Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Maciej Szczepaniak have claimed their second podium finish in the 2024 World Rally Championship. The Polish crew finished iconic Acropolis Rally in third position in the WRC2 Challenger classification, scoring 15 points and gaining several position in the championship standings.
Sunday’s leg of Acropolis Rally consisted of three special stages: Inohori (17.47 kms) and two runs of Eleftherohori (18.29 kms). The ORLEN Rally Team duo, enjoying significant advantage over the following crew, chose to drive at consistent pace which allowed them to finish the event without unnecessary problems. It was easy to get into trouble – many drivers got punctures or went off the road, also today.
– We finish Acropolis Rally in third position in the WRC2 Challenger standings. Now we can take a deep breath because we worked very hard – not only with Maciek but with the whole ORLEN Rally Team – to arrive here and fight with the best drivers in the world. We did it. We scored important points in a very difficult rally which sometimes resembled a lottery. There were plenty of punctures and we got just one – on road section. We had to change this wheel ahead of the final stage but it didn’t matter, as the plan was just to maintain our position. I want to thank our team, our supporters and my family. It was a fantastic weekend and now it’s time to fly out to Chile!
– Kajetan Kajetanowicz, the reigning WRC2 Challenger champion, commented after the rally.
It was fourth rally of Kajetanowicz and Szczepaniak this year. The Polish duo started their 2024 campaign in March, winning Safari Rally. Two months later they claimed fourth position in the WRC2 Challenger standings in Rally Italia Sardegna. On their home ground in Poland the ORLEN Rally Team crew pleased the crowd with excellent fight for the lead but unfortunately their quest for another win ended on eleventh special stage, after hitting a stone.
There are three more rallies this year. On 26-29 September the ORLEN Rally Team duo takes part in Rally Chile. Penultimate round of the season takes place on 17-20 October (Central European Rally), followed by Rally Japan on 21-24 November.
Starts of Kajetan Kajetanowicz are supported by the title partner of the ORLEN Rally Team – ORLEN S.A., as well as technical partner Delphi, Pirelli, ORLEN OIL, ATC CARGO S.A. and SJS S.A.
Acropolis Rally, unofficial results (WRC2 Challenger):
- Pajari/Mälkönen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) 3:45:05.3
- Virves/Lesk (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +0.0
- Kajetanowicz/Szczepaniak (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +2:52.9
- Zaldivar/Der Ohannesian (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +4:26.8
- McErlean/Fulton (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +5:26.1
- Daprà/Guglielmetti (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +6:43.8
- Solans/Sanjuan (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +12:21.6
- Panagiotis/Bakloris (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +13:22.9
- Kremer/Kremer (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +14:49.4
- Granados/Martí (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +20:44.1
