Belgian Rally News

[dupanton]

Spa Rally was a crazy rally. Difficult stages, lots of rain, unexpected twist and a lot of crashes... My opinion:
1st Cherain (DS3 RRC): Poor start but very strong on Saturday in the rain. Expected him to be faster on Friday, but won anyway.
2nd Allart (Fabia R5): very regular but invisible rally. Moved up to 2nd because of the problems and crashes of the others.
3th Verschueren (Fabia R5): Looked like he was going to have a very bad result for the championship. Start on SS1 with doing 1 lap to much up and around the Spa circuit... Not the codriver fault, but the driver didn't listen! Then a small off, 2 punctures etc on Saturday, but still managed to climb up to 3th.
4th Fumal (DS3 R5): Gentleman driver, he had a spun in front of us, but overall a good and regular rally for him.
5th Bouvy (Porsche): Best of the Porsches. But would have been beaten by Snijers (untill he too retired) if not for the codriver of Snijers: 3 minutes early, then 8 minutes early and then 8 minutes late. So at the end of Friday, already 12 minutes 20 of penalties
7th Rouard (DS3 R3t): young guy, his first year in the Belgian Championship and a class of his own in FWD. Also 2nd overall in the championship now!
8th Delhez (Adam R2): good driver, first R2 and first Junior, although the level isn't very high and De Mevius retired with a broken Engine on SS2.
10th Dehaye (Golf Kit Car): special mention for this female driver. Nice result in her VW Golf Kit Car.

Retirements:
De Cecco (208 R5): Engine on SS2
Fernémont (Fiesta R5): retired after day 1 with some mechanical problem I think
Lim (I20 R5): very strong start, the surprise of the rally! Couldn't believe his times with his lack of experience. But very clean driving and that pays off. Unfortunately he hit a stone in a cut, not really a big mistake but broke his suspension.
Dilley (Fabia R5): good start, was very fast. But had a double puncture on Saturday which caused his retirement.
Abbring (208 R5): too wild pretty much everywhere in the rain. But very impressive on Friday. Crashes and damaged his suspension.
Debackere (Fabia R5): good rally for her, better than I expected. But ripped a wheel off on Saturday afternoon.
Kenis (Mini RRC): Lost the brakes
De Maerschalck (DS3 R5): OK rally, could have finished 2nd but retired with some electrical problem.
Maeyaert (Fiesta R5): difficult rally. Switching between good stage times and mistakes. Went off and got stuck in a ditch during the last loop. But he showed potential for sure!
Princen (Fabia R5): Big crash on the last stage... Almost lost victory on the last stage in Round 1 and that maybe pressured him into his mistake. Although bad visibility and lost of concentration because of that was also a part of the reason. Princen broke a rib so will possibly miss the next round too... That could be dramatic for his championship chances.

But, the last word isn't yet spoken about the rally. Cherain, Fumal and Maeyaert are under investigation for using non allowed tyres. Something to do with a rain compound (Pirelli for Cherain and Fumal) that might or might not be allowed in the FIA Regional Rally Regulation. But I don't know exactly what it's all about.

[dimviii]

keep us informed dupanton about the tyres.

[EightGear]

watch Abbring at 0,50sec

https://youtu.be/1J2CeCfDvJw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96XQCLcMuGQ&t=0s

[dupanton]

Bouvy at 202 kph... https://www.facebook.com/rallyemag/v...video_guests=0

[dupanton]

keep us informed dupanton about the tyres.

I will do! Still not entirely (entyrely? ) clear what happened.
I think they used this tyre:
https://scontent-bru2-1.xx.fbcdn.net...6c&oe=595A82E4

Discussion I think is that the tyre is allowed in WRC (apparently it was developed for WRC Germany) but isn't on the FIA list of admitted tyres for Regional Rallies.

[br21]

Yes, I heard the same, and for my understanding of Belgian rules it's not allowed tire.

[dodge33cymru]

Forgive me for clogging up the desk with my Britishness, but all this Spa footage made me excited for my annual Ypres visit in June, so I thought I'd ask the more knowledgeable amongst you (so everyoen, compared to me), which of the local regulars are likely to do Ypres or not? Assuming the pound doesn't crash too badly before then (possibly too positive thinking), this is what I could put together for the R5 contingent from available information on TER and the British championship, thought I'd ask which locals are likely to join. As far as I can work out, De Cecco and Allart certainly won't be there, at least not in R5s. Will the RRCs (ie: Mini) be eligible?


Citroen/DS
BEL - Cedric Cherain?
BEL - Kevin Demaerschalk?
GBR - Jonny Greer
TER - Simone Tempestini


Peugeot
BEL - Kevin Abbring


Ford
BEL - Pieter-Jan Maeyaert
BEL - Claudie Tanghe
GBR - Osian Pryce
GBR - James Slaughter
GBR - Keith Cronin
GBR - Alex Laffey
GBR - Rhys Yates
GBR - Jamie Anderson
GBR - Euan Thorburn?
GBR - Matt Edwards?
GBR - Tom Cave?
TER - Bernd Casier
TER - Bogdan Marisca
TER - Jaroslav Orsak


Skoda
BEL - Guillaume Dilley?
BEL - Kris Princen
BEL - Vincent Verschueren
BEL - Axel Boxoen
BEL - Melissa Debackere?
GBR - David Bogie
GBR - Marty McCormack
GBR - Desi Henry
GBR - Fredrik Ahlin
TER - Stefan Gottig
IND - Hermen Kobus


Hyundai
TER - Chewon Lim
TER - Giandomenico Basso
IND - Thierry Neuville



I realise that not all of these will be super competitive and presumably a Porsche or two will show some of them up, but I was bored at lunch and fancied writing a list. Any of your superior knowledge would be much appreciated, but could be a pretty nice field if this is in any way accurate (high 20s, low 30s).

[mousti]

Not all of TER will be sure at Ypres. Demaerschalk and Debackere will be sure though. Normally also Sylvain Michel in a Fabia. Becaert in a DS3 too.

Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-G935F met Tapatalk

[MartijnS]

Cherain and Fumal disqualified due to the used tires.

[Mirek]

Ups

Crazy final results then - 1. Allart, 2. verschueren, 3. Bouvy