes and gave the most although I’m in a position to no longer perceive where I was going.” Bassas added: “The stages were very advanced with many rocks and it’s a should always-want to attain the day for the factors for the championship. Now we want to wait on pushing because Franceschi is awfully speedy.” Pedro Almeida overcame a puncture to wait on third with ERC newcomer and fellow Portuguese Ernesto Cunha fourth. Poland’s Łukasz Lewandowski fifth in an Opel Corsa Rally4.

PROVISIONAL TOP 15 ERC POSITIONS (after eight stages, 113.42 kilometres)

1 Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR)/Elliott Edmondson (GBR) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo 1h23m20.8s

2 Alexey Lukyanuk (RUS)/Alexey Arnautov (RUS) Citroën C3 Rally2 +4.4s

3 Armindo Araújo (PRT)/Luís Ramalho (PRT) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +1m49.2s

4 Bruno Magalhães (PRT)/Carlos Magalhães (PRT) Hyundai i20 N Rally2 +2m02.7s

5 Norbert Herczig (HUN)/Ramón Ferencz (HUN) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +2m40.7s

6 Erik Cais (CZE)/Jindřiška Žáková (CZE) Ford Fiesta Rally2 +2m45.7s M

7 Nil Solans (ESP)/Marc Martí (ESP) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +3m05.9s

8 Yoann Bonato (FRA)/Benjamin Boulloud (FRA) Citroën C3 Rally2 +3m19.1s

9 Benito Guerra (MEX)/Daniel Cué (ESP) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +4m50.5s

10 Miko Marczyk (POL)/Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +5m04.9s M

11 Javier Pardo (ESP)/Adrián Pérez (ESP) Suzuki Swift R4lly S +7m58.2s

12 Ricardo Teodósio (PRT)/José Teixeira (PRT) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +8m26.1s

13 Miguel Correia (PRT)/António Costa (PRT) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +9m56.4s

14 Joan Vinyes (AND)/Jordi Mercader (ESP) Suzuki Swift R4lly S +10m03.8s

15 Alberto Battistolli (ITA)/Simone Scattolin (ITA) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +10m07.3s

M = Eligible for ERC-MICHELIN Talent Manufacturing facility incentives

FIA ERC2: Javier Pardo (ESP)/Adrián Pérez (ESP) Suzuki Swift R4lly S

FIA ERC3:  Pep Bassas (ESP)/Axel Coronado (ESP) Peugeot 208 Rally4

ERC-MICHELIN Talent Manufacturing facility: Erik Cais (CZE) Ford Fiesta Rally2

Are living timing and outcomes: https://www.fiaerc.com/are living-timing/