ERC Junior Under 27 post-rally di Roma Capitale quotes
Round 5 of 6: Rally di Roma Capitale, 14-17 September
JARI HUTTUNEN (FIN) Position: Second
Co-driver: Antti Linnaketo (FIN) Car: Opel ADAM R2
“It was not my best event or my weekend. I don’t know why. I was not confident and it did not go so well. Second place, I am a little bit sad about that but it’s still open in the championship and everything can happen in Latvia so we will see. On the first stage [on leg two] I had the wrong tyres, the hard tyre, and maybe that’s why [Filip Mareš] took the time out of me, maybe that’s why but I am more confused about the second stage and how I lost so much time there but everything else went okay. There were not any big mistakes all rally but there was quite a lot of time lost and I don’t know why.”
CHRIS INGRAM (GBR) Position: Third
Co-driver: Ross Whittock (GBR) Car: Opel ADAM R2
“Definitely pleased with that. Ross has stepped up to the plate with just a week to get his head around ERC events and it’s been really positive from that point of view. I think we deserved a little bit more from this rally but we had two really bad stages. Most of the time we were on the pace or setting the pace and got some good points. We just need to stay focused for the big title decider in Latvia. I just didn’t have any confidence in my notes. To be honest I’m not sure if it’s because I wrote them for maximum attack in the dry or partially because it’s a new co-driver and I didn’t have as much belief as I should but that’s normal for a first event together.”
KRISTÓF KLAUSZ (HUN) Position: Fifth
Co-driver: Botond Csányi (HUN) Car: Peugeot 208 R2
“It as really hard and long but it was really enjoyable and we learnd a lot about Tarmac especially in Italy. But we are in the finish and this is the most important thing. After the first stage we said already it was much better than Poland. We drove safely on this rally – it was our objective. The work of the mechanics is really good so we had no problems with the car and the co-driver as well. Nothing was a problem.”
KAREL KUPEC (CZE) Position: Fourth
Co-driver: Vladimír Osička (CZE) Car: Peugeot 208 R2
“It was really difficult for us. I was not expecting so bumpy roads but it was a new experience and we are really happy we get to the finish, not really with the result, it is not what we want but it is okay and we fight in Latvia. It was not bad with my new co-driver and if we drive more rallies together then it will be okay. We had a few problems with the set-up but we have to fight more.”
FILIP MAREŠ (CZE) Position: First
Co-driver: Jan Hloušek (CZE) Car: Peugeot 208 R2
“I had better tyre choice than Jari, the soft tyre and I managed to win the stage with a good time. Maybe it solved the race. I am really happy to be here because it’s been a really tough rally especially with Jari behind me, also Chris was pushing so it’s been a really crazy rally. I am really happy to be a winner. I don’t have too much experience on gravel but we have shown a good progress during the season and I hope I can be comfortable on that surface. We will see.”
TAMARA MOLINARO (ITA) Position: Sixth (won ERC Ladies’ Trophy title)
Co-driver: Giovanni Bernacchini (ITA) Car: Opel ADAM R2
“It’s really nice to be here with a win and winning the championship here. Of course I’m really sorry for Emma because it’s always not so nice when it happens like this but that’s rally. Also I was a bit unlucky in Barum as well. But we are unhappy. This morning I was feeling really, really bad, like some ‘flu, some throat pain and things like that. I took some pills but I started to vomit. It was a tough day but now I’m feeling better. I couldn’t drive 100 per cent but anyway it was not in our plans because we knew on this rally we had the chance to win the ERC Ladies’ Trophy with a rally in advance and we wanted to take this chance so we did it.”
CATIE MUNNINGS (GBR) Position: Seventh
Co-driver: Anne Katharina Stein (DEU) Car: Peugeot 208 R2
“I am so happy to be at the finish. When I was sitting in the ditch this morning I really didn’t think I would be here. It’s a massive learning curve for me, every single rally. I know I keep saying it but it really is because I have no experience and every rally is so specialised and I learn something on every round. Here it was my first time in the wet in a rally car and judging the grip was really hard this morning. I misjudged it a little bit and I should have had some stuff in my pacenotes but I learned the lesson. It was a slow understeer off and we unfortunately lost nine minutes. But we’ve been up there with the other girls, which is good because we haven’t got as much experience. It’s something good to take away and hopefully it means there’s some good potential for the future. We were losing our brakes towards the end of the long stage and when we stopped we had some brake fluid coming out and on the next stage it felt a bit spongy. I was checking it out on the next stage and it felt fine so I don’t know if that was more in my head than anything else but once you think about something like that it’s hard to drive flat out. We only got the budget three days before leaving to come here and we’ve been skimping on tyres. We’ve got to stay positive.”
ALEKS ZAWADA (POL) Position: DNF (mechanical)
Co-driver: Grzegorz Dachowski (POL) Car: Opel ADAM R2
“The fly wheel sheered off so there was no way for the engine to put power through the wheels. Having done all the work and preparation the chance of the championship has been ripped out of my fingertips so I’m pretty distraught. But this is the sport. It’s not the first or last time it will happen like this.”
SÉBASTIEN BEDORET (BEL) Position: DNF (accident)
Co-driver: Thomas Walbrecq (BEL) Car: Peugeot 208 R2
DOMINIK BROŽ (CZE) Position: DNF (mechanical)
Co-driver: Petr Těšínský (CZE) Car: Peugeot 208 R2