SS4: Kopecky heads close Zlin battle
With another stage win
Jan Kopecký has extended his lead on Barum Czech Rally Zlín by going fastest on the first run through the Troják stage, which at 28.69 kilometres is the longest of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge qualifier.
“The car is perfect, we did a really good job in testing so thanks to the engineers but there is still a long way to go,” said the ŠKODA Motorsport driver.
Andreas Mikkelsen (pictured) has climbed into second overall after going 0.1s slower than Kopecký through the stage in his ŠKODA UK Motorsport Fabia.
Juho Hänninen admitted at the stage finish that he could have gone faster after recording the third quickest time. “I’m still trying to find the rhythm after the morning part and I was quite careful in the narrow part but it was okay,” said the Finn.
Bryan Bouffier lost ground when he spun his Peugeot France 207: “I did a spin on the gravel part and I had to turn back,” said the Rallye Monte-Carlo winner, who was fourth fastest. “But my car is working very well, I tried to push.”
Freddy Loix said he lost time by running on soft compound tyres, which are better suited to cold and damp conditions rather than the hot and dry weather being experienced on the rally route.
“It was okay on the first [shorter] stages okay but I had to back off on this longer one,” said Loix. “The car was moving a lot and I felt I was on the limit of the car.”
Guy Wilks completed the stage with a rear-left puncture on his Peugeot UK 207 and has slipped to third overall, albeit 11.5s behind leader Kopecký. He reported stiffening the settings of the car prior to the run.