Fiesta S2000 crews set for sizzling Spanish showdown

The stage is set for a thrilling title fight in Spain as Ford Fiesta S2000 crews vie for championship victory at the final Super 2000 World Rally Championship (S-WRC) round of the season, RACC Rally de España.

With only three points separating Ott Tänak and current championship leader Juho Hänninen, the young Estonian will be pushing his Ford Fiesta S2000 to the maximum in order to overhaul his Finnish competitor.

Czech driver Martin Prokop is currently third in the standings and lies 14 points adrift of fellow Fiesta S2000 driver Tänak. With a mathematical chance of snatching the championship crown, Prokop will be looking to take the lead from the outset in order to keep the pressure on Tänak and Hänninen.

Markko Märtin’s protégé Ott Tänak has had an outstanding debut season in S-WRC. The driver, who celebrates his 24th birthday on Saturday, has finished on the podium five times and is the only S-WRC competitor to have racked up three victories throughout the year. Tänak can also take confidence in the fact he has won the previous two asphalt rounds and will be looking to continue this trend in order to secure his third consecutive victory, and the series title.

Former J-WRC champion Prokop is one of the most experienced drivers competing in the series, and has been battling in the top three for the majority of the season. Power steering problems compromised Prokop’s challenge for last year’s title, but the driver can settle for nothing less than a victory next week if he is to have any chance of landing the 2011 title.

After a victory in Jordan and a fourth place finish in last month’s Rallye de France, reigning Portuguese Rally Champion Bernardo Sousa is fourth in the championship standings. The 24-year-old is 24 points adrift of third place and will be relying on mishaps for the top three in order to end this year’s championship with a podium position.

Six-time Middle Eastern Rally Champion Nasser Al-Attiyah has had a trying time in the S-WRC this season, and will be looking to end his unlucky streak as he tackles the final round of the championship with nothing to lose. The Qatari driver is eighth in the standings, eight points behind Hungary’s Frigyes Turan who will not contest Spain due to medical reasons.

Also registered to score points in S-WRC in Spain is Ford Fiesta S2000 competitor Craig Breen. Breen, fresh from finishing fourth at IRC Rally Scotland last weekend, is looking to continue his recent impressive form and show just how quick he can be against the other more experienced competitors in the series.

Ott Tänak said: “I competed at a home event [Saaremaa Rally] last weekend with the Ford Focus RS WRC which was good experience, and even better because we won! The Focus and the Fiesta S2000 are very different cars but it was a good chance to get some competitive miles on the clock before next week. Spain will be a new event for me so that will be difficult, but I am going there to do my best and I really want to win. We still have a lot to learn on asphalt but it is getting better all the time. I hope we can do enough to win next week but I know it will be difficult.”

Martin Prokop said: “It is going to be very difficult for me to win the championship now. There is a small chance I could still win but something would need to happen to both Ott and Juha, and I don’t think that is very likely as they’ve been really strong on the last few rallies. I’m feeling very similar to how I felt last year – it went down to the last couple of events and it was very close. For sure I will try my best and will push from the start, I have nothing to lose.”

Bernardo Sousa said: “I’ve had a busy few weeks concentrating on Spain and then it’ll be straight off to Rallye du Valais for the last round of the European Rally Championship. I’ve had a good year in the S-WRC, I feel I’ve improved since last year and it was great to get the win we had in Jordan. The top three are quite far ahead now and it would not be possible for me to move any further up the standings unless I win in Spain. Of course I always aim for a victory going into a rally but I will also try to enjoy myself and set some fast stage times ahead of going to Switzerland.”

Nasser Al-Attiyah said: “I was disappointed after France, it was unfortunate what happened but it’s not been a good season for me in S-WRC. Since Strasbourg I’ve been back in Qatar and I’m now looking to put the last rally behind me to allow me to concentrate on Spain. It’s going to be a new event for me so I’m not sure what to expect with the change of gravel and asphalt surfaces, but it’ll be a good challenge. To be honest I have nothing to lose next week, so I will be planning to go flat out to try and finish the season with a podium finish.”

Craig Breen said: “I’m really looking forward to returning to the S-WRC in Spain. We’ve have had an up and down season in the FIA WRC Academy with some great speed but the end result has not always been what I have wanted. On a positive note we have taken part in some recent international events in my Ford Fiesta S2000, both on asphalt and gravel, with good results on each. I hope to show some good speed next week to try and compare my pace with the S-WRC regulars. It’s going to be a tough weekend.”