ERC
Newcomer Zielinski holding on in ERC3
Lucas Zielinski leads the FIA ERC3 Championship order after day one of 43rd Andalusia Rally - Sierra Morena - Córdoba World Heritage Site with Casey Jay Coleman close behind in a thrilling battle.
Zielinski, who is competing in Spain as his prize for winning the Clio Trophy France Asphalte title in 2025, was fastest on Friday evening’s Córdoba super special and had grown his advantage to 17.3sec aboard his Michelin-equipped Renault Clio Rally3.
But a troubled SS5 allowed Pirelli-equipped Ford Fiesta Rally3 driver Coleman to close to within 3.8sec with just SS7 to run after SS6 was cancelled.
Casey Jay Coleman is in hot pursuit of leader Zielinski
© At World
The cancelled stage allowed the impressive Frenchman to regroup and he bounced back to finish the day on a high, winning the final test by a second over Coleman, who completed the day in the lead of the ERC Fiesta Rally3 Trophy.
"The run was clean, we were doing quite well in the car but in a fast, left turn it was full of gravel, not in the entry so we couldn't avoid it," Zielinski explained. "We went sideways, we hit the rail and lose the powersteering. We finished the run like this, luckily it worked again after and no big damage on the car. The next stage was cancelled, then on the last one I wanted to enjoy it and we did the fastest time, which was good for the confidence."
We went sideways, we hit the rail and lose the powersteering
Coleman, who will start the final day 4.8sec behind Zielinski, said: "It's close between us and Zielinski so it's going to be a big day. But I'm not going to put myself under too much pressure. We'll have a go and see but Zielinski seems to have a lot of speed and I'm not going to through away the ERC Fiesta Rally3 Trophy lead."
After banking a podium finish on his Junior ERC debut on Barum Czech Rally Zlín last season, Maximilian Lichtenegger has been on strong form on his step up to Rally3 level. The Austrian youngster was in third place after overcoming pacenote issues on SS2 only to spin on SS7 and drop to fourth behind Cian Caldwell, another ERC3 newcomer.
Ex-karter and category rookie Petr Kačírek is fifth with Kalum Graffin, also a first-time ERC3 competitor, in sixth.
Former ERC3 champion Igor Widłak, back in action after missing the second half of the 2025 season, is seventh at the overnight halt with Aleksandar Tomov in eighth after he inflicted damage to the left-side of his Clio Rally3 hitting a roadside safety barrier. Widłak suffered a flat tyre on the road section heading to SS5 and had to complete the after loop without any spare tyres.
Max Lichtenegger is in his first season of ERC3 action
© At World
Croatian Jan Pokos, who is using English pacenotes for the first time, is ninth followed by Scotland’s Robert Proudlock, another ERC3 rookie. The Scot, a former British Junior champion, went off on the same SS5 gravel that caught out Zielinski but made it to the finish without significant delay.
KMS Racing team-mates Craig Rahill and Ville Vatanen have been fast but out of luck in their Fiesta Rally3s. Irishman Rahill won SS2 but was forced to change a damaged tyre on SS3, while Vatanen stopped on the same stage with a bent front-right wheel rim two kilometres into the run. Following repairs the Finn went quickest in class on SS4 and SS5.
Sebastian Butyński is 13th with teenager Alexandra Teslovan 14th on her ERC3 debut. Błazej Gazda is 15th after picking up tyre damage three times. Joan Socias is 16th, while Hubert Kowalczyk, last year’s ERC3 runner-up, was a non-starter following a car-wrecking crashing during testing on Tuesday.
The 43rd Andalusia Rally - Sierra Morena - Córdoba World Heritage Site concludes tomorrow (Sunday) with six more stages over a timed distance of 99.20 kilometres. The day-opening 8.95-kilometre Obejo stage is due to begin at 08:05 local time.
For more information, stage times and live updates go to the new Live Centre by clicking HERE.
