Jan Kopecký has secured his first victory of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge season following a tense finish to Rally Canaries today.
He moved in front when Kris Meeke suffered a puncture on Friday’s penultimate stage, but then had to stave off pressure from Škoda Motorsport teammate Juho Hänninen, who closed to within 9.1 seconds of the Czech driver at the finish in Las Palmas.
Kopecký, who became the fourth different winner in as many rounds, moves to equal second-position, with Guy Wilks, in the championship standings, seven points behind Hänninen.
Defending IRC champion Meeke fell from first to sixth after his puncture but battled back to fourth at the wheel of his Peugeot 207. He is now clear in fourth in the drivers’ table.
Fastest on four stages, Kopecký admitted that he wouldn’t have caught Meeke had it not been for the Northern Irishman’s puncture. That is how good the Peugeot UK driver’s pace on the challenging asphalt roads of Gran Canaries was.
Kopecký had to make it through the opening loop of stages on Saturday with no working handbrake but otherwise reported no major problems on his way to a third victory in his IRC career.
Hänninen is more at home on gravel but impressed throughout the all-asphalt island rally to keep within touching distance of Kopecký, who is regarded as a Tarmac specialist. Hänninen’s fourth podium finish of the season enabled him to extend his title advantage by two points.
Rally Canaries classification:
1. Jan Kopecký (Skoda Fabia S2000) in 2h12’27’’4
2. Juho Hänninen (Skoda Fabia S2000) + 9’’1
3. Guy Wilks (Skoda Fabia S2000) + 36’’4
4. Kris Meeke (Peugeot 207 S2000) + 1’05’’5
5. Bruno Magalhaes (Peugeot 207 S2000) + 1’17’’8
6. Alberto Hevia (Skoda Fabia S2000) + 1’25’’1
7. Ruben Garcia (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X) + 10’06’’5
8. Sergio Vallejo (Ford Fiesta S2000) + 12’49’’7
9. Jose Barrios (Subaru Impreza ST1) + 13’12’’8
10. Yeray Lemes (Ford Fiesta R2) + 14’12’’4
Etc.
Championship Standing: 1. Hänninen 32 pts, 2. Wilks 25, 3. Kopecký 25, 4. Meeke 15, 5. Magalhaes 13, etc.
He moved in front when Kris Meeke suffered a puncture on Friday’s penultimate stage, but then had to stave off pressure from Škoda Motorsport teammate Juho Hänninen, who closed to within 9.1 seconds of the Czech driver at the finish in Las Palmas.
Kopecký, who became the fourth different winner in as many rounds, moves to equal second-position, with Guy Wilks, in the championship standings, seven points behind Hänninen.
Defending IRC champion Meeke fell from first to sixth after his puncture but battled back to fourth at the wheel of his Peugeot 207. He is now clear in fourth in the drivers’ table.
Fastest on four stages, Kopecký admitted that he wouldn’t have caught Meeke had it not been for the Northern Irishman’s puncture. That is how good the Peugeot UK driver’s pace on the challenging asphalt roads of Gran Canaries was.
Kopecký had to make it through the opening loop of stages on Saturday with no working handbrake but otherwise reported no major problems on his way to a third victory in his IRC career.
Hänninen is more at home on gravel but impressed throughout the all-asphalt island rally to keep within touching distance of Kopecký, who is regarded as a Tarmac specialist. Hänninen’s fourth podium finish of the season enabled him to extend his title advantage by two points.
Rally Canaries classification:
1. Jan Kopecký (Skoda Fabia S2000) in 2h12’27’’4
2. Juho Hänninen (Skoda Fabia S2000) + 9’’1
3. Guy Wilks (Skoda Fabia S2000) + 36’’4
4. Kris Meeke (Peugeot 207 S2000) + 1’05’’5
5. Bruno Magalhaes (Peugeot 207 S2000) + 1’17’’8
6. Alberto Hevia (Skoda Fabia S2000) + 1’25’’1
7. Ruben Garcia (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X) + 10’06’’5
8. Sergio Vallejo (Ford Fiesta S2000) + 12’49’’7
9. Jose Barrios (Subaru Impreza ST1) + 13’12’’8
10. Yeray Lemes (Ford Fiesta R2) + 14’12’’4
Etc.
Championship Standing: 1. Hänninen 32 pts, 2. Wilks 25, 3. Kopecký 25, 4. Meeke 15, 5. Magalhaes 13, etc.