43 year old Dubai Fiesta R5 driver, Rashid al-Ketbi, was proclaimed the inaugural champion of the new-style FIA European Rally Trophy when he finished as highest placed eligible driver at the Waldviertel Rally in Upper Austria.
Rashid Al Ketbi.The Group N based ERT2 category was won by German Subaru driver Bjorn Satorius, while Czech Peugeot R2 driver, Filip Mares, was champion of both the ERC3 two wheel drive and the ERT Junior categories.
The event itself was won by Raimund Baumschlager in a Fabia R5.
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After a low-key year, important developments have been announced by the promoters of the European Rally Championship, notably a second phase of the Junior drivers’ ladder of opportunity.
While the ERC Junior under 27 R2 drivers’ Championship continues, there is now also to be an under 28 category for R5 drivers. The ERC Junior under 28 champion will win a drive in a World Rally Car on a European round of WRC.
The winner of the six round under 27 ERC Junior series will receive a career progression fund worth 100,000 Euros to use in the under 28 ERC Junior series in 2018. Pirelli is backing the scheme.
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Surviving the misery of two days of road opening before the running order rules are expected to change in 2017, world champion Sebastien Ogier cheekily said in Coffs Harbour that he would rather drive in the dust of other drivers than drive first on the road in unfavourable circumstances.
He is reported to say: “By our calculations it is between 0.2 - 0.3 second per car per kilometre faster to run behind the leading cars”.
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After his misfortune on the first stage at Rally Australia, Ogier’s teammate Jari-Matti Latvala vowed to finish the season (and his career with VW) “with dignity”.
The next day he won two special stages.
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It is reported that the former Toyota candidate driver, Teemu Suninen, has been test driving a Toyota Yaris WRC, after earlier saying that he had no idea if there was to be a future for him at that company, notwithstanding his two-season apprenticeship in the WRC, which Toyota funded.
- Martin Holmes