Team MRF Tyres on the pace but focussing on data as FIA ERC returns to Portugal
Two cars for Team MRF Tyres with Dani Sordo/Cándido Carerra and Simone Campedelli/Tania Canton in Fafe
Fafe (Portugal), 30 Sept. 2021: Team MRF Tyres is ready to take on the final gravel round of the FIA European Rally Championship season with the Rally Serras de Fafe e Felgueiras taking place on the legendary roads of northern Portugal.
The rally, which features the famous and spectacular Fafe jump, is the sixth of eight rounds for the 2021 FIA ERC season and Team MRF Tyres will compete at the front with two cars.
Coming to Fafe on the back of a second place finish at the Azores Rallye is Dani Sordo with Cándido Carrera in the Hyundai i20 R5.
The Spanish pairing completed an intense day of testing in preparation for the event with data and development remaining as the key objective in Portugal.
However, with one rally under their belts, the team expects to be able to maximise the data opportunities and to challenge for top stage times.
Alongside Sordo/Carrera in Team MRF Tyres colours are Simone Campedelli and Tania Canton.
Campedelli and Canton are driving a Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo for their third outing on the FIA ERC season, switching from a Volkswagen Polo R5 they used in Italy and Poland.
Campedelli comes to Fafe off the back on several podiums finishes in the Italian Rally Championship – Gravel.
Team MRF Tyres has enjoyed a successful run over the previous weeks including a double podium in the Italian Rally Championship Gravel, a podium at the Azores Rallye and winning the Finnish Rally Championship with Emil Lindholm.
The challenge at Rally Serras de Fafe e Felgueiras cannot be underestimated.
There are 32 Rally2 cars gunning for outright victory in the FIA ERC and they will compete on 16 stages over 197.04 competitive kilometres.
The action gets underway on Friday with qualifying and the road order selection before the competition heats up on Saturday with eight stages and 113.22 km against the clock.
Sunday will see eight more stages including the legendary Fafe jump on SS12 and the final stage of the rally, SS16. Known as the Lameirinha stage, the jump will make for an exciting conclusion to the rally and day’s 83.82km of rallying.
Fans will be able to follow all stages on FIA ERC radio live and will be able to watch SS2 and SS6 (Saturday) and SS12 and SS16 (Sunday) live on the FIA ERC Facebook or YouTube streams.
You can follow Team MRF Tyres throughout the rally on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Quotes
Dani Sordo, Driver, Hyundai i20 R5
“I have a good feeling. We had a big test with MRF Tyres before the event. We have a lot of confidence as I have been here before and we had a good result. I am looking forward to it.”
“The last rally, we had a better result than we expected but we need to be clever and have some luck to have a chance to get the victory.”
“We are working a lot on the tyres and getting the information which is the priority. At the same time, to get good results is a great bonus.”
Simone Campedelli, Driver, Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo
“We have a positive start to the season with the MRF Tyres as we have had podiums in Italy and I am looking forward to getting back on stage in Portugal for the FIA ERC.”
“I have never been in Fafe before, but I have done my homework with MRF Tyres. We are concentrating on data and development, but we will try our maximum at the same time. There are many fast drivers so it will be a big challenge. I have been in the car before as I have tested with Skoda but the first time I have used it in a rally. We have tested before the rally to get to know it with MRF Tyres.”
“We have seen everything on that famous jump in Fafe. I think I will feel goosebumps as I remember this jump as a child watching videos of cars going over it. I was dreaming, as a child, to come to a rally driver and jump over it. You can think about it for a while but you have to remain focused!”
