Wilks rediscovers old form on IRC return

Guy Wilks, who returned to Intercontinental Rally Challenge action on Barum Czech Rally Zlín last month after recovering from injury, believes he is already back at his best, despite a persistent mechanical fault masking his true pace on the asphalt event.

The 29-year-old Briton was sidelined for almost three months after fracturing his first and second lumbar vertebrae in a high-speed crash on Rally d’Italia-Sardegna in early June. He marked his comeback with the Škoda UK Motorsport squad by finishing seventh on the Czech round in his Fabia S2000 after being hampered by a rear differential glitch that proved impossible to rectify.

“It was a chaotic rally and we battled against lots of problems but ultimately we came away with some points and some pace as well, which is the most important thing,” said Wilks. “If we get the car 100 per cent we can say we’re back in the dry although it’s difficult to say how close to the game we are in the wet. But my confidence is back and I can’t wait for the next event.”

After nine rounds, Wilks has 27 points and is in sixth place in the IRC drivers’ standings. His next event is in Sanremo, Italy, from 23-25 September.