Mikkelsen tops "perfect" shakedown in Zlín

A “perfect” shakedown has underlined Andreas Mikkeslen’s credentials as a potential winner of Barum Czech Rally Zlín, which gets underway with the first of 15 stages tonight.

Driving a ŠKODA UK Motorsport Fabia Super 2000, Mikkelsen and co-driver Ola Fløene set a fastest time of 2m16.9s over the 4.31-kilometre practice course near Napajedla, a short distance from the permanent service park in Otrokovice.

In high ambient temperatures of 36 degrees centigrade, Mikkelsen was 0.7s faster than his closest rival, the Czech ŠKODA driver Jan Kopecký. Intercontinental Rally Challenge leader Juho Hänninen was third fastest, 1.2s behind Mikkelsen with Peugeot UK’s Guy Wilks equaling Hänninen’s time in fourth. Czech Peugeot driver Pavel Valoušek was fifth with last year’s winner, Freddy Loix, sixth in his BFO-ŠKODA Rally Team Fabia.

“Shakedown today has gone perfectly,” said Mikkelsen. “We’ve tried a few different things with the car and now we have the best set-up option that we can have. I’m very happy and looking forward to the start of the event tonight.”

Shakedown was delayed after Luca Betti crashed heavily on his first run. Fortunately he and co-driver Maurizio Barone were uninjured.

Top 10 shakedown times

1 Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene (ŠKODA Fabia S2000) 2m16.9s
2 Jan Kopecký/Petr Starý (ŠKODA Fabia S2000) +0.7s
3 Juho Hänninen/Mikko Markkula (ŠKODA Fabia S2000) +1.2s
4 Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh (Peugeot 207 S2000) +1.2s
5 Pavel Valoušek/Zdeněk Hrůza (Peugeot 207 S2000) +1.3s
6 Freddy Loix/Frédéric Miclotte (ŠKODA Fabia S2000) +2.0s
7 Toni Gardemeister/Tapio Suominen (ŠKODA Fabia S2000) +2.2s
8 Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (Peugeot 207 S2000) +2.3s
9 Roman Kresta/Petr Gross (ŠKODA Fabia S2000) +3.0s
10 Bryan Bouffier/Xavier Panseri (Peugeot 207 S2000) +3.3s