In WRC2, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Jari Ketomaa kept their event-long battle going, with Al-Attiyah taking the win on the first stage of the day. However, Ketomaa retorted on the next by going fastest, leaving a gap of just 10.8 seconds heading into the final stage. The honours would go Al-Attiyah’s way though, with Ketomaa pushing hard but making a series of small mistakes, to end the event 21 seconds adrift in second. Third was Pontus Tidemund, a further 1m40s back.
In the Junior WRC, event-long leader Alastair Fisher retired on the last stage of the penultimate day, as did Simone Campedelli, so Stephane Lefebvre inherited the lead for the start of the final day. Campedelli took the win on the three stages with second-placed Martin Koci dropping time on the second and overall, back to third, after a puncture. By the time the crews reached the podium, it was Lefebvre who took the win, from Christian Riedemann in second and Koci in third.
The first round of the Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy saw dramas throughout the field and the event, with more than half of the 12 runners retiring, most to return under Rally2 regulations but some not. By the end of the event, it was a straightforward last-stage battle between Pander Sarn and Tom Cave, the two already having swapped the lead between them on the day’s first two stages.
By the end it was Parn who took the final stage win and ended the event winning the class by 20.8 seconds over Cave.
Quotes:
Nasser Al-Attiyah – WRC2 Winner