Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Maciej Szczepaniak have completed the Qualifying Stage ahead of the 82nd Rally Poland. Proper competition during the most important Polish motorsport event gets underway this evening.
Friday’s schedule of the 82nd edition of the Polish classic – moved this year from Masuria to Silesia – started, as always in the European Rally Championship, with the Qualifying Stage. Times set on 6-kms Bieruń test determined the starting order for Saturday’s leg of the rally. However, unlike gravel events, where the road surface in most cases gains more grip – and therefore gets faster – with every passing car, on asphalt roads the optimal position depends on wider range of factors and first crews in the field are not always in the best position.
The Bieruń stage was a mix of wide sections with good-quality surface and narrow parts with damaged asphalt. Before the Qualifying Stage began, the crews completed practice runs. Kajetanowicz and Szczepaniak set fourth- and ninth-fastest times respectively. During the Qualifying Stage, the ORLEN Rally Team clocked ninth-fastest result, fulfilling their plan for the aforementioned starting order.
We have completed the Qualifying Stage and two practice runs. This is probably the second time I have driven this car in such conditions but it is performing very well. I would like to thank our mechanics for the preparations. We are happy with our road position. We do no’t want to be first, we do not want to clean the road. I am not 100% sure if this decision is right. However, I do not think it is that important here. The most important thing is that everything is working very well and we are looking forward to the start. There are plenty of fans on the stages, which makes me very happy, because we are also competing for them. We not only enjoy the driving ourselves, but also, I hope, we share this pleasure with them. My heart is soaring when I see how many fans joined this rally fiesta in Poland. Let’s enjoy it, cheer on, stay safe, of course, and see you on the special stages and hopefully also on the finish line
– commented Kajetan Kajetanowicz, the only driver in history to claim three European Rally Championship titles in a row.
The official start ceremony of the 82nd Rally Poland is scheduled for Friday’s afternoon, followed by the spectacular GZM Katowice powered by ORLEN OIL super special stage (2.20 kms), set in the heart of the city, next to the Spodek Arena. During Saturday’s leg the crews will complete seven more stages, with two runs of Jastrzębie-Zdrój (17.05 kms), Ochaby (11.20 kms) and Gmina Jasienica (19 kms). The day will end with another super special stage, this time held at the Silesian Stadium (1.5 kms). The total length of the first leg, spread over Friday and Saturday, reaches almost 100 kilometers.
Starts of Kajetan Kajetanowicz are supported by title partner of the ORLEN Rally Team – ORLEN S.A., as well as technical partner Delphi and ORLEN OIL.
Rally Poland 2026 – unofficial results of the Qualifying Stage:
- Stříteský/Krajča (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) 3:03.188
- Marczyk/Gospodarczyk (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +0.6 s
- Suninen/Haapala (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +1.2 s
- Creighton/Regan (Citroën C3 Rally2) +1.5 s
- Mabellini/Lenzi (Lancia Ypsilon Rally2) +1.5 s
- Bulacia/Murado (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +1.8 s
- Tempestini/Maior (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +1.8 s
- Sroka/Kielar (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +3.2 s
- Kajetanowicz/Szczepaniak (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +3.4 s
- Reiersen/Gustaffson (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +3.6 s
