Leading the Rally3-based category after
Friday evening’s super special stage by 2.9sec, the Czech grew his advantage to
2min 29.2sec after a dominant performance in the Hungarian heat.
He said: “Nice stages for me, we tried to
do it clean with no punctures at all, that played out well and I’m looking
forward to the second pass to maybe be a bit faster and just enjoy the stages.
It’s rough but I’m used to it because I did Sardinia in the World Rally
Championship last year. It’s not easy but I know what I need to do.”
Eighteen-year-old Turkish prospect Kerem
Kazaz, who was only able to apply for his driving licence in January, is second
having been hampered by a brake issue on his second outing in a Fiesta Rally3.
Pole Igor Widłak, the 2022 ERC3 champion, and
Croatian Martin Ravenščak are third and fourth respectively with all four
drivers eligible for the incentives on offer in the ERC Fiesta Rally3 Trophy
from Gulf Race Fuels and tyre manufacturer Pirelli.
As well as leading FIA Junior ERC, Max
McRae heads the FIA ERC4 runners one place ahead of fellow Junior ERC driver
and championship newcomer Calle Carlberg.
Ex-professional league fusbal player
Bertalon Martón took two stage wins on his first ERC4 start. He’s third
overnight followed Jaspar Vaher and Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy-backed
Aoife Raftery.
“Absolutely good,” Martón said. “The first
stage not so but the second and the third for us were really good. We won those
stages so we are really happy because it’s our first ERC event.”
Vaher, meanwhile, had led the
front-wheel-drive category before he was forced to change a damaged tyre on
SS6.
Behind Raftery, Matia Zanin is sixth with
Aleksandar Tomov seventh, Jack Brennan eighth, Mille Johansson ninth and
Cristiana Oprea in 10th.
“I’m happy to be here,” the Romanian driver
said. “For sure the car was much faster than I was on the first loop, but it’s
important to do all of the kilometres and get more experience. My last gravel
rally was in 2021 and I did only one back then and before that was in 2018.
This is why I am okay with where we are right now, I am still here. It’s
important.”
Making his ERC4 debut
alongside his co-driving mother Päivi Välilä, Tuomas Välilä was forced to retire on SS3 with an
overheating engine caused by a blocked radiator.
V-Híd Rally Hungary continues
tomorrow (Sunday, 14 April) with the 15.34-kilometre Iszka stage from 09:27
local time.
Finland
Italy
Hungary