Jannerrallye - 4-6 Jan 15

KAJETANOWICZ HEADS PIRELLI 1-2-3 ON ERC SEASON-OPENER

Posted: January 25, 2015 12:55 PM

Pirelli has begun the international motorsport season in style with a 1-2-3 finish on the Jannerrallye, the opening round of the European Rally Championship (January 5-6) following a dominant performance by the Italian tyre manufacturer.

Kajetan Kajetanowicz won the winter event in a Ford Fiesta R5 with Robert Consani (Peugeot 207 Super 2000) second and Alexey Lukyanuk (Fiesta R5) third. And there was more Pirelli success with Raimund Baumschlager winning the supporting national rally in a Pirelli-shod Skoda Fabia and Slawomir Ogryzek capturing the ERC3 spoils at the wheel of a Peugeot 208 R2.

With the exception of Baumschlager, who ran on Pirelli’s 16-inch 135/90-16 S16 tyre in accordance with the Austrian championship regulations, all drivers were using the Pirelli 135/85-15 SA15 tyre fitted with studs protruding to 2mm and designed for 15-inch wheel rims. They proved optimal on the ice and snow-hit Tarmac stages of Upper Austria and decisive in terms of the result.

The 135/85-15 SA15 tyre is used predominantly on two-wheel-drive cars but its narrow and softer construction and high level of stud retention meant it delivered a high level of grip on the snow-coated roads, which proved slippery in the extreme, particularly during a period of heavy snowfall on the opening leg.

“Congratulations first of all to all the Pirelli drivers that did a fantastic rally,” said Matteo Braga, a senior Pirelli tyre engineer. “Kajetan did the perfect race, always delivering a high level of performance. Consani managed his tyres very well, using just eight over the entire 238 kilometres of stages, while Lukyanuk was always pushing to be on the podium after a mechanical problem on the first stage. He achieved his mission by winning the final stage. We must also remember the achievements of Baumschlager and Ogryzek, who also drove very well in the difficult conditions.”

Pirelli’s next major motorsport challenge is round one of the World Rally Championship, Rallye Monte-Carlo from January 19-25, ranked as one of the toughest events on the calendar due to the unpredictable weather and strong likelihood of changeable road conditions. Meanwhile, the ERC resumes on Rally Liepaja in Latvia from February 6-8.

Craig caught out in Championship opener.

Posted: January 25, 2015 12:54 PM

The first round of this year’s European Rally Championship the Internationale Jännerrallye was never going to be easy for Peugeot Rally Academy driver Craig Breen. Although he went there leading Peugeot’s ERC campaign for a third consecutive year he had never competed on the Austrian event before or even driven his Peugeot 208T16 on snow. The expectations from everyone including himself were very high and even though there was more mud than snow during the pre-event test Craig was confident that he and his co-driver Scott Martin could be right on the pace when they took on their first snow covered stage in the 208T16. The rally ran unusually from Sunday (Jan 4th) to Tuesday (Jan 6th) taking advantage of a bank holiday in the country and the rally got underway with a short qualifying test on Sunday morning where Craig and Scott went up against the rest of the competitors in a shoot out to determine road order for the opening leg on Monday. Only managing seventh fastest time Craig felt he had not got the perfect tyre for the deep snow that covered the asphalt road but he remained focused and promised to push hard on the event itself.

Having selected to run eight on the road for leg one the first real stage was early Monday morning and it couldn’t have been a worse start when after a solid drive through the stage Craig and Scott slipped off the road into a snowbank on a slow speed bend just two kilometers from the finish. Even though the Peugeot 208T16 was undamaged it had beached itself and despite every effort from them to free it Craig and Scott were forced to admit defeat and retire from the rally without even completing one stage.

From then on by returning under rally two rules the next day it was going to be a chance to snatch critical leg points along with being a high speed testing exercise ahead of their forthcoming snow rallies in Monte Carlo and Latvia where they are certain to encounter similar conditions.

