Sun 26 Jan 2025

ERC 2024 rally recap: When Stříteský ended King Kopecký’s Zlín reign

In less than three months the 2025 FIA European Rally Championship will be under way in Spain when Rally Sierra Morena - Córdoba Patrimonio de la Humanidad hosts the all-action series for the first time. Ahead of that landmark moment, here’s a reminder of what happened when Barum Czech Rally Zlín staged round six of the 2024 ERC season last August.

The winners: Dominik Stříteský became an ERC winner for the first time as Jan Kopecký’s Barum Czech Rally Zlín reign came to an end during a dramatic summer showdown in southern Moravia.   Kopecký hadn’t been beaten on his home round of the ERC since 2015 and was chasing a record-extending 12th victory when a damaged tyre dropped him down the order on SS5.  


Having moved in front on the previous stage following brake issues on SS2, Hankook-equipped Stříteský, then 24, remained at the head of the pack, finishing first alongside his fellow Czech Jiří Hovorka aboard their Auto Podbabská Škoda MOL Team Fabia RS Rally2.  


On a memorable day for young Czech talent, 25-year-old Erik Cais completed the podium behind multiple Austrian champion Simon Wagner for his first top-three finish in the ERC.   


And there was more reason for Czech celebration when Prague-based Filip Kohn, 21, won the FIA ERC3 category to secure the inaugural ERC Fiesta Rally3 Trophy title together with the accompanying FIA World Rally Championship prize drive on the Central European Rally.

How did it feel? “Fantastic, fantastic,” Stříteský said. “Absolutely thank you to everybody who is supporting us, the whole team, families, partners and also the fans because it’s very important. We had some scare this morning with a puncture on the first stage. We lost a lot of time but we set a good time in Pindula but also with another puncture. In the last one before service I was careful, but it was no problem.”  


Turning point: Kopecký’s (below) SS5 woe left Stříteský in front by 10.1sec after five stages. Although Cais narrowed that margin to 4.2sec after seven stages, the combination of torrential rain and dry-weather tyres on SS8 proved disastrous for Cais, who dropped from second to fourth and left Stříteský leading Simon Wagner by 21.1sec at the Saturday night halt.

That lead was trimmed to 14.5sec on Sunday morning after Stříteský completed the 11.51-kilometre Semetín stage with a deflated rear-right tyre. He also finished Pindula with a loss of air from his front-left tyre. But with Wagner dropping time in the muddy sections, Stříteský started the final stage of the morning loop leading Wagner by 25.0sec.   


Wagner responded with the fastest time through the Halenkovice Power Stage rehearsal, which left Stříteský in front by 21.4sec, an advantage he was able to increase to 25.3sec with one stage to run, despite a scare when he spun after the flying finish of SS13.  


By completing the Power Stage with the 10th fastest time, Stříteský banked his first ERC win by 19.2sec and the first for his tyre partner Hankook since Rally Hungary in 2019.

Comeback man: Local hero Cais’ (above) capture of third represented a remarkable recovery following a 20-second time penalty on SS1. He completed the event by winning the Power Stage, his eighth fastest time.  


Shining through: After leading for two stages on Saturday morning, Adam Březík was forced to settle for fourth after his decision to carry wet-weather tyres to combat the mud on the re-runs of Semetín and Pindula backfired. But it was nevertheless an impressive performance from the Kresta Racing driver, who lives on the legendary Pindula stage. Filip Mareš bagged two stage wins in his Hankook-equipped Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 to take a strong fifth place as Efrén Llarena rounded out the top six. Meanwhile, Patrik Herczig pipped Zlín resident Daniel Polášek to victory in ERC4.

Early setback: Březík (above) charged to the top of the leaderboard with the fastest time on Saturday morning’s opening test, Březová, to hold a margin of 1.6sec over Kopecký. 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.  


“The first stage everything was good, on the next one I was a little bit careful and we lose some time but on the third one, everything was going well until we had the puncture,” Březík said. “I hit something in the grass, I don’t know what but after I go out of the road. Then I was too fast on the brakes in a left corner [on SS5] so I have to turn more and I spin. I am fighting for the top so we have to push at the maximum level.”  


Table topper: Despite languishing in 12th place after he was forced to change a damaged tyre on SS8, Hayden Paddon, who was third quickest on the Power Stage, completed Barum Czech Rally Zlín leading the championship standings by 13 points ahead of Mathieu Franceschi, who retired on the final leg after he ran out of replacement tyres.  


What’s next? Visit FIAERC.com on 1 February for the JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion recap.

Sweden
Starts: Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 8:00:00 AM
Spain
Starts: Thursday, April 3, 2025 at 7:00:00 AM
Turkey
Starts: Sunday, November 10, 2024 at 8:30:00 AM