ERC
Dominik delights with ERC Pole position
Dominik Stříteský denied European champion Miko Marczyk ‘Pole’ position for his home round of the FIA European Rally Championship by setting the Qualifying Stage pace for 82nd Rally Poland.
Czech driver Stříteský charged through the 6.00-kilometre Bieruń Qualifying Stage in a time of 3min 03.1sec to oust fellow Michelin-equipped Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 driver Marczyk at the top of the ranking by 0.6sec, with ERC points leader Teemu Suninen going third quickest.
However, the Auto Podbabská Škoda Team-entered Stříteský admitted afterwards that opening the road on Saturday’s first leg won’t be ideal.
“I don’t think we are in the best road position, for me I think it will be around four [on the road] but I don’t know how fast we were, but it is what it is and we will see for tomorrow,” Stříteský said. “It’s very similar like the Czech roads and all the Czech races. For me it’s the first time in Poland, I have no experience of these stages, but I try to do my best and I hope it will be good.”
Co-driver Ondřej Krajča and Stříteský celebrate taking Pole in Poland
© Florian Haid
For home hero Marczyk, second place represented a return to form for the 2025 ERC title winner, while third spot for Pirelli-supplied Suninen further underlined the Finn’s championship credentials after he clocked a best effort of 3min 04.3sec.
British champion William Creighton impressed with the fourth quickest time aboard his Citroën C3 Rally2 as Lancia-powered Andrea Mabellini rounded out the top five followed by Marco Bulacia and MRF-shod Simone Tempestini. Polish champion Jakub Matulka was eighth quickest but was then relegated to 18th after a 10sec penalty for hitting a chicane was applied. Adam Sroka took ninth on his ERC debut at Rally2 level.
Triple European champion Kakejtan Kajetanowicz was 10th on his first ERC start since 2017. Hankook-suppled Isak Reiersen followed ahead of Philip Allen, Tristan Charpentier, Erik Cais and Jarosław Szeja, the current Polish championship leader.
Three-time champion Kajetanowicz is back in the ERC
© ERC
“First of all I’m really happy to be here again,” said Kajetanowicz. “When I see the people around the stage my heart is really big. To be honest I don’t want to be first on the road tomorrow. I don’t want to be first.”
Up next on 82nd Rally Poland is the GZM Katowice powered by ORLEN OIL super special stage from 21:15 local time. Watch the action live on Rally.TV and follow the Live Centre for updates and results.