The Peugeot Rally Academy crew without the benefit of experiencing those ten previous stages were not able to match the pace of the leading drivers when they restarted so resigned themselves to developing their pace and the car set-up on the way to claiming five top five stage times and three bonus championship points. At the rally finish Craig said
“I am gutted to have gone off the road on the first stage of my first rally this season, we’ve missed the opportunity to take home some really good points but at least we salvaged something by being able to utilise leg two today”

KAJETANOWICZ TOPS ERC OPENER IN AUSTRIA

Posted: January 25, 2015 12:52 PM

Kajetan Kajetanowicz recorded fastest time on all but the final stage of the opening round of the 2015 FIA European Rally Championship to win the snowy Internationale Jännerrallye powered by GaGa Energy.

Co-driven by Jarek Baran, the 35-year old Pole was in a class of his own and inch perfect over the treacherously slippery stages, which were played out over two days in the beautiful Mühlviertel region of Upper Austria. Regardless of the level of grip, in snow blizzards or in sunshine, on daylight stages or at night, Kajetanowicz was unbeatable in his Pirelli-shod Ford Fiesta R5 – increasing his lead at every opportunity to win by more than seven minutes.

“It’s the best weekend ever, it’s fantastic, amazing and thank you to my whole team and my sponsors,” said the LOTOS Rally Team driver, who wins 7000 Euros in prize money and also tops the ERC Ice Master classification heading to round two in Latvia next month.

Robert Consani finished an ERC career-high second after employing a clever tyre conservation strategy. The Frenchman, who collects 6000 Euros in prize money, used eight Pirelli tyres on his Peugeot 207 S2000 throughout the event, yet managed to set several impressive stage times.

The greatest fightback on the event was by Alexey Lukyanuk. The Belarus driver lost almost five minutes on the opening stage when he was forced to stop to let his Ford Fiesta R5’s overheating engine cool down. Having dropped to 23rd position, Lukyanuk set 15 second fastest stage times over the remaining 17 stages – and fastest time on the 18th and final stage to deny Kajetanowicz a stage win whitewash – and beat Jaromír Tarabus to third place, picking up the coveted Colin McRae ERC Flat Out Trophy in the process. Lukyanuk will receive a cheque for 5000 Euros at the podium finish in Freistadt this evening.

Tarabus started the final stage 8.5s ahead of Lukyanuk, but ended 20.7s behind in fourth. The Czech’s ŠKODA Fabia S2000 had struggled with grip throughout the event, particularly towards the end when he had used all his allowed supply of 18 new tyres.

Austrian Martin Fischerlehner was the top local finisher, after an excellent run to fifth in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX.

Thanks to a large number of spins and a huge overshoot around a house, Jonathan Hirschi (Peugeot 208 T16) had covered more stage kilometres than anyone else! His superb never-give-up efforts were rewarded on the final stage, when he stole sixth place away from Antonín Tlus?ák (ŠKODA Fabia S2000) by just 2.8s.

Jean-Michel Raoux wasn’t able to test his Ford Fiesta R5 before the event and therefore struggled with differential set-up throughout, yet he still managed to compete the top 10 – behind the two leading ERC2 drivers (see below) – despite a costly trip into a snow bank this morning.

Craig Breen restarted under Rally 2 rules this morning following his stage-one exit and bagged three bonus points for finishing leg two in fifth, albeit outside of the final classification, in his Peugeot Rally Academy 208 T16.

ERC Junior champion Stéphane Lefebvre was on course for fifth spot when a mechanical failure forced his exit. Nevertheless the hugely talented Frenchman was able to gain plenty of experience at the wheel of his Citroën DS3 R5. He’ll be back on ERC duty on the Geko Ypres Rally in June.

ERC2: Štajf holds firm for victory
Vojt?ch Štajf maintained his healthy overnight lead to win the ERC2 category for R4 production cars in his Subaru Impreza WRX STI by 2m19.9s. The Czech driver also finished an excellent eight overall. Dávid Botka held onto second, despite his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX finishing the final stage with high temperature readings. Krisztián Hideg (Mitsubishi) and ?ukasz Kabaci?ski (Subaru) both completed leg two under Rally 2 rules with Hideg adding to his tally of stage wins.

