Barum Czech Rally Zlín 

FLASH Info: SSS 1 Zlín (length 9.51 km)

30. 8. 2014 - Evžen Gargulák, Michal Herman, press centre BCRZ

On Friday evening we could witness the launch of the popular competition Barum Czech Rally Zlín 2014. The Zlín city centre was flooded with incredible amount of spectators, who created an unforgettable atmosphere, which was also reflected in the crews' performances and emotions. The super special stage was ruled by a Dutch driver Kevin Abbring navigated by Sebastian Marshall. Despite the track being so short, the factory driver of Škoda Motorsport Lappi was seconding him with a loss of almost three seconds. He was followed by the Irish racer Craig Breen in Peugeot 208 T16, who was 1, 8 seconds slower him.

Martin Vlček (CZE, Škoda Fabia S2000, st. no. 21)
'We had problems with recharging, therefore the light ramp was not working and we could not see the track. We enjoyed the super special stage a lot, the atmosphere is amazing.'

Antonín Tlusťák (CZE, Škoda Fabia S2000, st. no. 20)
'The car was working just fine; everything goes according to the plan so far. The results from this special stage don't mean a thing, everything can change.'

Neil Simpson (GBR, Škoda Fabia S2000, st. no. 19)
'A great start of the rally, the fans were amazing as well as the overall atmosphere. We especially enjoyed the dirt and gravel on the track, because of the sliding. We also tried to do a show for the fans.'

Pavel Valoušek (CZE, Škoda Fabia S2000, st. no. 18)
'The car setup did not disappoint us, we enjoyed it to the maximum and everything is alright. Let's hope it will stay this way.'

Tomáš Kostka (CZE, Ford Fiesta R5, st. no. 17)
'All is incredibly well; we were pleasantly surprised with the result. We will try to speed up tomorrow.'

Roman Odložilík (CZE, Ford Fiesta R5, st. no. 16)
'We had a good time, but this is not important at this stage of the rally. Choice of the tyres was probably right, we'll see in the next days.'

Jaroslav Orsák (CZE, Škoda Fabia S2000, st. no. 15)
'It was pretty awesome. This special stage is primarily for the crowds so we tried to change our driving style for this reason.'

Robert Consani (FRA, Peugeot 207 S2000, st. no. 14)
'Everything was okay except for the vibrations I felt during the ride. Hopefully it was just a minor problem that can be dealt with until tomorrow.'

Miroslav Jakeš (CZE, Citroen DS3 R5, st. no. 12)
'We experienced difficulties with the servo. I'm not sure if we can repair it for tomorrow's races. We will try our best.'

Jaromír Tarabus (CZE, Škoda Fabia S2000, st. no. 11)
'We don't really like this special stage. There were some grip problems, a lot of slides that were probably caused by the tyre choice. I hope we were not falling behind too much.'

Robert Barrable (IRL, Ford Fiesta R5, st. no. 10)
'This circuit is astonishing. The atmosphere around the track was very wild, which kept us going faster and faster.'

Roman Kresta (CZE, Škoda Fabia S2000, st. no. 9)
'Overall we are quite positive. We were completely relaxed and the car setup was just the way we needed it.'

Bruno Magalhães (PRT, Peugeot 208 T16, st. no. 8)
'The car was not working the way we wanted, it was a bit stiff and also we are still dealing with some spare parts problems. We have to do something about it, but I am not sure about tomorrow. The weather will play a crucial role.'

Sepp Wiegand (DEU, Škoda Fabia S2000, st. no. 7)
'We love this special stage. The crowds are enormous, we are really happy about that. At this moment we are not planning any changes for tomorrow. The setup was magnificent.'

Kajetan Kajetanowicz (POL, Ford Fiesta R5, st. no. 6)
'We had a lot of fun during this stage. I have no clue about our time, but I hope we are not far behind the top drivers.'

Kevin Abbring (NLD, Peugeot 208 T16, st. no. 5)
'This stage was a full of fun and adventure. Not only thanks to the thousands of fans, but in the end we are pleasantly surprised with our time.'

Václav Pech (CZE, Mini John Cooper Works S2000, st. no. 4)
'We liked this circuit, however the photographers' flashes were simply blinding, but I guess this only emphasises the specific atmosphere of this stage. I felt pain in my hand so I hope it is going to be fine for the next races. We will also have to change the setup from circuit to normal.'

Esapekka Lappi (FIN, Škoda Fabia S2000, st. no. 3)
'We are having a good time, although we were struggling with grip problems. The tyre choice will have to be different for the next day.'

Ott Tänak (EST, Ford Fiesta R5, st. no. 2)
'I truly enjoy so many people standing all the way around the circuit. We'll choose the tyres depending on the weather of course, but these were too soft tonight, which has caused lots of slides.'

Craig Breen (IRL, Peugeot 208 T16, st. no. 1)
'We did lose a few seconds in the tight turns because of a minor handbrake problem. For the next days we hope to avoid any technical difficulties – there have already been too many this year.'