ERC
Mabellini masters Zlín’s streets to lead in ERC
Andrea Mabellini earned King of Zlín status after he went quickest through the host city’s super special tonight to lead round five of the FIA European Rally Championship following SSS1.
With Virginia Lenzi co-driving, the Pirelli-equipped Lancia driver took 7min 04.2sec to complete the 9.57-kilometre opening test, going 1.6sec faster than Michelin-supplied Miko Marczyk, as Adam Březík went third fastest in a Hankook-shod Škoda.
“It was enjoyable, to be honest,” said the Italian, who was fastest on the same stage 12 months ago and also set the pace through the opening super special of 82nd Rally Poland last month.
Thousands of fans cheered the ERC stars and their cars over three laps of SSS Zlín, which has followed the same hugely challenging layout since 2005.
Behind Březík, Simon Wagner was fourth fastest followed by 12-time Barum Czech Rally Zlín winner Jan Kopecký, Filip Mareš and European championship leader Teemu Suninen, the fastest Zlín rookie.
Jakub Matulka, MRF-shod Qualifying Stage winner, Simone Tempestini, Erik Cais, Václav Pech, Filip Kohn, Jaromír Tarabus, Roberto Blach and Dominik Jakeš rounded out the top 15.
Blach was caught by Mareš during the stage, while home hero Cais reached the finish with a broken gear lever.
After completing the Qualifying Stage as the fastest Zlín newcomer, William Creighton was more than 20sec adrift of the top times through SSS1 after he damaged his Citroën’s right-rear wheel rim striking a kerb early on his run.
Driving a Michelin-equipped Renault Clio Rally3, Zlín first-timer Lucas Zielinski was quickest in FIA ERC3 by 4.9sec. Casey Jay Coleman beat ERC Fiesta Rally3 Trophy rival Ville Vatanen to the second fastest time as Czech teenager Petr Kačírek went fourth fastest, while Alexandra Teslovan suffered a spin.
Colin Dünker set the pace in the Hankook-supplied Junior ERC category in his Ford Fiesta Rally4 by 00.1sec ahead of Opel-powered Timo Schulz with Karl Peder Nordstrand third quickest in another Opel Corsa Rally4. Lancia-driving points leader Davide Pesavento was seventh quickest.
Barum Czech Rally Zlín resumes tomorrow (Saturday) with the 12.51-kilometre Pohořelice stage from 08:48 local time.
Watch the action live on Rally.TV and follow all the news, stage times and results via the Live Centre.
