The two-time Portuguese champion was faster than all his rivals through the sealed-surface, 1.43-kilometre Fafe super special stage held on the host town’s closed streets.
He has since revealed the key ingredient to his success on the rain-hit stage, which was watched by thousands of fans.
Thu 23 Mar 2023
Teodosio lets his feet do the talking in ERC
Ricardo Teodósio’s fancy footwork was the secret to him winning the opening stage of Rally Serras de Fafe, Felgueiras, Boticas, Vieira do Minho e Cabeceiras de Basto – and taking the overnight lead on round one of 2023 FIA European Rally Championship.
“I feel a lot for the grip with my foot when I walked on the stage [during the recce],” said the Team Hyundai Portugal driver, team-mate to five-time ERC event winner Craig Breen. “All the time I was rubbing my foot on the floor to try to understand the grip. Of course the car, tyres and set-up helped but I knew where the grip was and I did my best.”
Before taking up rallying, Teodósio was a successful circuit racer. The 47-year-old admitted some of his track-driving technique had helped him fly in Fafe.
“Normally I go quite quick in the rain, on the circuits I was probably more quicker in the rain than in the dry,” Teodósio said. “Maybe that experience also helped me [win the Fafe super special stage].”
Following his Friday night in Fafe heroics, Teodósio placed 22nd overall and third among the Portuguese championship competitors at the finish.
“It felt really good to win one stage of the European championship but then it was really tough with the mud,” he said. “It was sometimes impossible, really tough to find the good lines and it was very slippery.”
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