Csomós, 29, took part on six rounds of the ERC in 2022 alongside co-driver Attila Nagy. Despite displaying plenty of speed, the Hungarian was unable to claim points in accordance with the championship regulations which stipulate that only drivers using tyres supplied by a registered manufacturer can score.
But as well as swapping his Škoda Fabia R5 for a Fabia Rally2 Evo, Csomós will use Pirelli tyres for his expanded seven-event European championship campaign this season, making him a contender for ERC points.
“Last year was a dream come true for us,” said Csomós, who is being supported by the HUMDA Academy, the Hungarian Mobility Development Agency talent-backing initiative. “We arrived in Fafe [last season] completely unfamiliar and couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw [we set] the fastest time on the penultimate stage.
“We competed in six ERC rounds last year and were fast everywhere, sometimes a bit too fast. We took another stage win in Barum Rally, but later on our car was a bit damaged, may be more than a little bit. It was a real wake-up call for us and we learned the old saying to finish first, first you have to finish.”
After completing his 2022 European championship campaign, Csomós finished second to champion Mads Østberg – by 2.7 sec – on the Hungarian championship finale last November.
Rally Hungary returns to the ERC roster this season after a year out and Csomós has high hopes having been “very consistent” on last year’s non-ERC-counting edition.
“This year we have changed our old Škoda Fabia R5 for a Fabia Evo and we will be racing on Pirelli tyres,” Csomós said. “Although with my co-driver Ati we are still learning the FIA European Rally Championship, we want to achieve some really good results.
“Last year we got great support not only from Hungarian fans, but also from foreign fans, which was a great surprise for us. I hope this year we will not only be fast but also spectacular for the fans.”
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