LATVIA. Liepaja: Nikolay Gryazin and his co-driver and Konstantin Aleksandrov finished 17.3s ahead of Craig Breen and Paul Nagle of Team MRF Tyres at the second round of FIA European Rally Championship 2021. Alexey Lukyanuk and Dmitry Eremeev of team Citroën C3 Rally2secured third position n the rally.
It was Craig Breen and Paul Nagle of Team MRF Tyres first podium in the European Rally Championships. Gryazin, who also won Latvia’s ERC counter in 2017 and 2018, maintained a consistent lead in every stage of the Rally right from the opening stage to claim a impressive victory with co-driver Konstantin Aleksandrov leaving behind craig Breen and Lukyanuk I second and third positions respectively.
Llarena Efrén with co-driver Fernandez Sara and Mikkelsen A. with co-driver Fløene Ola of team Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo secured fourth and fifth positions respectively. ORLEN Team’s Miko Marczyk, who finished third in Poland, last month came sixth in the rally. Moreover, Finland’s Eerik Pietarinen moved up to seventh and Yacco ACCR Team’s Erik Cais finished eighth up from P15 position. The ninth position was taken up by Emilio Fernàndez from Chile while Simone Tempestini of Napoca Rally Academy completed the top 10.
The rally
Brainchild of promoter Raimonds Strokšs, Rally Liepaja was initially a winter event but later changed to an autumn event. The change in date meant the roads will remain free from ice and snow. The high-speed stages in western Latvia continued to thrill drivers. The organizers made more changes for 2019 and an expanded route taking in popular stages around the Talsi region. The rally took place in July for the first time and will be a Saturday finish event rather than Sunday finish. Talsi, is a new stage for 2021. The drivers complete 12 stages accounting to 181.74 km mainly on a gravel rich surface.
About FIA
The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile or International Automobile Federation (FIA) is an association established on June 20, 1904. FIA works across three key interlinked areas of activity i.e.: Sport, Campaigns and Mobility and promotes motor sport and road safety around the world.
Coming next is Round 3 of the 2021 FIA European Rally Championship, Rally di Roma Capitale, scheduled from July 23 to 25 in Rome, Italy.
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