› At the FIA World Rally Championship’s eleventh round, RaceSeven’s Robert Virves/Aleks Lesk finish ex aequo with the WRC2 winners
› After fifth consecutive WRC Masters Cup victory, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 driver Armin Kremer has the title in firmly his sights
› Seven Škoda crews finish inside the WRC2 top 10
Lamia (GRC), 8 September 2024 – What a thriller: Robert Virves and co-driver Aleks Lesk (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) finished the EKO Acropolis Rally Greece (5-8 September 2024) with the same times as Sami Pajari/Enni Mälkönen. According to the regulations, Virves/Lesk had to be content with second position in WRC2.
Robert Virves/Aleks Lesk started into the rally ending power stage trailing WRC2 leaders Pajari/Mälkönen by 28.5 seconds. On the last 18.29 kilometres, the Estonians sharing a RaceSeven entered Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 pulled out all the stops. They were worlds faster than anyone else in WRC2. Exactly 28.5 seconds faster than Pajari/Mälkönen. This meant, that both crews were on the same time – 0.0 seconds difference after more than 305 stage kilometres.
In this case, the regulations favour the team that had set the fastest time on the first stage of the event. WRC2 victory therefore went to Pajari/Mälkönen, with Virves/Lesk listed as second. "Sami deserved it. He had a good rally and it's only fair that he wins this time," said Virves in true sporting spirit. “Sami and I had nice fights in Junior WRC. We're moving up together.”
Even without this last-minute thriller, the EKO Acropolis Rally Greece lived up to its reputation as “tyre killer”. Already during the first leg, numerous crews had to stop mid-stage to change wheels. But when Gus Greensmith and co-driver Jonas Andersson had to park their Toksport WRT run Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 on Friday’s last stage, it wasn’t the rocky surface that was to blame. The British-Swedish duo hit a cow. The animal walked away, but the Škoda suffered enough damage to force it to retire from third position in WRC2. “Cows are no longer my second favourite animal,” joked Greensmith.
Robert Virves and co-driver Aleks Lesk managed to stay out of trouble during the six stages of the first leg. Driving a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 of team RaceSeven, the Estonians finished the day in the WRC2 lead. Similar consistency in the challenging conditions rewarded Kajetan Kajetanowicz and co-driver Maciej Szczepaniak with third position in WRC2 at that point. The Polish crew aboard Orlen Rally Team’s Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 trailed second placed Sami Pajari/Enni Mälkönen by just under one minute.
Saturday didn't go as smoothly as Friday for the Virves/Lesk. They lost the WRC2 lead in the morning, a puncture costing them more time. However, they defended their second place in WRC2, at the end of the leg they were almost 30 seconds behind leaders Pajari/Mälkönen. Kajetanowicz/Szczepaniak followed in fourth place after twelve stages. South Americans Fabrizio Zaldivar/Marcelo Der Ohannesian, driving a RaceSeven entered Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, were sixth.
In addition to the drama surrounding the duel for the victory, the final leg also changed the result further down the standings. Škoda crews Fabrizio Zaldivar/Marcelo Der Ohannesian and Josh McErlean/James Fulton all moved up one position. In total, seven Škoda crews finished inside the top 10 of WRC2.
Five starts, five victories – Armin Kremer’s WRC Masters Cup record is immaculate. Together with daughter Ella Kremer, he drove the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 of Baumschlager Rallye & Racing to another win of the sub-category. With this result, former European Rally Champion Armin Kremer has prematurely secured the WRC Masters Cup title.
From Europe the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) turns its attention to South America. Rally Chile Bio Bío (26-29 September 2024) is next also for the WRC2 teams.
Number of the rally (other than 0.0): 11.1 + 13.5
Robert Virves and co-driver Aleks Lesk were by far fastest WRC2 crew not only in the power stage, which they won with a margin of 13.5 seconds over Yohan Rossel/Florian Barral. The Estonians also drove their RaceSeven entered Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 exactly 11.1 seconds faster than any WRC2 crew through the last stage of the Friday leg.
EKO Acropolis Rally Greece, 5-8 September 2024, Result WRC2
1 Sami Pajari/Enni Mälkönen (FIN/FIN), Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, 3:45:05.3 hours
2 Robert Virves/Aleks Lesk (EST/EST), Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, +0.0 seconds
3 Yohan Rossel/Florian Barral (FRA/FRA), Citroën C3 Rally2, +30.8 seconds
4 Kajetan Kajetanowicz/Maciej Szczepaniak (POL/POL), Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, +2:52.9 minutes
5 Fabrizio Zaldivar/Marcelo Der Ohannesian (PRY/ITA), Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, +4:26.8 minutes
6 Josh McErlean/James Fulton (IRL/IRL), Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, +5:26.1 minutes
Standings WRC2/Drivers (after 10 of 13 rallies)
1 Oliver Solberg (SWE), Škoda, 111 points (from 6 rallies)
2 Sami Pajari (FIN), Toyota, 108 Points (from 6 rallies)
3 Yohan Rossel (FRA), Citroën, 86 points (from 5 rallies)
MediaBox
