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Rally Estonia: Kajetanowicz and Szczepaniak with second-fastest time on the opening stage

Rally Estonia, round seven of the 2022 World Rally Championship, got underway with a short stage Visit Estonia Tartu, watched by huge crowd of fans. This test, just 1660 metres long, was an appetiser ahead of the real competition. Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Maciej Szczepaniak set a very good, second-fastest time and trail the rally leaders by just 0.5 seconds ahead of Friday’s leg.

The LOTOS Rally Team duo continue their WRC campaign. After runners-up spots in Croatia and Portugal, followed by victory in Kenya, the Polish crew lead the WRC2 standings. Kajetanowicz has great memories from Rally Estonia: he claimed three top-three finishes in this extremely fast and challenging event.

– We started the competition in Rally Estonia with a short special stage on the outskirts of Tartu. It was a very technical challenge, completely different to tests which await us tomorrow. I think it was a good beginning for us – second-fastest time in such a strong field must make us happy. However, the real rally, for the big boys, starts on Friday

– says Kajetan Kajetanowicz, triple European Rally Champion.

Friday’s leg consists of Peipisääre (24.35 kms), Mustvee (17.09 kms), Raanista (21.45 kms) and Vastsemoisa (7.60 kms) stages. Each of them will be run twice and the first one starts at 6:45 CET.

Starts of Kajetan Kajetanowicz are supported by strategic partner of the LOTOS Rally Team – Grupa LOTOS, technical partner Delphi Technologies, as well as Pirelli, SJS Driving Experience and Grupa Sikora.

Rally Estonia 2022, unofficial WRC2 standings after SS1:

  1. Huttunen/Lukka (Finland, Ford Fiesta Rally2) 1:41.8
  2. Kajetanowicz/Szczepaniak (Poland, Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo) +0.5
  3. Bulacia/Vallejo (Bolivia/Spain, Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo) +0.9
  4. Marczyk/Gospodarczyk (Poland, Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo) +1.0
  5. Suninen/Markkula (Finland, Hyundai i20 N Rally2) +1.2
  6. Paddon/Kennard (New Zealand, Hyundai i20 N Rally2) +1.9
    -. Linnamäe/Drew (Estonia/Great Britain, VW Polo GTI Rally2) +1.9
  7. Mikkelsen/Eriksen (Norway, Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo) +2.2
  8. Zaldivar/Der Ohannesian (Paraguay/Argentina, Hyundai i20 N Rally2) +2.5
  9. McErlean/Fulton (Ireland, Hyundai i20 N Rally2) +3.0