SS4: Bouffier makes it four from four

The FIA European Rally Championship’s new strapline for 2013 is Serious Competition Ahead.

By winning stage four of the International Jännerrallye – the second run through the 18.99 kilometres of Pierbach – Bryan Bouffier has shown exactly what that means by becoming the fourth different stage winner in succession.

The French ace, in an SC Ateneo Peugeot 207, was a full 6.1s faster than second-fastest MINI driver Václav Pech with event leader Jan Kopecký 1.3s further back for ŠKODA Motorsport.

Pech’s performance puts him back up to second ahead of 10-time Austrian champion Raimund Baumschlager, while Bouffier – a winner of Rallye Monte-Carlo in the past – is now in fifth place heading to stage five, Libenau.

“It was difficult,” said Bouffier, who was one of several leading runners on the wide studded tyre. “It’s really muddy everywhere and it’s funny to drive with spikes in these conditions.”

François Delecour lost time with a broken gear lever at the stage start, while a puncture four kilometres from the stage finish slowed Antonin Tlusťák in a GPD Mit Metal Racing Team Fabia. Beppo Harrach was the fastest ERC Production Car Cup contender with Hannes Danzinger setting the pace in the ERC 2WD Championship section in a Renault Clio R3 to demote Hermann Neubauer in the process