Hungarian Rally: Stage 1: Csomos alone on his planet

After the superspecial run last night, the competitors had 7 special stages ahead of them, representing just under 120 timed km to compete. In the Nyíregyháza region, 230 km east of Budapest, the organizers have chosen routes that are as selective as ever with some very fast parts, others more turbulent and technical. The Hungarian asphalt has a reputation for being very slippery and the ES has sections on dirt that still have to be negotiated with tarmac tires which can cause punctures. This is exactly what happened this Saturday.

Knowing the terrain well, Miklos Csomos managed to avoid these pitfalls. The 30-year-old Hungarian showed his poise by winning 5 special stages. Author of a flawless performance, for the first time in his career he leads a round of theERC. Neither Mads Ostberg who nevertheless won this event in 2021, nor the other local Ferenc Vincze 3^e this evening did not manage to make Csomos doubt.

This was not the case for the French pilots either. Victim of 4 punctures, Mathieu Franceschi had a very complicated stage and he is now behind in the standings. For his part, Yoann Bonato did not have a puncture, but he took a little trip in the forest which could have had much more serious consequences than a crumpled door and a spoiler in the wild. The 2 Alpes pilot is 6^e with still possibilities to aim a little higher.

However, he should not procrastinate, because the last stage only has 4 special stages and 59,29 km timed.

Ranking at the end of the first stage of the rally from Hungary