ERC – Vaclav Pech wins Barum Rally

After taking control of the race yesterday following the pilots' setbacks Peugeot Kevin Abbring and Craig Breen and the Finn from Skoda Esapekka Lappi, the Czech Vaclav Pech only had to control this Sunday to achieve his second success at the Barum Rally, eighth round of the European Rally Championship ERC. The fight took place for the other two steps of the podium between the German Sepp Wiegand (Skoda Fabia S2000) and the Ford Fiesta R5 of the Czech Tomas Kostka. If the latter had got the better of Wiegand two stages from the goal, engine problems caused him to lose time in the last timed sector of the day, allowing the German to regain the second step of the podium.

Intense fight also for fourth place, at the end of which the Czech Jaroslav Orsak (Skoda Fabia S2000) emerged victorious by finishing 4th ahead of his compatriot Jaromir Tarabus (Skoda Fabia S2000) and Kajetan Kajetanowicz (Ford Fiesta R5) who was still 4th before the last ES. Robert Consani (Peugeot 207 S2000) was firmly in 8th place before a fire broke out on his mount on SS14, knocking him out of the top 10. In the ERC general classification, Esapekka Lappi remains on your mind.

In Junior, Frenchman Stéphane Lefebvre (Peugeot 208 R2) was slowed down this morning by a broken differential but managed to keep command of the category until the end.

Find the report of the Barum Rally in issue 1976 of AUTOhebdo, available tomorrow evening in digital version, and on newsstands from Wednesday.