Barum - IRC news before SS2

New look for Consani’s Renault in IRC

This is the new look Robert Consani’s Renault Mégane RS is sporting on Barum Czech Rally Zlín.

Consani, who is chasing points in both the IRC Production Cup and IRC 2WD Cup alongside co-driver and fellow Frenchman Nicolas Klinger, is using a new bodyshell for the all-asphalt round, four stages of which are being shown live on Eurosport and free-to-air Czech TV.

After Friday night’s superspecial stage in Zlín, Consani is the leading two-wheel-driver competitor in 19th overall. Martin Kangur is the highest-placed Honda pilot in the IRC 2WD Cup in third.

Mikkelsen: opening day in Zlin will be crucial

Reigning Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion Andreas Mikkelsen reckons today’s eight Tarmac special stages will prove pivotal in the outcome of Barum Czech Rally Zlín.

Due to be run in wet conditions, the stages on Saturday are more bumpy, narrow and technical than Sunday’s tests.

Mikkelsen, who heads the IRC drivers’ standings by 49 points for ŠKODA UK Motorsport, said: “Day one and day two here in [Zlín] are pretty different. Day one is a lot more bumpy, narrow and more technical and the second day is all about high speed, driving lines and wider roads.

“A lot of the stages are the same as last year, albeit run in the opposite direction, and there is one completely new stage – which is really quite tricky. It’s the second stage of the rally, the first one on Saturday morning. It’s more or less a fun stage, but it’s hard to see where you are going and there is a high risk of getting a puncture, so you need to be clean with your lines.

“Except for one stage, which was used last year, Ola [Fløene, my co-driver] and I have written brand new pacenotes for this event, and we feel quite comfortable on these roads.

“All the stages on this rally will be important, but if you have a good first day, with a clean run and no mistakes, then you’ll have everything to play for because the second day is not so difficult.”

Both runs of today’s Slušovice stage will be shown live on Eurosport and free-to-air Czech TV.

Update from first service in Otrokovice

Leading crews on Barum Czech Rally Zlín have left Service A in Otrokovice on route to stage two, Slušovice, which gets underway at 10:10hrs local.

Pavel Valoušek will not start after his Peugeot 207 Super 2000 suffered engine failure on SSS Zlín last night. Patrik Flodin also hit trouble on the street stage when his M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000 suffered alternator failure, which resulted in a loss of power and his windscreen misting up.

His Petter Solberg Engineering mechanics changed the faulty component in service this morning, but the Swede is set to be handed a 10-second penalty for leaving service behind schedule.

Jarkko Nikara’s Tommi Mäkinen Racing team has replaced the gearbox in the Finn’s Subaru Impreza R4 STI in service after a mis-shift on the opening stage of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge event last night.

In terms of tyre choices for the morning loop of two stages, the leading Michelin runners have opted for variety of options. Defending IRC champion has opted for intermediate tyres with one spare. Top seed and fellow ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000 driver Juho Hänninen has taken slick tyres with cuts and two spares. Last year’s winner Jan Kopecký is running rain tyres and carrying two spares, while Sepp Wiegand has opted for the same selection.