Round 4 of 6: Barum Czech Rally Zlín, 25-27 August

BUǦRA BANAZ (TUR) Championship position: Fifth
Co-driver: Burak Erdener (TUR) Car: Ford Fiesta R2

“I am feeling more confident after each event. I used to feel like a stranger in this championship earlier in the season, but now it is different. I feel a positive difference after every rally and that makes me very happy. I hold a narrow lead in the ERC3 championship after Poland but I try not to think about this and keep being focused on improving my driving. I know I have a lot to learn.”

DOMINIK BROŽ (CZE) Championship position: Eighth
Co-driver: Petr Těšínský (CZE) Car: Peugeot 208 R2

“We have better chances on this rally than Poland because we are back with our Peugeot 208 and we also know the roads a bit better although not very well because this will only be our third time doing this rally and we know the competition is very hard.”

JARI HUTTUNEN (FIN) Championship position: Second
Co-driver: Antti Linnaketo (FIN) Car: Opel ADAM R2

“Winning the last ERC Junior round in Rzeszów as well as the R2 class at the ADAC Rallye Deutschland last weekend gave us an extra motivation to take on our strong competitors in the ERC Juniors again. The Tarmac stages in Germany, especially on the last day, looked at least similar to what we expect in Zlín so I hope we will be well prepared for this challenging event which we are extremely looking forward to. The ADAM R2 has proved to be the benchmark in the R2 class so it will be on us to deliver. Talking about the championship, we simply need more victories to be able to fight for the title. So that’s the goal for Zlín.”

CHRIS INGRAM (GBR) Championship position: First
Co-driver: Elliott Edmondson (GBR) Car: Opel ADAM R2

“We are so happy to be back in the Czech Republic for the Barum Rally which is one of our favourites. Last year I got my first International victory for Opel and first win with my co-driver Elliott here. I can’t believe it’s been a year already as it feels like yesterday. Since then we won the first two rounds of the 2017 season and had a challenging round three in Poland. We are very thankful to the Opel Rallye Junior Team that we have a test day before the event which will be very important in helping us prepare and get back to a flat-out speed which is what is needed to win this spectacular event and keep our strong position in the championship.” 

RADOMIR KUPEC (CZE) Championship position: N/A
Co-driver: Petr Glössl (CZE) Car: Opel ADAM R2

“I really hope to see the finish line, that’s the most important thing. But we also have a lot of work to do to our car after the crash in Poland. Although there was not big damage, there are lots of consequences like a problem the fuel pump. It will be my first time doing this event and because I’m so busy working on the car I don’t know if I will have much time to prepare by watching videos on YouTube.”

FILIP MAREŠ (CZE) Championship position: Fourth
Co-driver: Jan Hloušek (CZE) Car: Peugeot 208 R2

“After finishing second in Poland another podium has to be my aim although I know it won’t be easy because of the competition from the Opel drivers, Aleks Zawada, Simon Wagner and so on. My personal goal will be to win some stages but it’s only my second proper start on this rally because in 2015 I had a problem with the gearbox. It’s also 300 kilometres from my home so I don’t know so well the area. We are doing some asphalt training with Bryan Bouffier tomorrow as part of the ERC Junior Experience so this will be interesting although it won’t be in my actual rally car.”

TAMARA MOLINARO (ITA) Championship position: Seventh
Co-driver: Giovanni Bernacchini (ITA) Car: Opel ADAM R2

“I am very much looking forward to Barum Czech Rally Zlín as I am thrilled to do my first rally with Giovanni Bernacchini as my co-driver. To sit next to the co-driver of my rally hero Gigi Galli in the cockpit is really exciting. I’ve known Gianni for many years and will be able to benefit greatly from his extensive experience. The special stages around Zlín look fantastic and I can hardly wait to tackle them with my ADAM R2. We had a very instructive outing at the ADAC Rallye Deutschland last weekend with some unexpected incidents. But over the four days we managed to improve our speed steadily which is what I intend to continue at Zlín.”

CATIE MUNNINGS (GBR) Championship position: Tenth
Co-driver: Anne Katharina Stein (DEU) Car: Peugeot 208 R2

“I am really excited to drive at the Barum Rally. I think the roads will be pretty similar to Poland. It looks fast but a different surface again, quite uneven with the broken Tarmac. It should be interesting to learn so I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes. We did the recce last year as part of the ERC Junior Experience so we know what to expect. Going off in Poland was pretty tough but we left that weekend with plenty of positives, we've reviewed it and I think we were just unlucky. With the tight turnaround from there I wasn't sure I was going to be in Zlín so I feel very lucky right now and I'm so grateful to those that made it possible for us to be competing this weekend.”

JULIAN WAGNER (AUT) Championship position: N/A
Co-driver: Jürgen Heigl (AUT) Car: Peugeot 208 R2

“My target for Barum, my first start in ERC Junior, is to get confident with the car as fast as possible. I never drove the Peugeot before and it is my second international event after ADAC Rallye Deutschland so it is also important to look how fast we can go on the bumpy Czech roads, which are new for me.”

SIMON WAGNER (AUT) Championship position: N/A
Co-driver: Gerald Winter (AUT) Car: Peugeot 208 R2

“I would like to say it’s another event to learn for me but that’s not 100 per cent true because I did four stages last year until I had to stop. We are in a fight for the Czech championship with Filip Mares in 2WD, Class 6 and the Peugeot Cup so it’s all about the result. Next thing is I have to keep an eye to my younger brother Julian who will compete for the first time in ERC Junior U27. After a technical DNF on Rally Rzeszow I really want to show what’s possible for us in ERC Junior U27. We do everything for a good result and after Poland our car is like new on the technical side and I will have for the first time this year a short pre-event test. I have to say a big thank you to my sponsors and of course my parents for making this possible.”

ALEKS ZAWADA (POL) Championship position: Third
Co-driver: Grzegorz Dachowski (POL) Car: Opel ADAM R2

“It’s an amazing event for all involved, with thousands of fans and some really exciting stages. I hope to push for the top spot, but it definitely wont be easy. The championship is at halfway, and I really need to step it up and push for wins in Zlín and Rome. I am working hard at providing a great package for all my partners – we will have some cool giveaways during the rally so be sure to come by and visit our service tent, and keep your eyes and likes on our Facebook pages @alekszawadaofficial and @mszracing.”