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erc-–-mikkelsen-valid-in-portugal-after-tight-battle

*Toksport WRT ace takes support-to-support wins to delay European championship reduction

*Thrilling fight for positions throughout morning loop as fractions conceal leading contenders

*Iconic Lameirinha stage, with its well-known Pedra Sentada, affords beautiful are residing coverage

*Lukyanuk battles to 2nd dilemma sooner than Portuguese championship winner Araújo

*Sordo returns from crash and rankings four stage wins for Group MRF Tyres

*Young Spaniards Pardo and Bassas grab ERC2 and ERC3 respectively

*Marczyk claims ERC-MICHELIN Skills Factory high prize after steady drive

Andreas Mikkelsen and Elliott Edmondson bear accomplished the FIA European Rally Championship’s Portuguese double-header common, adding to their 55th Azores Rallye triumph from closing month with victory on Rally Serras de Fafe e Felgueiras this afternoon.

Driving a MICHELIN-geared up Škoda Fabia Rally2 for Toksport WRT, Mikkelsen changed into as soon as in a dilemma to drag sure of Alexey Lukyanuk throughout the afternoon loop to high the explain in northern Portugal as a mechanical deliver slowed the defending ERC champion, who changed into as soon as 0.7s in the support of Mikkelsen after this day’s 2nd stage, such changed into as soon as the depth of the sooner fight.

Nevertheless there were no issues for Norwegian Mikkelsen, who accomplished the enduring Lameirinha stage, with its well-known Pedra Sentada soar, are residing on Fb and YouTube bigger than two minutes in front of his Russian rival to delay his reduction at the tip of the ERC standings to 71 sides with two events left.

“It’s taking a bear truly, truly factual [for the championship],” acknowledged Mikkelsen. “I’m very elated with this weekend despite the truth that it’s a shame we couldn’t fight with Alexey to the pause. It changed into as soon as truly arresting prerequisites, especially the outdated day. Elliott did a whimsical job, my Toksport team additionally. The auto changed into as soon as so reputable the entire weekend and it changed into as soon as a pleasure to drive and a obliging skills. We managed to preserve out of trouble, drove suave and pushed where we had to. It changed into as soon as the recipe for success this weekend.”

No subject carrying a broken front-upright driveshaft on his Saintéloc Junior Group-plug Citroën C3 Rally2 on Sunday afternoon’s loop, Lukyanuk changed into as soon as in a dilemma to again on to 2nd sooner than Portuguese championship duo Armindo Araújo and Bruno Magalhães who were third and fourth after 16 action-packed stages.

Rallye Group Spain’s Nil Solans acquired the battle for fifth dilemma sooner than Norbert Herczig (Škoda Rally Group Hungaria) and Erik Cais (Yacco ACCR Group), who changed into as soon as slowed by a damaged rear-left tyre on SS16. Yoann Bonato (CHL Sport Auto), Miko Marczyk (ORLEN Group) and Benito Guerra accomplished the tip 10, despite Guerra selecting up a front-upright damaged tyre on SS15. By finishing ninth overall, Marczyk is the leading ERC-MICHELIN Skills Factory member after six rounds and wins the beefy tyre allocation for the last two rounds of the ERC season as his prize.

Javier Pardo took his fourth ERC2 grab in as many starts in his Suzuki Motor Ibérica-entered Swift R4lly S as Rallye Group Spain’s Pep Bassas hit support from his Azores crash to boom the ERC3 laurels in a Peugeot 208 Rally4 plug by local team The Racing Factory.

Dani Sordo restarted on Sunday morning after crashing out on Saturday’s closing stage. The Spaniard gave a clear search of what may maybe per chance per chance need been by claiming four stage wins for Group MRF Tyres.

How the ERC fight in Fafe unfolded

Sunday’s deciding leg started below lustrous, blue skies not just like the fog, mud, wind and rain of day one with a mere 0.9s covering the fastest three drivers on SS9, Seixoso. There Andreas Mikkelsen edged Miko Marczyk to the stage grab by 0.3s with Alexey Lukyanuk upright 0.6s slower than Marczyk, who changed into as soon as working first on the avenue.

Dani Sordo then went fastest on SS10, Sta Quitéria, by a slim 0.1s over Lukyanuk, who changed into as soon as in a dilemma to reduce Mikkelsen’s overall lead to 0.7s heading to SS11, Montim. Marczyk, in the intervening time, changed into as soon as 0.4s off Sordo’s stage-a success scamper.

