Cais, who was schooled in Zlín and lives close to the city, underlined his threat on round six of the 2024 FIA European Rally Championship by outpacing Hankook’s Czech championship leader Domink Stříteský through SS3, Kateřinice.
He then went quickest again on SS4, Rajnochovice, having earlier reported a lack of grip as a result of running first on the dust-coated roads in his Michelin-shod Škoda Fabia RS Rally2.
The Orsák Rally Sport-run driver is 15.5sec off the lead after four stages but would be in front without his penalty.
“Sadly mistakes happen,” Cais said in reference to the penalty. “This stage was flat out from the first metres until the end, it was an incredible stage.”
Stříteský was 2.4sec adrift of leader Adam Březík after SS3 but moved to the top of the timing screens following SS4 after Březík hit trouble.
Another local star, Březík was equal second fastest on SS1 before the Kresta Racing driver charged to the top of the Barum Czech Rally Zlín leaderboard with the fastest time on Saturday morning’s opening test, Březová.
He took 7min 34.2sec to complete the 12.73-kilometre stage in his Michelin-equipped Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, a performance that propelled him to first overall with a margin of 1.6sec over Jan Kopecký, who is chasing a record-extending victory on Barum Czech Rally Zlín.
Following his stage best, Březík said: “It’s a good start to the day but we have to manage it.”
Although Kopecký was 1.1sec faster than Březík on SS3, the younger Czech driver remained in front by 0.5sec starting SS4. But an off-road moment cost him vital seconds and he completed the test with the front-right tyre off the rim, 13.5sec behind new leader Stříteský, who shot from third to first. And Stříteský (pictured above) could have been further ahead had it not been for a brake issue on SS2.
Simon Wagner led after winning Friday night’s SSS Zlín but slipped to fourth overall on SS2. After four stages he’s 0.4sec ahead of fifth-placed Efrén Llarena with the penalised Cais sixth followed by Filip Mareš, who suffered a heavy front-right impact on SS2.
ERC title rivals Mathieu Franceschi and Hayden Paddon are eighth and ninth respectively after four stages with Andrea Mabellini 10th for Team MRF Tyres.
Miko Marczyk reckoned he dropped 10 seconds with a deflated front-right tyre on SS4, which M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2 driver Jon Armstrong completed with damage to his front- and rear-left tyres.
On his ERC debut, ex-circuit racer Aleš Jirásek reported a “big moment” on SS3, while Hermann Neubauer complained of excessive understeer.
Barum Czech Rally Zlín’s Saturday morning loop concludes with the mixed-surface and largely untried Bunč stage from 12:42 local time. It’s followed by a 30-minute service halt in Otrokovice with the repeat of Březová due to begin at 15:35.
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