ERC3: Ogryzek dominates in Austria
S?awomir Ogryzek set the fastest time on 12 of the first 13 stages to carve out a clear ERC3 lead in his Peugeot 208 R2. The Polish driver never put a foot wrong and eventually won the class by an impressive margin of more than four minutes and finished an incredible 11th overall. Simone Tempestini’s confidence grew as the snowy event progressed and denied Ogryzek a clean sweep of stage wins with six fastest times of his own in his Napoca Rally Academy Citroën DS3 R3T. Teenager Kristóf Klausz was third in his Renault Clio R3 ahead of fourth-placed Szabolcs Varkonyi (Honda Civic Type R3). Portugal’s Renato Pita, who was competing on snow for the first time, put a longer ratio gearbox in his Peugeot 208 R2 for leg two, which helped him increase his speed and finish fifth – one place ahead of Grzegorz Sikorski (Honda Civic Type R).

Results

Posted: January 25, 2015 12:51 PM

1 Kajetan Kajetanowicz (POL)/Jarek Baran (POL) Ford Fiesta R5 2h50m52.6s
2 Robert Consani (FRA)/Maxime Vilmot (FRA) Peugeot 207 S2000 +7m07.4s
3 Alexey Lukyanuk (BLR)/Yevhen Chervonenko (BLR) Ford Fiesta R5 +8m28.1s
4 Jaromír Tarabus (CZE)/Daniel Trunkát (CZE) ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000 +8m48.8s
5 Martin Fischerlehner (AUT)/Tobias Unterweger (AUT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX +22m38.6s*
6 Jonathan Hirschi (CHE)/Vincent Landais (FRA) Peugeot 208 T16 +27m26.9s
7 Antonín Tlus?ák (CZE)/Ladislav Ku?era (CZE) ŠKODA Fabia S2000 +27m29.7s
8 Vojt?ch Štajf (CZE)/František Rajnoha (CZE) Subaru Impreza WRX STI +28m18.6s
9 Dávid Botka (HUN)/Péter Mihalik (HUN) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX +30m38.5s
10 Jean-Michel Raoux (FRA)/Thomas Escartefigue (FRA) Ford Fiesta R5 +35m00.5s
*Non-registered ERC crew, not eligible for ERC2 points

FIA ERC2: Vojt?ch Štajf (CZE)/František Rajnoha (CZE) Subaru Impreza WRX STI
FIA ERC3: S?awomir Ogryzek (POL)/Jakub Wróbel (POL) Peugeot 208 R2 +
ERC Ladies’ Trophy: Martina Da?helová (CZE)/Karolína Jugasová (CZE) Renault Clio Sport

Colin McRae ERC Flat Out Trophy: Alexey Lukyanuk (BLR)

AUSTRIAN WINTER SPECTACULAR TO OPEN NEW ERC SEASON

Posted: January 5, 2015 3:01 PM

The waiting will soon be over and the high-speed action will begin. A little more than 50 days since Esapekka Lappi secured the 2014 FIA European Rally Championship, the race for ERC success in 2015 starts with the Internationale Jännerrallye powered by GaGa Energy from 4-6 January.

Having hosted round one of the ERC for the last three seasons, the Austrian event offers a tough test for drivers and their teams, with the high possibility of ice and snow adding to the challenge and placing a large onus on car set-up and tyre choice. As such studded covers are permitted in accordance with the event regulations.

Unusually, the 2015 Jännerrallye will start on a Sunday and finish on a Tuesday to take into account the Austrian Bank Holiday weekend, which helps to ensure huge numbers of fans will visit the fast and undulating asphalt stages in the spectacular Mühlviertel region.

The last two editions of the Jännerrallye have been decided by final-stage showdowns to underline the ERC’s ‘Serious Competition Ahead’ strapline. After former ERC champion Jan Kopecký claimed a dramatic victory in 2013, ex-Formula One racer Robert Kubica famously came out on top in 2014 for his first major international rally win. And plenty of star performers will be aiming to emulate the Pole’s achievement.

They include his compatriot Kajetan Kajetanowicz, Ireland’s Craig Breen, Robert Consani and Jean-Michel Raoux from France, Russia’s Alexey Lukyanuk, Czech aces Václav Pech, Jaromír Tarabus and Antonín Tlus?ák, promising Swiss newcomer Jonathan Hirschi, rising Austrian star Hermann Neubauer, plus ERC Junior champion Stéphane Lefebvre.

