Team MRF Tyres finishes 2nd in Rally Islas Canarias, leads ERC driver table
Chennai, 15 May 2022: Team MRF Tyres finished second on the podium in the third round of FIA European Rally Championship on Sunday.
The Team MRF Tyres frontrunner, Efrén Llarena, languished outside the top ten after Thursday evening’s superspecial, but he and co-driver Sara Fernández hauled their way up the leaderboard after winning the first stage on Friday.
The pair scrapped with fellow podium-sitter Yoann Bonato on the final day and ended the finale on identical times, pinching the runners-up spot on countback thanks to their SS2 result.
Llarena now tops the drivers’ championship by five points from Nil Solans with five rounds to go.
“We knew it would be difficult to come here, but we tried our best,” explained the Spaniard.
FIA ERC
Efrén Llarena and Sara Fernández of Team MRF Tyres finished on the podium in the third round of the FIA European Rally Championship and took the first tarmac stage wins in the Championship on the Rally Islas Canarias. Efrén Llarena and Sara Fernández proved the rapid pace of the latest generation of the MRF tarmac tyre, taking multiple stage wins.
It was a thrilling podium fight. Incredibly, Llarena and Fernández tied for second place with Yoann Bonato. By taking the podium and with powerstage points, the Spanish duo now lead the European Rally Championship.
Efrén Llarena said: “It was a great rally for us, and I am so happy to have taken the first tarmac stage win for Team MRF Tyres on tarmac in the ERC. To finish on the podium is a great achievement and to lead the championship is proof of how much development and effort everyone at MRF Tyres has put into the product!”
Team MRF Tyres’ Simone Campedelli and Tania Canton took a fighting top-five after going ‘full-turbo’ in their quest for success. The Italian duo also took their first FIA ERC stage win for Team MRF Tyres on stage five.
Norbert Herczig and Igor Bacigál capped off a great weekend in FIA ERC for Team MRF Tyres by finishing inside the top 10.
The next round of the FIA ERC is Rally Poland on 10-12 June.
Italian Rally Championship – Gravel
Paolo Andreucci and Rudy Briani took a hard-fought win for Team MRF Tyres in the Rally Adriatico, the second round of the Italian Rally Championship – Gravel. The duo took four stage wins in the nine-stage rally, which was held in Urbino in Italy.
Andreucci and Briani took the win by over 12 seconds, to continue their winning form. The pair have won both rallies this year in the Championship as they defend their 2021 title.
Paolo Andreucci, said “It was a great rally and the car felt great! I am so happy for Team MRF Tyres. It was not all easy as I hurt my ankle in service, but I put some ice on it and I was determined to go even faster. To win the first and second rounds of the Championship is great, and I am looking forward to more development and rallying with MRF Tyres!”
Jacopo Trevisani and Andrea Marchesini, of Team MRF Tyres finished tenth in the rally, gaining pace throughout the 70 km event.
The next round of the Championship is Rally San Marino on 9-10 July.
