Category 1: Parisi Takes Control
Antonio Parisi and Giuseppe D’Angelo hold a commanding 17 point lead in category 1 after adding their second victory of the season at the end of the Ypres Historic Rally in Belgium.  Round 3 winners Ernie and Karen Graham had been leading until the gearbox failed in their Ford Escort Twin Cam, which meant they left Belgium with just one extra championship point.
 
Category 2: Carlo Mylle Celebrates Home Victory to Take Class Lead
A home victory for Belgium’s Carlo Mylle on the Ypres Historic Rally means he heads to Austria with an 11 point advantage over Paolo Pasutti and Lazlo Mekler. 

Pasutti didn’t take part in the Ypres Rally and the engine of Mekler’s Alfa Romeo 1750 GTAM failed on the final day.  Because Carlo Mylle had a new co-driver in Belgium, Giovanni Campeis and Edit Mekler-Miko are tied at the head of the Category 2 Co-Drivers Championship table on 39 points each.

Category 3: Finns are 1-2-3
After taking victory in the Czech Republic and in Asturias, Karl Wagner and Gerda Zauner’s bid to retain their 2018 Category 3 championship title hit a problem when the Austrian’s Porsche retired from the Ypres Historic Rally on the second leg. 

Pentti Veikkanen and Timo Jaakkola now lead the class on 49 points, six points ahead of fellow Finns  Klaus Wilkman and Hanna Valonen (43 points), with Esa Peltonen and Jyrki Saarto in third on 42 points.  Wagner and Zauner are fourth on 41 points, with round 4 winner ‘Zippo’ on 34 points in fifth place after four events.

Category 4: Myrsell and Junttila Still Lead 
Despite missing the Ypres Historic Rally, Mats Myrsell and Esko Junttila still hold the class lead ahead of the Rallye Weiz.  The Swedes are on 55 points, just two points ahead of the ‘Lucky’ and Fabrizia Pons after the Italians took maximum points in Belgium.  

Spain’s Antonio Sainz and Javier Martinez are third on 43 points, just ahead of the BMW M3s of Will Graham (36 Points) and reigning champion Valter Jensen and Erik Pedersen (26 points).  Tim and Steve Jones are just 4 points further back on 22 points.

The Category 4 championship positions remain provisional following the appeal lodged by the Spanish team running the Ford Sierra Cosworth of Daniel Alonso and Candido Carrera until the appeal has been heard by the International Court of Appeal when it next sits on 16 July.

Team Trophy: Historic Rally Club Finland in Front
Historic Rally Club Finland are still ahead of their nearest rivals, Rododendri Historic Rally, in the Team title competition.  The Finnish team are on 130 points after four rounds with Rododendri Historic Rally on 123, while 2018 Team Champions Scuderia Coppa Amici dropped back after scoring just two points in Belgium and are on 89 points.

CLICK HERE for the current championship classifications after Round 4.

Round 5 of the 2019 FIA European Historic Sporting Rally Championship is the Rallye Weiz in Austria on the 18/20 July.

IMAGE - Ronny Vanparys