Based in Freistadt, 40 kilometres north of Linz in Upper Austria, the Jännerrallye will mark the start of an exciting new era for the ERC, details of which can be found below. And as well as counting for ERC points, the event is the opening round of the Austrian championship, won for a record-extending 12th time in 2014 by Raimund Baumschlager, who will contest the national section of the Jännerrallye.

ERC 2015: all you need know

Several exciting changes have been introduced for the 2015 ERC season. These include the renaming of the various categories to ERC (R5, Super 2000 and Regional Rally Cars), ERC2 (R4 – previously titled N4 – production cars) and ERC3 (for R1, R2 and R3), a registration system and a round-by-round prize fund for privateers. Tyre quantities and event distances have also been reduced, while drivers will count their best seven scores from the 10 rounds. The changes are explained in full at Fiaerc.com.

New prize fund for ERC privateers

ERC promoter Eurosport Events has created a prize fund totalling 200,000 Euros in partnership with several key stakeholders to assist drivers without manufacturer support competing in the ERC. It is the first time in recent history that a major international rally championship has offered a season-long prize fund and is another example of how Eurosport Events is assisting drivers and teams contesting the ERC, having previously introduced a number of measures to reduce the cost of competition. The round-by-round prize fund of 20,000 Euros will be allocated to the seven highest-placed eligible drivers according to the final official classification: first position: €7000; second position: €5000; third position: €3000; fourth position: €2000; fifth position: €1000; sixth position: €1000; seventh position: €1000.

To be eligible, drivers must register for the ERC, receive no manufacturer support*, use tyres from one of the three ERC partner companies (Michelin, Pirelli and Yokohama) and not compete in a Regional Rally Car. *Eurosport Events will determine privateer status in consultation with the manufacturer in question.

More TV for ERC in 2015

Eurosport will increase its coverage of the FIA European Rally Championship in 2015 with an exciting new preview show aired the day before every round. This new 13-minute slot is in addition to the 26-minute highlights programme at the end of each full day of an ERC event, plus the popular Inside ERC magazine show, which is broadcast for 26 minutes on the Tuesday evening after every round. The rising stars of the ERC Junior Championship will be among those to benefit from the expanded television package. As well as the current 15 minutes dedicated broadcast time on Eurosport, there will be additional coverage of ERC Junior in the new preview programme.

Registrations roll in for ERC

Almost 30 registrations have been received for the 2015 ERC and the number is set to rise considerably based on the current level of interest from drivers and teams. There are several benefits to registering such as receiving priority status, being eligible for the round-by-round prize fund, having access to the ERC Village in service parks and an attractive media package. Visit Fiaerc.com for more details.

Big chance for ERC Junior champion Lefebvre

ERC Junior champion Stéphane Lefebvre will step up a gear when the 2015 season gets underway in Austria. The Frenchman’s title success earned him two ERC rounds in an R5 car in 2015 and his first will be in a PH Sport Citroën DS3 R5 on the Jännerrallye. The 22-year-old will then make a second ERC appearance on June’s Geko Ypres Rally in Belgium when he will pilot a Peugeot 208 T16 alongside Peugeot Rally Academy team-mate Craig Breen, who will mount a nine-round ERC bid in 2015.

Exciting battles expected in ERC2 and ERC3

The new ERC2 and ERC3 categories will be closely contested on the Jännerrallye. The ERC2 participants in Austria include Hungarians Dávid Botka and Krisztian Hideg, Poland’s ?ukasz Kabaci?ski and Czech Vojt?ch Štajf. Among the ERC3 contingent hoping to challenge in Austria are Kristóf Klausz (Hungary), Polish duo Slawomir Ogryzek and Grzegorz Sikorski, emerging Romanian talent Simone Tempestini and Rok Turk from Slovenia. Czech Martina Da?helová will bid to repeat her ERC Ladies’ Trophy success of 12 months ago.

Q&A: JONATHAN HIRSCHI
The swift Swiss was the first driver to register for the 2015 ERC. An ex-circuit racer, Hirschi will make his Jännerrallye debut in a Peugeot 208 T16 having finished a career-best fourth on the penultimate round of last season’s ERC in Switzerland.

