[ERC] Rally Serras de Fafe e Felgueiras 2021

[Andre Oliveira]

https://scontent.fopo3-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/239907943_997353614389134_2403898765484274028_n.pn g?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=ae9488&_nc_ohc=AsS-XFTKz_MAX9GTji5&_nc_ht=scontent.fopo3-2.fna&oh=3fc5625456098a115430f6774f82aa7d&oe=614CB203

[focus206]

There were rumors on something changing about the Portuguese rounds of ERC, Azores and Fafe. Any news to this day? Is it looking promising for both of them to take place?

[pantealex]

Really same weekend than WRC Finland ?

[Tom K]

Yes. Strange, but probably it's to keep it close to Azores due to pairing

[Co-driven]

I think it's also related to other ERC events. Moving one week before would be too close to Azores, and one week forward would be too close to Hungary and could makes things harder for some teams, that would have to leave for Azores and only come back home after Hungary (depending on they base).

I remember a few months ago that there was a possibility of moving Rally Hungary date but in the end it didn't work out.

[Tom K]

Lameirinha stage means also FIA ERC will do "Fafe" jump?

[Andre Oliveira]

Yes.

[Andre Oliveira]

From press release

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E_azNHRXoAcbuC6?format=jpg&name=large

[Andre Oliveira]

Non ERC crews

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E_9ddhhWQAQLWTy?format=jpg&name=medium

[Andre Oliveira]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E_-ptZhUcAYSg_v?format=jpg&name=medium

[Andre Oliveira]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E_-1BsGXsAEHA8B?format=jpg&name=large

[Jarek Z]

New Hyundai for Magalhaes:
https://www.fiaerc.com/flying-to-fafe-magalhaes-shows-off-new-hyundai-for-home-erc-round/

[Jarek Z]

Former Chelsea football club André Villas-Boas to compete in Fafe:
https://www.fiaerc.com/flying-to-fafe-expert-advice-planned-as-football-coach-villas-boas-makes-erc-debut/

[Andre Oliveira]

Pic by RedPoint

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FAXQIG2WUAM2LjE?format=jpg&name=large

[mknight]

Looks like it will rain whole weekend. Most on Sunday but (slowly?) starting from Saturday morning.

Might make the choice of starting position interesting.

[Jarek Z]

Alexey Lukyanuk and Dmitry Feofanov are testing their cars before Rally Serras de Fafe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAyEVgnIj4Y&t=1s

[Fast Eddie WRC]

The top guys picked middle to later road positions as they're so unsure of the weather forecast.

[RS]

Looking forward to this one.. expecting a strong show from Sordo now he knows the car and tyres better and hoping Lukyanuk can keep out of trouble and challenge the big boys.

The ‘jump stage’ live on Youtube twice on Sunday too :up:

[Jarek Z]

Programme of the live coverage - 2 live stages on Saturday and 2 on Sunday:
https://www.fiaerc.com/watch-on-tv/

[Jarek Z]

Start positions:
https://www.fiaerc.com/cartier-starts-first-sordo-picks-p12-on-erc-rally-serras-de-fafe-e-felguieras-fia-erc2-ace-victor-cartier-will-run-at-the-front-of-the-pack-on-day-one-of-rally-serras-de-fafe-e-felguieras-the-fre/

The first top driver will start 12th!

[RS]

Qualy highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLUTxfYs_PE

Sordo qualy onboard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmXvW0wnlPM

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Seems no live heli coverage as the low cloud and fog could come down more and trap it up in the hills. :(

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Pity Lukyanuk isnt happy with his car set-up and not in the fight for the lead with Mikkelsen and Sordo.

[Danny0405]

Puncture for Mikkelsen so Sordo takes a good lead if his tyres are able to keep up the whole rallye this time.
But still not a bad operation for Mikkelsen for the moment, still 2nd just behind Lukyanuk and Llarena and Marczyk are quite far.

[Lead]

In Azores Mikkelsen lost close to 1min in ss2 with broken wipers, came back and won it. Lets see if can do this here. His main target should be Sordo, cause all of other rivals are having problems of their own.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Puncture for Sordo now and he's 0.7s behind Mikkelsen who leads !

[Lead]

Puncture war going on right now.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Puncture war going on right now.

And putting Lukyanuk back in the fight.

[Lead]

The stages sound completely destroyed.

[RS]

Puncture war going on right now.

Sadly yes, but at least Sordo's puncture has reset the battle for the lead with Lukyanuk and Tempestini not too far behind.

[Danny0405]

Quite incredible stages this afternoon, will be really interesting with 4 drivers in less than 9 seconds

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Mikkelsen smashed in a great time while Sordo's MRF's lost grip ! And Lukyanuk up to 2nd now.

[Danny0405]

And great time by Tempestini

[Lead]

And great time by Tempestini

Surprise of the rally so far. Great pace already from the start in these tricky conditions.

[Danny0405]

Puncture for Tempestini and he lost some time.
Llanera is out so if Mikkelsen wins and according to Marczyk (quite far for the moment) and Lukyanuk’s positions, Andreas could clinch the title tomorrow. But tight fight with Lukyanuk for the moment.

[Tom K]

How did you count it? If Mikkelsen take full points (40) here, he will have 176. Llarena has 102 now, and still in Hungary and Canarias can score 80 points.

[Lead]

Tempestini and Sordo out :(
Fight for the win will be between Mikkelsen and Lukyanuk.

[Lead]

Bonato after ss8 :D

Bonato Yoann - Boulloud Benjamin
"We hit something in the end and got a puncture, I don't know where. Tomorrow I probably take a trailer with extra tyres, two spares are not enough."

[Danny0405]

How did you count it? If Mikkelsen take full points (40) here, he will have 176. Llarena has 102 now, and still in Hungary and Canarias can score 80 points.

