Rally Chile returns to the World Rally Championship calendar after three years’ break, hosting the WRC action for just the second time in history. Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Maciej Szczepaniak prepare for their first start in this event – they were supposed to compete here in 2019 but after suspension failure suffered in the previous WRC round, in Argentina, they had to withdraw and returned to Europe. The ORLEN Rally Team duo have a score to settle in Chile, joining the competition with extra motivation boost.
Kajetanowicz and Szczepaniak hold the lead in the WRC2 Challenger, even on points with Sami Pajari and Enni Mälkönen. They are seventh in the overall WRC2 standings, with five factory crews classified ahead of them. What is important, only seven results count towards the final classification – and the Polish crew have contested just four events so far. It’s time for the crucial part of the season – with a chance to move up the championship order.
– We are already in Chile, having just completed our pre-event test. The weather is changeable but we expect better conditions during the rally. I hope for sun although it seems that in the morning low clouds tend to limit visibility on the mountain roads. Of course this is a challenge for me, as I don’t know these stages. However, I think that our pace notes will be good and we’ll try to use them during this difficult rally weekend
– says Kajetan Kajetanowicz.
This year’s edition of Rally Chile consists of almost 321 competitive kilometres, divided into sixteen special stages. Rally shakedown takes place this Thursday, followed by an official opening ceremony. The real competition starts on Friday, with two runs of three special stages: SS1/4 Pulperia (19.77 kms), SS2/5 Rere (13.34 kms) oraz SS3/6 Rio Claro (23.32 kms).
– The surface here is very variable. I will know more after the recce but, judging by videos provided by the organisers, the tyre choice is going to be very difficult. Tyre wear could be high, so we need to manage it carefully. We have moved to a completely different time zone and this difference – a couple of hours – makes our lives a bit difficult. However, I think that during the rally we will feel good. We approach this event with smiles on our faces. Having travelled so far, we ask you to keep your fingers crossed more than ever – we need your support while we focus on doing our job and pushing to maximum, as always
– triple European Rally Champion added ahead of the rally.
Starts of Kajetan Kajetanowicz are supported by the title partner of the ORLEN Rally Team – PKN ORLEN, as well as technical partner Delphi Technologies, Pirelli, ATC CARGO S.A., PLATINUM ORLEN OIL brand, QUAZAR LOTOS OIL brand and SJS S.A.