How will you prepare for the round one of the 2015 ERC season, the Jännerrallye?
“We did some tests a few weeks ago but it was really dry so maybe not suitable for the conditions of the rally. Normally I will do the test before the event in the Czech Republic and that should be good. After that it’s a bit like a casino with the weather, if it will be snow or dry Tarmac. It’s difficult to prepare for this event because if we prepare the car for the snow and it’s dry it will not be a good way so let’s see. From my part I saw some onboard camera footage just to see what the stages are like and it looks really great this rally.”

There is always the possibility of ice and snow on the Jännerrallye. How much of a concern is this for you or are you simply excited by the challenge?
“For sure I like this kind of challenge. I come from Switzerland so I have this kind of weather for three months of the year. I did some race on the ice, in the Andros Trophy, and my experience was not bad. If I can get this kind of condition, ice and snow, I will enjoy for sure. If I can get some experience in the snow for me it’s really good. I have good experience on Tarmac from the track but I don’t have experience on the gravel and snow is the first step to learning difficult conditions because it is not so different to gravel.”

What is your target for the event?
“For me I will try my best for sure but it’s a bit like before Valais. I have not so much experience and if you want to get experience you have to finish the rally and do all the mileage of the rally. This is the big target for me. If I can catch a good pace for sure I will do this. If I am a little bit far away I will try my best.”

What is your programme for the ERC in 2015?
“I will do the first three rounds because it’s a good opportunity and I am lucky to do that. Then we will reach a point and after that the target is to do 80 per cent of the season. If nothing changes I will do the first three rallies and we will see.”

You’re better known as a circuit racer. What’s proving more difficult: circuit racing or rallying?
“The main difference between the rally and the track, first of all, is we have two in the car. In track you are always alone apart from the link by radio but it’s not the same. The second thing is the rally, for me, is much more difficult right now because I don’t have a big experience compared to the track. It’s a little bit difficult when the Tarmac condition changes a lot. You can start at the beginning of the stage and it is dry and then it gets wet and then back to dry and this is what I need to learn. My line is good on the stage but there are small things I have to learn to put side by side and make good things.”

ON THIS RALLY IN 2014…

Robert Kubica, a race winner in Formula One, secured the biggest victory of his rally career in a thrilling final-stage decider. The Pole started the closing 25.00-kilometre stage trailing Václav Pech by 11.8s. But a stunning performance, coupled with an inspired tyre choice, enabled him to get ahead. While Pech – who selected slick tyres for his MINI John Cooper Works S2000 – struggled for grip on the mud and rain-hit final test, Kubica opted for a combination of studded and winter Michelin tyres fitted in a diagonal formation, which proved ideal for the demanding conditions. Raimund Baumschlager completed the podium, with fellow Austrians Beppo Harrach and Michael Böhm claiming ERC Production Car Cup and ERC 2WD honours respectively. Kajetan Kajetanowicz had led before a jammed throttle pedal forced his exit on stage six.

FIVE FACTS

*The first Jännerrallye took place in 1969 but a lack of finance meant there was no event between 1986 and 2001. The event didn’t run in 2010 due to a permit issue. *History was made on the 1981 Jännerrallye when a four-wheel-drive car was used in competition for the first time. Driving an Audi Quattro, Franz Wittmann won by more than 20 minutes.

*Apple strudel and Wiener schnitzel are two popular Austrian dishes. In Upper Austria, dumplings are a favourite, while the Linzer Torte is a cake made from ground nuts and raspberry jam.

*Matteo Chiarcossi, who will co-drive young Romanian driver Simone Tempestini, is ERC royalty having partnered Luca Rossetti to three European championship titles in the past.

*The anticipated cold weather will be no barrier to the Jännerrallye organisers when it comes to the ceremonial start and finish. Both events will take place inside the giant Messehalle, which is located in the grounds of the service park in Freistadt.

Seeded Entry List

Posted: December 26, 2014 10:51 AM

Jännerrallye - 4-6 Jan 15 - SEEDED ENTRY LIST

Rally Guide / Regulations / Details

Posted: November 23, 2014 5:22 PM

Jänner Rallye (Austria)
European Rally Championship (ERC) - fiaerc.com