Barum Czech Rally Zlín 

Flash info from the Leg 2 service park Otrokovice

31. 8. 2014 - Ivan Hudcovský, Mariana Petrů, press centre BCRZ

After finishing the three stages Zádveřice, Pindula a Kudlovice the drivers headed to the service park situated in the Continental Barum company area. Here is the news from the top drivers' interviews.

Ott Tänak (EST, Ford Fiesta R5, st. no. 2):
'The roads were quite dry in the first stage. As for the second stage, the track was a bit tricky, so it must have been a challenge for every crew. Some passages were truly difficult. At this moment the important thing for us is that the car setup works just the way it is supposed to.'

Jaromír Tarabus (CZE, Škoda Fabia S2000, st. no. 11):
'We did well in the first stage. The time was good. Pindula was very muddy this year, which is why we slowed down. