2024-07-19 17:29:23
In Liepāja, when the crews competed on a 3.58-kilometer long track, Seska’s crew took eighth place in the first practice run, losing 3.1 seconds to the author of the fastest result, Estonian Otas Tenak (“Hyundai i20 N”).
Tenak covered the track in one minute and 36.6 seconds, 0.6 seconds ahead of his Finnish teammate Esapek Lapi and 0.7 seconds ahead of Frenchman Sebastien Ogier (“Toyota GR Yaris”).
Artūrs Priednieks/Jānis Kirkovalds (“Škoda Fabia RS”), who start with a “Rally 2” car, spent one minute and 52.6 seconds on the track.
In the second practice run, Cesk and Franci covered the track in one minute and 36.1 seconds, also taking eighth place.
The fastest time was again shown by Tenak (1:33.6), ahead of Belgian teammate Thierry Neville by 0.3 seconds and Japanese Takamoto Katsu (Toyota GR Yaris) by 0.4 seconds.
Matīss Mežaks/Arnis Ronis (“Škoda Favia Evo”), who start with a “Rally 2” car, spent one minute and 50.3 seconds on the track, but Priednieks did not drive.
None of the Latvians took part in the third practice run, but in the fourth, Seska’s crew covered the track in one minute and 34.3 seconds, showing the fastest time of the three drivers, as well as ranking fourth in the sum of all trips. Mežak’s crew showed the 28th fastest time in the sum of all trips, and Priednieka’s crew – the 35th fastest time among 38 crews.
After the opening ceremony in Old Riga at 8:05 p.m., the first speed stage will take place on the Biķernieku track. “Go3 Sport 1” channel will broadcast the competition live.
In the first speed stage, the crews will cover 11.13 kilometers on the Biķernieki track.
There will be seven stages on Friday, eight stages on Saturday, and four stages on Sunday. The crews in Latvia will have to perform 20 speed stages with a length of 300.13 kilometers, but together with the crossings they will be more than 1000 kilometers.
At the end of June, Ceska’s crew made their WRC debut, finishing fifth in Rally Poland.
After seven stages, the Belgian Thierry Neville, who has accumulated 136 points, takes the first place in the overall standings of the world championship, and the second with 121 points is the British pilot Elfin Evans (“Toyota GR Yaris”), and the Estonian Ots Tenak completes the top three with 115 points. Sesk ranks 14th with nine points.
The first WRC stage in Latvia will cover the territory from Liepāja to Riga, with speed stages also taking place in Tukums, Talsi and Talsu regions, Kuldīgas and Southern Kurzeme regions.
The season will continue with stages in Finland, Greece, Chile, Germany and Japan.
Finnish racing driver Kalle Rovanpere became a two-time world champion last year, securing the title one stage before the end of the season. Rovanpere, who won two Latvian rally championships at the beginning of his career, is not competing in all WRC stages this year.
2024-07-19 17:29:23