Success and Setbacks for Opel in Czech Republic

• Opel victory with Aleks Zawada at Barum Czech Rally Zlín
• Bad luck for Opel works drivers Chris Ingram and Jari Huttunen
• Void results regulation falsifies the picture in ERC Junior

Rüsselsheim/Zlín. The Opel Rallye Junior Team had to concede its first defeat in more than one year in the FIA ERC Junior U27 at the Barum Czech Rally Zlín. After current ranking leaders and Opel works drivers Chris Ingram (23, from Manchester/England) and Jari Huttunen (23, from Kiuruvesi/Finland) were confronted with problems at the tortuous Czech asphalt event, another Opel driver, Pole Alex Zawada in a customer ADAM R2, took over the lead in the FIA ERC Junior U27 standings following four of six events. However, this is no more than a momentary status. As only four of the outcomes count towards the final result, all drivers who competed in every rally of the season are allowed two void results.

Ingram and Huttunen hope that their Barum results will be one of these two void results. The Briton already lost around four and a half minutes in the first special stage on Friday evening after a strut of one wishbone on his ADAM R2 broke. A tire puncture the next day cost him another two and a half minutes. So while Ingram and his co-driver Elliott Edmondson were empty-handed after the first leg, they went all out on the last day and won the second leg and thereby seven bonus points. But this was only good enough for seventh place in the overall FIA ERC Junior U27 rankings. “That’s part of rallying,” said ERC3 European Champion Ingram. “And nothing really serious has happened yet. We already have two season victories under our belt, which means that everything is still in our hands at the final events in Italy and Latvia.”

His Finnish teammate from the ADAC Opel Rallye Junior Team had even worse luck. Jari Huttunen and co-driver Antti Linnaketo were in a thrilling duel for first place with the Poles Zawada/Dachowski when the works ADAM R2 veered off the track and landed in a deep ditch during the fourth special stage. After the obligatory check of the cage and frame, the FIA technical commissioners recommended to refrain from competing on Sunday. “Of course we followed this recommendation even though we naturally wanted to have the car in the field again. But safety is always top priority,” said Opel Motorsport Director Jörg Schrott.

Driver Huttenen also commented the incident objectively: “We were just a touch too fast, but when you are going at the absolute limit, a touch too fast can be enough. The most important thing is that nothing happened to us thanks to the ADAM R2’s excellent safety concept, especially because the accident was actually rather harmless. And even if the zero points here have not improved our title chances, they fully remain intact. We still have two chances to make up for the mishap.”

Tamara Molinaro (19, from Moltrasio) and her new co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini finished the tough asphalt rally in eighth place. ““That was probably the most difficult rally I have ever driven,” admitted the young Italian. “The tracks here were so unbelievably narrow, bumpy, dirty and yet fast. Then we had problems with the power steering on Sunday. I am happy that we successfully brought the ADAM R2 over the finish line and maintained the lead in the FIA ERC Ladies’ Trophy.”

Points score FIA ERC Junior U27 after 4 of 6 events (without void results):

1. Zawada, Opel, 99 points.

2. Ingram, Opel, 96.

3. Mares, Peugeot, 84.

4. Huttunen, Opel, 75.

5. Banaz, Ford, 55.

6. Kupec, Peugeot, 42.

7. Broz, Peugeot, 41.

8. Molinaro, Opel, 39.

Contact

Axel Seegers
Manager Marken- und Motorsport-Kommunikation
Tel.: +49 6142/7-75 496
Mobile: +49 151/16 41 95 70
axel.seegers@opel.com

Marcus Lacroix
Tel.: +49 (0) 7531 9228106
Mobile: 0172-7404562
ml@opel-motorsport.com