My mistake I was taking out both points from Azores and Fafe for Llarena... a little too much :D

[dimviii]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FAttHYkXMAIH_Q_?format=jpg&name=medium

[Jarek Z]

Bonato after ss8 :D

I noticed already last year that Bonato's comments can be very interesting :)

... contrary to his pace.

[dimviii]

how Sordo lost his bumper

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FAw4npxXMAUrx8e?format=jpg&name=medium

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FAw2TWAXoAAevsS?format=jpg&name=large

[dimviii]

lol

Lukyanuk Alexey - Arnautov Alexey
"The team did a joke, we need to get back to the service to fix. It's internal."


gap now 0,7 sec to Mikkelsen

[dimviii]

Sordo yesterday roll
https://twitter.com/Hayes1Darren/status/1444421873735974917

[Lead]

Lukyanuk isnt happy about something, he just looks so irritated... and stage end commentator took the heat from him.

[RS]

Lukyanuk isnt happy about something, he just looks so irritated... and stage end commentator took the heat from him.

That seems to be his general demeanour these days sadly. Perhaps he would be better off in the future concentrating on the flat out events he favours in a car he likes, if he can find backing for such a programme.

[Mirek]

Broken driveshaft for Lukyanuk. The battle is over.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Broken driveshaft for Lukyanuk. The battle is over.

Un-Luky stage 13. :(

[RS]

Solid drive by Mikkelsen, shame there was no fight for the victory in the end.

Lukyanuk not going to Hungary 'due to budget and some reasons'

[mknight]

After these two rallies from Sordo, Poland and Liepaja with Breen, Finish championship win with Lindholm and Italian gravel championship results, I'd say it's safe to say that MRF is a competetive tire on gravel.

Sure in some specific conditions one or the other might be better (Pirelli seems best when it's very hot, Michelin when it's very wet, MRF when damp?), but there are no huge differences.

Tarmac is something else.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Good drive by Mikkelsen but helped a lot in winning by the misfortunes of Sordo and Lukyanuk. The luck usually evens itself out but Lukyanuk does seen to get more bad luck than good.

[Danny0405]

Mikkelsen has 176 points now on the championship.

The best Marczyk can do is 175 with 2*40 (excluding worst result which would be Fafe in the best case scenario) so cannot be champion anymore.
Lukyanuk cannot do more than 175 also.

The last one who could beat Andreas is Llarena who could make 182.
So Mikkelsen just need to make a daily top-5 (+ beating Llarena in the same day) to be champion in Hungary.

Good drives from Mikkelsen since he is with Edmondson. Hope they can have some WRC shots next year. In the end, after a difficult beginning, quite an «*easy*» championship for him.
In WRC-2, he should also win with Ostberg’s last result (at least, he is in a good position now as he would need 13 or 14 points in Monza in the worst case scenario). He may even just need to finish in Monza to win the championship according to Ostberg’s result in Catalunya + the number of WRC-2 competitors in Monza.

[Lead]

My surprise of the rally - Tempestini. Until his mechanical (?) problem and retirement showing some really great speed.

Congrats to Mikkelsen. He did what he have to.

[dimviii]

After these two rallies from Sordo, Poland and Liepaja with Breen, Finish championship win with Lindholm and Italian gravel championship results, I'd say it's safe to say that MRF is a competetive tire on gravel.

Sure in some specific conditions one or the other might be better (Pirelli seems best when it's very hot, Michelin when it's very wet, MRF when damp?), but there are no huge differences.

Tarmac is something else.

the difficult for new tyre manufacture at gravel tyres is when really hot.
Just remember Dmack.

[mknight]

the difficult for new tyre manufacture at gravel tyres is when really hot.
Just remember Dmack.

It was extremely hot in Poland.
Breens puncture om Saturday might have been some overheating. But Gryazin got Pirelli tire(s) seemingly exploding just one stage later.

Italian gravel championship has also been very hot, and MRF is winning there.

[Jarek Z]

Is it only my impression or do MRF drivers have many accidents? First it was Lindholm, then Breen, Huttunen and now also Sordo (who is not a driver who crashes a lot, is he?).

Some examples:
https://www.ewrc-results.com/media/63180-rally-fafe-montelongo-2020/3080/
https://www.ewrc-results.com/media/63180-rally-fafe-montelongo-2020/3079/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4BT-5nhRt8
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FAttHYkXMAIH_Q_?format=jpg&name=medium

[mknight]

Lindholm has had many crashes in WRC3 on Pirelli. Maybe more than in Finland on MRF (after all I believe he just won the Finnish championship).

For Sordo and Breen, they are also driving the I20. Which is sometimes fast but seemingly tricky to drive.

[Tom K]

Mikkelsen has 176 points now on the championship.

The best Marczyk can do is 175 with 2*40 (excluding worst result which would be Fafe in the best case scenario) so cannot be champion anymore.
Lukyanuk cannot do more than 175 also.

The last one who could beat Andreas is Llarena who could make 182.
So Mikkelsen just need to make a daily top-5 (+ beating Llarena in the same day) to be champion in Hungary.

Good drives from Mikkelsen since he is with Edmondson. Hope they can have some WRC shots next year. In the end, after a difficult beginning, quite an «*easy*» championship for him.
In WRC-2, he should also win with Ostberg’s last result (at least, he is in a good position now as he would need 13 or 14 points in Monza in the worst case scenario). He may even just need to finish in Monza to win the championship according to Ostberg’s result in Catalunya + the number of WRC-2 competitors in Monza.

And thanks to "clever" decision made by WRC Promoter, we will not see new champion in Canarias, because Mikkelsen needs to start in Monza. Very good start for WRC Promoter with promotion of ERC:rolleyes: