Extremely technical St. Wendel stage, twisting through hay bales, opened the competition in ADAC Rallye Deutschland. The LOTOS Rally Team crew started the rally with high, fourth-fastest result in WRC-2 standings, claiming at the same time tenth position in the overall classification! The R5 cars did an excellent job on this tight stage. Kajetanowicz and Szczepaniak defeated no less than eight cars of the top WRC category, including championship leader and 2014 event winner, Thierry Neuville (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC).
The street stage was a good warm-up ahead of tomorrow’s leg, consisting of over 100 competitive kilometres.
– The stage started at sunset, so some of the corners were less visible, but we drove very well. There were really many fans and residents, supporting the battling crews. We finished this test with fourth-fastest time in WRC-2 field, consisting of almost twenty cars. We managed to beat Neuville, who had no problems, but with an R5 car this is possible only on such specific, twisty stage. I have a positive attitude but tomorrow it will be a lot tougher. This test was short, easier to read than the ones we are facing tomorrow. I will try not to think too much that this is my first outing here
– says the LOTOS Rally Team driver, Kajetan Kajetanowicz.
For Friday the organisers have prepared six tests with combined length exceeding 100 kilometres: two runs of Stein und Wein (19.44 kms; 10:11 and 15:39 CET), Mittelmosel (22.00 kms; 11:05 and 16:33 CET) and Wadern-Weiskirchen (9.27 kms; 12:53 and 18:21 CET) stages.
ADAC Rallye Deutschland 2018, WRC-2 standings after SS1:
1. Rovanperä / Halttunen (Finland, Skoda Fabia R5) 2:11.3 s
2. Kopecký / Dresler (Czech Republic, Skoda Fabia R5) +0.5 s
3. Scandola / Gaspari (Italy, Skoda Fabia R5) +1.2 s
4. Kajetanowicz / Szczepaniak (Poland, Ford Fiesta R5) +1.3 s
5. Camilli / Veillas (France, Ford Fiesta R5) +1.4 s
6. Lefebvre / Moreau (France, Citroen C3 R5) +2.1 s
7. Guerra / Rozada (Mexico, Skoda Fabia R5) +2.6 s
8. Pieniążek / Mazur (Poland, Skoda Fabia R5) +3.3 s
9. Ciamin / De La Haye (France, Hyundai i20 R5) +3.5 s
10. Andolfi / Inglesi (Italy, Skoda Fabia R5) +3.8 s
Starts of Kajetan Kajetanowicz are supported by strategic partner of LOTOS Rally Team – LOTOS Group – as well as Delphi Technologies and Driving Experience. More info about Kajetan Kajetanowicz and the team available at: www.lotosrallyteam.pl and www.kajto.pl, as well as at: www.fb.com/EmocjeDoPelna, www.fb.com/KajetanKajetanowicz, www.twitter.com/Kajto_pl and www.youtube.com/Kajtopl.
