2016 News and Results

[Mirek]

Hermen Kobus is not too happy with ERC or Skoda Motorsport either; translation from his facebook page:

"I am extremely disappointed at the European Championship and especially on Eurosport, the promoter. The ERC simply does not return, because Eurosport has just highlighting the top three and we can not use our own images themselves. We onboards but we may not use. you do not get sold to your sponsors ... A second problem was the lack of support from Skoda Motorsport. it is clear that just may win the official pilots of Skoda Motorsport. As a private customer, we never got the mapping we needed to compete at the front. the Barum we drove to Kopecky, Sirmacis, Kreim ... All of them guys that official support from Skoda Motorsport and whose car has much more boost. I felt once how the big difference with the appropriate assistance of an engineer from Skoda Motorsport. That was last year, after the declaration of Freddy Loix in the East Belgian Rally. Not by chance I could win that game ... So, considering these two factors, I have decided not to return to the European championship. The ERC will cost a lot more than a Belgian or Dutch championship, but the extra cost just does not return to. And you have no chance to compete for the podium, and that is my ambition. "

I do believe there is a difference between works cars and private cars (it's quite obvious and logical anyway) but there was only one works car in Barum - of Kopecký. Kreim's car was private one from the same team as Tarabus. There were also plenty of other private Fabias - Kostka, Valoušek, Tarabus, Černý or Tlusťák.

I remember Kobus saying similar stuff loud already after Ypres. Maybe he just managed to make his relationship with Škoda so bad that they don't want to help him with anything. I don't know but I'm quite sure that one shall be careful about criticising too much someone who he depends on.