The opening round of this year’s FIA European Rally Championship (ERC), Spain’s Rally Sierra Morena, proved to be a major success for Škoda crews. Four Škoda cars finished in the top five, with only second place taken by a competitor in a different make. The event also marked the launch of Škoda’s revamped Bonus Program, providing teams and drivers with extra motivation right from the season opener.
This year, Škoda's sports department has decided to give teams and drivers with its cars an extra special boost. This year the Bonus programme started in Spain during the season-opening tarmac rally, held from April 4–6.
Nikolay Gryazin claimed a commanding victory behind the wheel of his Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, holding off strong competition to win by 46 seconds. Together with co-driver Konstantin Aleksandrov, Gryazin got off to a strong start and maintained the lead in the Rally2 classification throughout the event. However, they had to fend off a determined challenge from local driver Alejandro Cachón, who was competing for points in the Spanish championship. Cachón briefly led on Saturday, but by the end of the day Gryazin had reclaimed the top spot. On Sunday, he gradually increased his lead to seal the win.
The third place in the competition went to the home crew José Antonio Suárez and Alberto Iglesias, they dropped to fourth place during the eighth stage due to damage of the rear tyre. However, they made up for the loss of valuable time during the very next stage and moved up to third place, which they held until the finish. Fourth place belonged to the Italian crew Andrea Mabellini / Virginia Lenzi, who also took the highest points for the Power Stage, the fifth place was secured by the Polish duo Miko Marczyk and Szymon Gospodarczyk; seventh place belonged to the Swedish duo Mille Johansson and Johan Grönvall.
Škoda Bonus Programme Launch
Crews Gryazin/Aleksandrov and Suárez/Iglesias are among the first to enjoy the rewards of the Škoda Motorsport Bonus Programme, which kicked off in Spain in its new format. Under the program, the top-finishing Škoda crew receives a voucher worth €20,000 for parts from the factory motorsport department, the second-best receives €12,000, and the third €8,000.
But Škoda Motorsport supports all drivers throughout the rally. In Spain, Škoda Motorsport debuted its on-site support truck, stocked with spare parts and providing both technical assistance and expert advice. The rally department of the Mladá Boleslav manufacturer was present in the service park, offering vital backup for customer teams. This direct access to parts and support during the rally is a major boost for them.
As a result, 21 Škoda crews have registered for the program this year. In Spain, 13 of them took the start, with a total of 14 Škoda drivers entered in the competition, making up nearly half of the 29-car ERC1 category starting field.
Long-term motivation
The Bonus Program also offers long-term motivation for crews with Škoda cars. If a registered Škoda Fabia Rally2 driver wins the European Championship at the end of the season, they receive a €50,000 discount voucher toward the purchase of a new Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. The runner-up earns a €25,000 voucher, and third place overall gets €15,000 off a new car.