Mikkelsen scored his 2nd stage grab of the day with a 1.2s margin over Lukyanuk on SS11 to head to the enduring Lameirinha test and the well-known Pedra Sentada soar with a 1.9s reduction. And that reduction elevated to 9.3s when Mikkelsen scored his third stage grab of the day by 0.5s sooner than Sordo with Nil Solans third fastest adopted by Lukyanuk, who now trailed Mikkelsen by 7.4s.

Lukyanuk’s sing for victory would endure a substantial setback when the defending ERC champion accomplished the rerun of Seixoso, SS13, with the hazard lights flashing on his Citroën C3 Rally2. Having started the 10.01-kilometre stage 9.3s in the support of chief Andreas Mikkelsen, Lukyanuk changed into as soon as now 57.0s adrift of Toksport WRT’s pacesetter and the gap would delay to the pause of the rally. “The hazard lights are on, we wouldn’t bear any driveshaft on the front upright,” a downhearted Lukyanuk acknowledged at the pause of SS13.

Mikkelsen published he changed into as soon as responsive to Lukyanuk’s pickle prior to the stage getting underway and didn’t dart on maximum attack in his Škoda Fabia Rally2 in consequence. “We didn’t truly push, it’s a shame for Lukyanuk,” he acknowledged.

In the support of Mikkelsen and Lukyanuk, Armindo Araújo continues to high the Portuguese championship explain by finishing third sooner than title rival Bruno Magalhães, who changed into as soon as making his debut in a Hyundai i20 N Rally2 plug by Group Hyundai Portugal.

The three-time Rally Serras de Fafe e Felgueiras winner conceded that he’s yet to gain the categorical space-up for the all-unique automobile on the support of restricted checking out. “The auto is too mushy and is arresting quite a bit,” Magalhães acknowledged after the first plug by plot of Lameirinha.

Solans, in the intervening time, reckoned a valuable ERC podium would were doubtless without the radiator ruin his Fabia suffered in the treacherous prerequisites that struck on Saturday’s opening leg. He demoted Norbert Herczig for fifth on SS12 with Herczig beating Erik Cais to sixth adopted by Yoann Bonato in eighth. For Cais and Bonato, reaching the enact brought some relief after most modern excessive-profile accidents.

Miko Marczyk demoted Benito Guerra for ninth on Sunday’s first stage when the Mexican had to reverse after overshooting a junction.

Ricardo Teodósio held onto P11 despite persistent overheating points with Sordo combating support to P12 following his Saturday dramas. Alberto Battistolli’s continued development enabled him to climb from P15 to P13 with Miguel Correia and José Pedro Fontes following him dwelling in the closing sides-paying places. Igor Widłak brought his M-Sport Poland-constructed Ford Fiesta Rally3 dwelling in P22.

Rallye Group Spain’s Efrén Llarena’s hopes of a success the ERC-MICHELIN Skills Factory’s high prize ended when he rolled into retirement on SS6. Both he and co-driver Sara Fernández were uninjured despite the truth that their Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo sustained well-known ruin.

Although Llarena changed into as soon as a non-starter on leg two, Iván Ares, Simone Campedelli (Group MRF Tyres) and Umberto Scandola (Hyundai Rally Group Italia) all returned after stopping with mechanical breakages on Saturday. Campedelli accomplished his Rally Serras de Fafe e Felgueiras debut with a succession of high-five stage events, along side the 2nd fastest time on SS14, and placed fourth on leg two, but Ares retired after the enact of the closing stage.

ERC2: Pardo’s quadruple boosts title hopes

Javier Pardo made it an ERC2 quadruple to edge sooner than Dmitry Feofanov in the battle to grab the production-essentially essentially based title. After a disturbed opening morning when the younger Spaniard admitted making an “idiot mistake”, Pardo quickly got into his trip in his Suzuki Motor Ibérica-entered Swift R4lly S to drag sooner than team-mate Joan Vinyes. His grab alongside co-driver Adrián Perez changed into as soon as his fourth from four starts and underlined his glaring skill in the support of the wheel. “The day past changed into as soon as contaminated, but this day it changed into as soon as relaxed with lustrous stages. Due to team for the categorical automobile. I am very elated for me but for the team to bear two autos on the podium.” Feofanov moved into third when Victor Cartier changed into as soon as compelled to retire on SS10 with a broken gasoline pump on his self-constructed Toyota Yaris Rally2 Equipment.

ERC3: Bassas stands company to steady hit-support victory

Rallye Group Spain’s Pep Bassas hit support from his Azores Rallye crash to beat Jean-Baptiste Franceschi for his third ERC3 victory, a consequence that keeps the Peugeot 208 Rally4 driver firmly in the title fight. Bassas moved in front when a minor electrical issued slowed Franceschi’s Renault Clio Rally4 on Saturday’s closing stage and spent Sunday’s action asserting his reduction out front for local team, The Racing Factory. “It changed into as soon as a whimsical rally,” Bassas acknowledged. “The day past changed into as soon as very arresting with the weather but this day changed into as soon as very assorted. This consequence is extreme for the championship due to Franceschi did a factual job.” Pedro Almeida made beefy spend of Fafe-essentially essentially based co-driver Hugo Magalhães’ stage info for to steady third dilemma, as Almeida’s skill additionally shone by plot of with a collection of stage wins. Ernesto Cunho accomplished fourth on his ERC debut with Łukasz Lewandowski fifth in his Opel Corsa Rally4.

ERC-MICHELIN Skills Factory members galvanize as Marczyk lands the enormous prize

Erik Cais changed into as soon as the valid-placed ERC-MICHELIN Skills Factory member in seventh overall on Rally Serras de Fafe e Felgueiras. Nevertheless with Miko Marczyk the top-placed member in the provisional FIA European Rally Championship standings after six rounds, it’s the ORLEN Group-plug Pole who lands the prize of the beefy tyre allocation for the ERC season-closing Rally Hungary and Rally Islas Canarias. Efrén Llarena crashed out on SS6, whereas Simone Tempestini’s impressive podium deliver came undone with a steering deliver on SS8. The ERC-MICHELIN Skills Factory is an incentive plot for younger stars in Rally2 autos and is unique for 2021. A assertion highlighting the performances of the first ERC-MICHELIN Skills Factory consumption will be issued quickly. Click on HERE for extra info.

P1 Racing Fuels Podium Dispute rewards ERC drivers

The 2021 P1 Racing Fuels Podium Dispute continued on Rally Serras de Fafe e Felgueiras this weekend. It rewards the tip three finishers in ERC1 and ERC2 on all rounds of the championship with gasoline vouchers that will maybe even be exchanged for P1 XR5 urge gasoline at subsequent events, helping competitors to extra reduce support the associated fee of competing. At some stage in every classes, the a success drivers got 150 litres of gasoline, whereas the 2nd and third placed drivers got 100L and 50L respectively. Extra info: www.p1racingfuels.com

PROVISIONAL TOP 15 ERC POSITIONS (after 16 stages, 197.08 kilometres)

1 Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR)/Elliott Edmondson (GBR) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo 2h19m10.1s

2 Alexey Lukyanuk (RUS)/Alexey Arnautov (RUS) Citroën C3 Rally2 +2m01.8s

3 Armindo Araújo (PRT)/Luís Ramalho (PRT) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +2m38.9s

4 Bruno Magalhães (PRT)/Carlos Magalhães (PRT) Hyundai i20 N Rally2 +3m07.4s

5 Nil Solans (ESP)/Marc Martí (ESP) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +3m41.4s

6 Norbert Herczig (HUN)/Ramón Ferencz (HUN) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +4m07.0s

7 Erik Cais (CZE)/Jindřiška Žáková (CZE) Ford Fiesta Rally2 +4m24.2s M

8 Yoann Bonato (FRA)/Benjamin Boulloud (FRA) Citroën C3 Rally2 +4m57.0s

9 Miko Marczyk (POL)/Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +5m47.8s M

10 Benito Guerra (MEX)/Daniel Cué (ESP) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +7m31.6s

11 Ricardo Teodósio (PRT)/José Teixeira (PRT) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +1m26.9s

12 Dani Sordo (ESP)/Cándido Carrera (ESP) Hyundai i20 R5 +10m48.5s

13 Alberto Battistolli (ITA)/Simone Scattolin (ITA) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +11m56.1s

14 Miguel Correia (PRT)/António Costa (PRT) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +12m12.0s

15 José Pedro Fontes (PRT)/Inês Ponte (PRT) Citroën C3 Rally2 +12m29.9s

M = Eligible for ERC-MICHELIN Skills Factory 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 Skills Factory: Erik Cais (CZE) Ford Fiesta Rally2

Live timing and outcomes: https://www.fiaerc.com/are residing-timing/

RALLY LEADERS

SS1: Mikkelsen/Edmondson

SS2-SS4:  Sordo/Carrera

SS5-SS16:  Mikkelsen/Edmondson


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