ERC
Marczyk gains in the rain to edge closer to ERC title
Miko Marczyk is two stages away from winning the 2025 FIA European Rally Championship after he completed Sunday morning’s opening two rain-hit stages in third overall.
Sixth overnight, the Polish driver moved into fifth place when Norbert Maior was hit with a 10-second penalty for leaving service late. And fifth became fourth for Marczyk when Mille Johansson crashed out on SS7, which Marczyk completed with the fastest time with a stunning drive in treacherous conditions.
With Robert Virves, who was second overnight, spinning into a bank on SS8 having dropped to third on SS7, Marczyk snatched third. If he maintains his current position to the finish in Zagreb then he’ll be champion regardless of what title rival and current Croatia Rally leader Jon Armstrong manages in terms of points scored.
After beating fellow Michelin-equipped driver Mads Østberg to the fastest time by 0.5s on SS7, Marczyk said: “It was not a good run and probably the tyres are doing the job. I was trying but for sure I’m too aggressive on the throttle and I’m not going like I should be through the longer corners with the pollution but for me it is really hard too attack as there is lots of things you don’t expect. There is water and other things. I hope it will be quite an okay time but not good driving.”
Armstrong dropped 11.5sec to Marczyk on SS7 but hit back in style by winning SS8 – the Power Stage rehearsal – with an advantage of 5.3sec over second-placed Østberg.
“It was much easier than the first one and I made some set up changes to make the car grip a bit better as I struggled in the first one,” said Pirelli-supplied Armstrong, who leads overall by 41.9sec. “It was a positive run in a lot places but some places were more slippy, but overall, I’m pretty happy with it.”
Armstrong continues to lead Croatia Rally
© ERC
Østberg, who is making his 300th rally start, said: “You don’t have to go so fast when it is raining so it is more comfortable. It is working quite okay. I was a bit too careful in there. There is a lot more potential for sure and the car is working well and everything is working well. I could have gone faster but it is hard to know as there are a few surprises from time to time and Ilm happy to have a bit of caution.”
Norbert Maior completed leg one in a fine fifth overall. However, his earlier time penalty has dropped to sixth in the current order behind Norbert Herczig, in fifth, and fourth-placed Romet Jürgenson, who spun on SS7. Lauri Joona (Team MRF Tyres) and the delayed Hankook-shod Virves complete the top eight.
The slippery conditions also proved Mille Johansson’s undoing. Starting leg two 2.8sec adrift of his maiden European championship podium, the 2024 Junior ERC champion slid off the road on a right-hander 12.1 kilometres from the start of SS7 and got stuck in a ditch.
Antal Kovács rolled into retirement on the same stage although he and co-driver Richárd Csáki were uninjured.
Erik Cais suffered his third damaged tyre of the event on SS7 but holds ninth with Pablo Sarrazin up to 10th on his ERC debut. Simone Tempestini also picked up a deflation on the opening test.
The repeat of the 13.61-kilometre Veliko Trgovišće - Klanjec stage is next from 11h18 local time.
