Ypres - IRC news before SS10

Saliuk aims to continue learning on Ypres debut

Oleksandr Saliuk plans to continue building his experience of the Geko Ypres Rally when the event resumes with the 28.82-kilometre Hollebeke stage this afternoon.

Saliuk, in a Dream Team Ukraine M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000, is a strong fifth overall on his debut on the Belgium asphalt classic, a founding round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

He said: “There have been some mistakes, some from me, some from my co-driver but it’s not bad and I am learning a lot of things for my first time here. It’s not an easy rally because the stages are fast and narrow and there is also mud on the road. But we try our best.”

Flodin vows to recover lost time in Ypres

Patrik Flodin has vowed to hit back from the broken driveshaft that wrecked his hopes of a podium finish on the Geko Ypres Rally, round six of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

Flodin haemorrhaged time throughout the morning after the left-rear driveshaft failed on his PS Engineering M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000 12 kilometres into stage seven.

He said: “It’s really disappointing because we have lost a lot of time. Now I try to go faster to make up some of the time I have lost.”

Flodin started day two in fourth overall but now languishes in sixth position, several minutes off the pace.

Aigner surprised to be leading IRC Production Cup

Andreas Aigner admits he’s “surprised” to be leading the IRC Production Cup after serious brake problems struck his Subaru Impreza R4 STI on stage nine of the Geko Ypres Rally.

The Stohl Racing ace is 42.8s in front of Bob Colsoul with Vitaliy Puskhar a strong third for Dream Team Ukraine.

Aigner said: “I lost all the brakes and I still don’t know how. It was really difficult on the last stage with just the handbrake only. We’ve lost a lot of time, to be honest I’m surprised we are still in the rally.”

The IRC Production Cup ranks were depleted on Saturday’s opening test when Cédric De Cecco and Renault Mégane driver Kris Princen both crashed, with De Cecco reportedly going off the road and striking a telegraph pole in his Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X.

IRC 2WD Cup leader Kangur says there’s room for improvement

Martin Kangur says he’s not entirely happy despite leading the IRC 2WD Cup after nine stages of the Geko Ypres Rally.

The Honda Civic Type R driver holds an advantage of 15.9s over Mathieu Arzeno but said he could have driven better this morning.

“I lost time by making some mistakes,” said the Estonian youngster. “I went straight on at one junction on stage nine so I have to take it easy so I don’t make any more mistakes.”

Arzeno, meanwhile, is fighting back after losing some 90 seconds on day one when he accidently drove into a ditch trying to get pointing in the right direction following a spin.

Harry Hunt, IRC 2WD Cup champion in 2010, is out after an electrical problem struck prior to stage eight. He had been third overall at the time.