Barum Czech Rally Zlín 

Mareš won the qualifying stage, closely defeated Cais and Wagner

18. 8. 2023 - Vojtěch JURÁK

The last sharp test before the start of the 52nd Barum Czech Rally Zlín 2023 was performed the best by Filip Mareš and Radovan Bucha in the Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo. On Friday morning, the Czech crew set the fastest time on the qualifying stage Maják with the start in the Malenovice district of Zlín. Erik Cais and Igor Bacigal and the Austrians Simon Wagner and Gerald Winter were close behind.

The qualifying stage was accompanied by hot sunny weather in the morning, but it was raining in Zlín on Friday night, so the track conditions were very tricky. "It's a nice feeling to start the weekend like this, but neither the qualification nor the starting position for tomorrow is decisive. It was wet in the woods by the Maják, and it's quite dark there. The track was drying out, so every two minutes at the start could play a role," Mareš commented after the qualification.

The five fastest crews stacked up within six tenths of a second, with ten-time Barum Rally champion Jan Kopecký at sixth position by a larger gap. Thanks to their victory at the qualifying stage, Mareš and Bucha will be the first to choose their starting position for Saturday's leg this afternoon from 15:30. Right after the qualifying stage there was also a shakedown, after which they will choose their starting positions on the starting ramp in front of the Zlín City Hall.

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Standings of the qualifying SS Maják (3,14 km)
1. Mareš, Bucha (CZE, Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo) 2:09,329 min
2. Cais, Bacigál (CZE, Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2) + 0,120 s
3. Wagner, Winter (AUT, Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2) + 0,167 s
4. Stříteský, Hovorka (CZE, Škoda Fabia R5) + 0,371 s
5. Ingram, Kihurani (GBR, Volkswagen Polo GTi R5) + 0,532 s
6. Kopecký, Hloušek (CZE, Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2) + 1,545 s
7. Csomós, Bán (HUN, Škoda Fabia Rally 2 Evo) + 1,699 s
8. Lukyanuk, Chervonenko (CYP/UKR, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) + 1,946 s
9. Paddon, Kennard (NZL, Hyundai i20 N Rally2) + 2,304 s
10. Tempestini, Itu (ROU, Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo) + 2,347 s