ERC
Why no Sunday drive could boost Stříteský’s ERC aspirations
Dominik Stříteský has explained why stopping early on Rally di Roma Capitale could be of benefit to the Czech star in the long run.
Stříteský had been tipped for a top 10 finish on Italy’s FIA European Rally Championship counter last weekend but tyre damage on the second stage dropped him from fourth to 85th among the ERC contenders.
Although he fought back with a sequence of rapid stage times, he was outside the points-playing places when he withdrew.
“We made the decision that we will not do the four stages on Sunday because we have Rally Bohemia in the Czech championship and then Rally Poland one week later,” the one-time ERC event winner explained. “We were in Rome to do a nice result but after the puncture it was not possible. We finished Saturday with a good pace, and we are happy with that. The decision was to be fresh for the next two weekends, that’s it.”
The decision was to be fresh for the next two weekends, that’s it
Stříteský had been tipped to shine on Rally di Roma Capitale
© ERC
Asked what result would have been possible without his delay on stage two, the Orsák Rallysport driver said: “We could have been around the top 10, which is really good with these drivers from the WRC. It could have been a nice result, but it is what it is, we could have crashed but it’s just a puncture and it can happen to everybody, and some guys had punctures in the afternoon.
“We are happy with the pace in the afternoon and also after the puncture. The Sunday stages were similar to last year and I was happy we finished Saturday because it was completely new stages and really good to learn something new for the next years. We have three races in four weeks, it’s not easy but we stay fresh and have the energy for the next two races.”
Stříteský, whose co-driver Ondřej Krajča was competing with a broken right ankle in Italy, starts Rally Bohemia later today (Saturday) with the aim of extending his lead in the Czech championship. However, he’ll face strong opposition from a host of ERC drivers past and present including Adam Březík, Erik Cais, Jan Kopecký, Filip Mareš and Simon Wagner.
