Efren Llarena, a long-time participant of the European championship, comes to Latvia as the overall standings leader. Stability is the key to Spaniard’s success – a win in Azores rally and top ten finish in the other three rounds has allowed Llarena and his co-driver Sara Fernandez to collect 89 points, starting with Team MRF Tyres prepared Škoda Fabia R5 Rally2 evo car.
Llarena’s closest rival also comes from Spain. The crew of Nil Solans and Marc Marti (Hyundai i20 N Rally2) took victories in Portugal and Canary Islands, but missing the Azores round and retirement in Poland has left Solan’s crew with 65 points and second place in the standings. Ten points further away stands Romanian driver Simone Tempestini with Škoda Fabia R5 Rally2, who has not yet been on podium this season, but that has not prevented him from becoming Llarena’s and Solan’s closest follower in the standings.
Leaders of the ERC3 category Igor Widlak and Daniel Dymurski will also try their hand at the roads of Kurzeme. Interesting, that the only round this season where Polish crew has not finished on podium was their home rally in Poland. Although Widlak has a 40 points handicap against Estonians Kaspars Kasari and Rainis Raidma, they have missed two rounds, while winning the other two, creating a great condition for good fight on the roads of Talsi and Liepāja regions. Both crews will start the competition with Ford Fiesta Rally3 car.
In the widely represented front-wheel drive powered car ERC4 class, five crews have the chance to lead the standings after the visit to Latvia. Only one point separates the current leader of ERC4 Oscar Palomo (Peugeot 208 Rally4) from Andrea Mabellini (Renault Clio Rally4). Both of them has to watch out for Laurent Pellier (Opel Corsa Rally4), as the Frenchman took victories in Canary Islands and Poland. These were the first two rounds of the ERC Junior classification, where Pellier is now 18 points ahead of Palomo. Paulo Soria has also travelled the long distance from Argentina to Kurzeme. He is fifth in the ERC4 standings, but have won Clio Trophy by Toksport WRT classification in both Azores and Canary Islands, driving with two different co-drivers. Soria will try to continue his winning streak in Latvia as well.
Among the local athletes, Mārtiņš Sesks and his co-driver Renārs Francis should be mentioned. In the first half of the season, Liepāja local managed to take victories in ERC Open class in Azores and Poland, but for the competition in his homeland, Sesks have switched to Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo car, so he will not earn points in this class. In the overall standings, the Latvian athlete currently sits in 24th place, thanks to 7 points from Azores rally, where he was able to reach tenth place with much less powerful car.
FIA European Rally Championship fifth round Tet Rally Liepāja is going to take place on July 1-3, with special stages organised in Talsi region and Dienvidkurzeme region. Tet Rally Liepāja tickets available on the official website of the rally www.lvrally.com.
Tet Rally Liepāja program
Friday, 1 July 2022, Liepāja
19.30 Ambient music by Red Bull Sugga music machine and DJ Ron Artie, TIPA, and Miks Akots
20.30 Opening ceremony, Liepāja, Square of Roses
21.00 Ceremonial start, Liepāja, Square of Roses
21.15 Competitors parade in the streets of Liepāja, Liepāja
22.00 Epic Pre Party at the Beach, Liepāja, CukurFabrik' Beach Bar
Saturday, 2 July 2022, special stages around Talsi region
10.10 Start cermony in Talsi region, Talsi, City square
10.35 SS 1 STRAZDE (9,40 km)
11.25 SS 2 MUNDIGCIEMS (14,87 km)
12.15 SS 3 KĀĶĪŠI (18,70 km)
14.30 SS 4 STRAZDE (9,40 km)
15.20 SS 5 MUNDIGCIEMS (14,87 km)
16.10 SS 6 KĀĶĪŠI (18,70 km)
22.00 Epic Party at the Beach, Liepāja, CukurFabrik' Beach Bar
Sunday, 3 July 2022, special stages around Dienvidkurzeme region
10.35 SS 1 VECPILS (20,23 km)
11.25 SS 2 DINSDURBE (11,04 km)
12.15 SS 3 VECPILS (20,23 km)
14.30 SS 4 TEBRA (18,71 km)
15.20 SS 5 PODNIEKI (11,04 km)
16.10 SS 6 LIEPĀJA POWER STAGE (Tebra) (18,71 km)
19.15 Prize giving ceremony, Liepāja, Square of Roses
22.00 Epic Party at the Beach, Liepāja, CukurFabrik' Beach Bar
Round of the 2022 FIA European Rally Championship event Tet Rally Liepāja is possible thanks to the support provided by the Ministry of Education and Science, rally city Liepāja, as well as our partner Talsi region. The event is run thanks to general sponsor Tet, sponsors Ramirent and SC Grupa/Eurovia and in collaboration with Magnetic Latvia. Thanks to our official car rental Sixt and our supporters Canon Biznesa Centrs Liepāja, Fristads, Liepājas Olimpiskais Centrs, and Liepājas Speciālā Ekonomiskā Zona. Informative support is provided by news media DELFI and media partners Kurzemes Radio, MVP, Sporta Avīze, and Talsu Vēstis. We also express our gratitude to our Tet Rally Liepāja friends Baltic Taxi, EL Networks, Flora, FN Serviss, Jānis Pūce, Löfbergs, MB Grupa, Red Bull, SignTech, Sportland, and Törley. Tet Rally Liepāja is organised in association with Dienvidkurzeme region and Latvian Automobile Federation.
