ERC
Armstrong sets blistering pace to lead ERC Croatia Rally
Jon Armstrong delivered a stunning drive to lead Croatia Rally, boosting his outside shot to lift the 2025 FIA European Rally Championship title at the season finale.
The M-Sport-Ford World Rally Team driver completed a clean sweep of stage wins across a trio of tricky asphalt tests to open up a 22.5sec lead over WRC2 rally winner Robert Virves. Mads Østberg, making his 300th rally start, ended the loop in third, 30.4sec behind.
An error from championship leader Miko Marczyk, who holds a two-point lead over rival Andrea Mabellini, dropped the Polish driver to seventh, behind his title rival and M-Sport-Ford’s Romet Jürgenson.
JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion winner, Armstrong, proved untouchable despite facing roads that were becoming increasingly dirty with every pass. Armstrong kicked off the rally by winning SS1 Krašić - Sošice 1 by 3.9sec from Virves.
The Pirelli shod driver, starting fifth on the road, then delivered a blistering time in SS2 Hartje - Stojdraga 1 to beat nearest rival Mabellini by a whopping 8.0sec, before ending the loop with a time 7.7sec faster than anyone else through SS3 Breganica - Smerovišće 1.
Marczyk sits seventh after the first three stages
© ERC
“I was just trying to manage the pace a bit to be honest. At the start [of SS3] it was uphill and easy to make some mistake with the cuts,” said Armstrong, who started the event 20 points behind championship leader Marczyk. “There were a couple of big bangs from compressions and I wanted to take it easy and make sure there was no damage, and pushed again once it was okay. I’m happy.”
Virves, making a first ERC start of the season, battled overheating soft tyres through the loop but the Estonian, running on Hankook rubber, was relatively happy with his morning’s work.
Østberg, driving alongside a fourth different co-driver this year in Lorcan Moore, drove smartly through the loop. The experienced Norwegian’s effort behind the wheel of his Michelin-equipped Citroën C3 Rally2 in SS3 were enough to leapfrog Mille Johansson to snatch third.
Johansson produced arguably his most impressive performance of the season to date as the Swede found himself fighting with the front runners in the podium places.
Mabellini’s morning started in a disappointing fashion with the Italian reporting a vibration from his Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, which hampered his vision. However, the issue appeared to solve itself, allowing the Italian to post the second fastest time on SS3, despite being sixth on the road.
“The time seems to be not so bad. It is okay, still a long way to go. I don’t know what the plan is for the afternoon,” said Mabellini, who managed to jump from seventh to fifth [+33.5sec].
Mabellini leapfrogged title rival Marczyk on SS3
© ERC
Mabellini took advantage of a mistake from Marczyk, who held fourth position before the start of SS3. Marczyk overshot a junction which cost valuable time that contributed to the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 driver falling to seventh [+35.6sec].
“Unfortunately I made a fault. It was not a big one but I think I lost five or six seconds there. I was trying to push and doing what I can. There was ups and downs but we are here which is good. It would be nice if it was easier but it is like it is,” said Marczyk.
“We need to make some strategy for our set up and tyres for the next loop.”
The top 10 is completed by Norbert Maior, Norbert Herczig and Toyota GAZOO Racing WRC Challenge Programme driver Yuki Yamamoto.
The morning wasn’t without drama as Jakub Matulka, third fastest in Friday qualifying, retired due to damage sustained from running off the road in SS1. Simon Wagner joined the Polish driver on the retirement list after misjudging a long right hander in SS2.
Erik Cais lost confidence after picking up tyre damage in SS1, while fellow MRF Tyres runner Simone Tempestini suffered tyre deflation in SS3. Pablo Sarrazin managed to recover from a small roll in the final stage of the loop, and was able to head back to service.
Australian Junior WRC star Taylor Gill topped the leaderboard in ERC3 by 1m09.8sec from Tymek Abramowski, while Junior ERC champion Calle Carlberg led the ERC4 class.
The crews will repeat the morning stages this afternoon to complete Saturday’s 116.16km leg.
