The ERC champion’s challenge for an ORLEN 79th Rally Poland podium was undone by starting sixth on the road on Saturday’s opening leg and then having to run fifth on day two.
Fri 02 Jun 2023
Llarena plots quicker ERC qualifying charge
Efrén Llarena will be aiming for a qualifying high when Latvia hosts round four of the FIA European Rally Championship later this month.
And after taking 10th in the final order, Llarena reckons a better result on the Qualifying Stage could boost his prospects of a strong Tet Rally Liepāja showing alongside co-driver Sara Fernández.
“We lose the rally in the qualifying and it’s not right in critical rallies where cleaning is massive you can decide the rally in three kilometres [of the Qualifying Stage],” said the Team MRF Tyres-run Llarena.
“It was really difficult, we were not comfortable since the beginning but we try to push in the first loop. In the second loop we were not on the pace and on the second morning it was really difficult to push when we were cleaning the road. We tried to be fast but it was difficult.”
Llarena has form when it comes to going quickly in Liepāja. After finishing fourth in 2021, the 28-year-old finished runner-up in 2022.
Tet Rally Liepāja takes place from 16 - 18 June.
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