ERC
Flying Finn Vatanen untouchable in ERC3
Ville Vatanen is the FIA ERC3 Championship driver to beat on BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia.
With eight high-speed gravel stages run, Vatanen leads his KMS Racing team-mate Craig Rahill by 34.4sec following a dominant performance from the Finn.
Second in ERC3 12 months ago, Vatanen – a distant relative of 1981 World Rally champion Ari Vatanen – clocked the fastest time on all eight stages of leg one aboard his Pirelli-supplied Ford Fiesta Rally3.
Craig Rahill produced a strong Saturday to sit second overall
© At World
“I’m really happy that the pace was good and we managed to keep the steady pace throughout the day with no mistakes, so it was a really good day,” Vatanen said. “The roads are really amazing how fast they are with the crests and it’s great to be on these roads again. There is always something you can improve, but I don’t have to take any big risks, it’s just my own driving and I can make fastest times with that so it’s really nice to see. But tomorrow is a long day and anything can happen so it’s not the time to celebrate yet.”
Behind Rahill, who reported a misfire on SS6, Maximilian Lichtenegger had been shrugging off his lack of gravel experience in third place after six stages. But a front-right damaged tyre resulted in the Baumschlager Rallye & Racing-run Renault Clio Rally3 driver dropping to seventh before a broken front-right damper triggered his retirement.
Petr Kačírek moved into third overnight in ERC3
© At World
Petr Kačírek, another gravel rookie, is a strong third overnight, one place ahead of Lucas Zielinski, who won 43rd Andalusia Rally - Sierra Morena - Córdoba World Heritage Site last month and is also competing with scant gravel experience. Casey Jay Coleman is fifth followed by ERC3 newcomer Charlie Tuthill.
Kerem Kazaz, who is making his ERC3 return and his first appearance in a Clio Rally3, is seventh after he went second fastest on SS8.
Max Lichtenegger ran as high as third in ERC3 on Saturday
© At World
Kallum Graffin and Jan Pokos, who suffered right-rear tyre damage on SS7 after he was unable to avoid hitting a rock in the line, are eighth and ninth respectively.
Cian Caldwell was ninth after seven stages but retired on SS8. Robert Prodlock ran as high as fifth but dropped out on SS7.
Sunday’s deciding leg of BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia is made up of four stages each run twice for a total timed distance of 99.90 kilometres. The 19.58-kilometre Bäckelid test is up first from 07:40 local time with the Ölme Power Stage set to get under way at 17:05.
For more information, stage times and live updates go to the new Live Centre by clicking HERE.
