ERC
Kopecký holds slender ERC Barum Czech Rally Zlín lead
Jan Kopecký emerged from a drama-filled Saturday morning with a slender lead at Barum Czech Rally Zlín, round six of the 2025 FIA European Rally Championship.
The 11-time event winner once again showed his prowess on Zlín’s challenging asphalt roads to head to midday service with a 1.2sec lead over Simon Wagner and ERC title contender Andrea Mabellini, who shared second spot.
Kopecký overhauled overnight leader Mabellini by setting the pace on SS2, Březová. The Czech driver, piloting a Michelin-shod Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, shared the stage win with compatriot Erik Cais, who posted an identical time in his Hyundai i20 N Rally2.
The 2013 ERC champion extended his lead to 5.1sec after topping the times on SS3, Halenkovice but was fortunate to survive a moment in what proved to be an eventful stage for his rivals. Kopecký was 0.4sec faster than Wagner, while M-Sport Ford World Rally Team driver Jon Armstrong delivered an encouraging run, 0.8sec adrift of the pace.
Dominik Stříteský hit trouble in SS3
© ERC
The test unfortunately ended Dominik Stříteský’s victory bid. Friday's Qualifying Stage pacesetter and last year’s winner overshot a chicane and in the process picked up tyre damage on three of his wheels, which prompted an early retirement from fourth position.
“We are checking the car but it was just the tyres. The pace is really high and there was a lot of pollution for the first car on the road, it was not an easy morning. Everyone wants to win and is pushing and the pace is very high,” said Stříteský.
Meanwhile, Armstrong backed up his impressive SS3 pace by delivering a blistering time to win the day's third stage, Bunč, by 4.0sec from fellow Pirelli runner Mabellini, who turned heads having set the benchmark from first on the road. Armstrong’s effort was enough to move from sixth to fourth overall, 3.1sec adrift of leader Kopecký.
Jon Armstrong hauled himself into the victory fight
© ERC
Kopecký admitted to struggling on the gravel section of the stage and dropped 8.6sec as a result.
“We were struggling on gravel as the car didn’t have traction but on the rest of the stage it was quite good and it was better than having a soft car [like Mabellini]. It has been a good [morning]", said Kopecký. “There are many tricky places in the first six kilometres so I think maybe it is a small advantage to start first.”
Local hero Cais completed the loop in fifth overall 4.4sec adrift, albeit 3.8sec ahead of Filip Mareš, driving a Hankook-equipped Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 car. ERC championship leader Miko Marczyk admitted to being too cautious through SS4, which resulted in dropping 10.5sec to rival Mabellini. Marczyk will head into the afternoon in seventh position.
The top 10 was rounded out by Adam Březík, who suffered a handbrake issue in SS3, Ján Kundlák and Jakub Matulka. The latter lost time to two SS3 spins.
Hungarian Miklós Csomós, making his return to the ERC for the first time since his home round in May, retired from the action on SS2. Csomós was 400 metres from the finish of the run when he ran wide and clattered into trees that took a wheel off his Team MRF Tyres-entered Škoda, causing the stage to be halted for a brief period.
Chris Ingram, on his first start in nine months, stopped after 2.9 kilometres in the stage to change a damaged front-left tyre. Further damage to his Škoda Fabia RS Rally2’s steering rack and a lack of powersteering limited the British driver to a crawl through SS3 and SS4.
Simone Tempestini also hit trouble in SS2 that resulted in the Romanian retiring with a suspension issue.
Martin Vlček holds first place in Master ERC with a 1min 11.2sec advantage over Darius Biedrzyński. Hubert Kowalczyk completed SS4 with and advantage of of 3.2sec over Adrian Rzeźnik in the ERC3 class, while newly crowned ERC Fiesta Rally3 Trophy winner Tymek Abramowski retired in SS2. Calle Carlberg leads the Hankook-supplied Junior ERC category by 33.0sec over Leevi Lassila after rival Jaspar Vaher crashed out in SS4.
The crews will repeat the trio of stages this afternoon with the 12.73-kilometre SS5, Březová 2, due to begin at 14:52 local time.
