Barum Rally: Dominik Stritesky wins, Franceschi forced to retire

Six special stages and just over 81 km timed were on the program for the last stage of the Barum Rally, the 6^e championship round ERC 2024. Among the sections taken, the famous Semetin (11,51 km) and Pindula (16,57 km) promised to be difficult with the roads made wet by the rains of the day before and showers still possible.

Leader since SS4, Dominik Stritesky did not give in to the pressure. The driver of the black Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 managed to give up a minimum of time and always maintain a margin allowing him not to have to take any risks. At 24, the man who currently leads the Czech Republic championship won for the first time in his career at Barum.

While Hankook will become the sole supplier of WRC from January, this is a first major success for the Korean manufacturer in the ERC.

Running a few seconds behind Stritesky, several competitors competed for the two remaining steps of the podium. Appreciating these roads and these conditions, Simon Wagner ended up having the upper hand. The Austrian who finished 3^e in 2022 and 4^e in 2023 achieves his best result in Zlin. He is ahead of Erik Cais who may regret the 20'' taken for a late score before SS1. True legend of this rally with his 12 victories, Jan Kopecky was sidelined from the fight by a puncture on Saturday.

Author of a solid first stage completed at 6^e place, Mathieu Franceschi had started the 2^e day with the ambition of scoring points which could have allowed him to regain the lead in the championship. Two punctures in the opening SS, then an additional one in the next one, prevented him from continuing his journey. In the title race, Hayden Paddon made the right move. While he only had a lead of 7 lengths at the start of this event, he now has 13.

Final classification of the 53rd Barum Rally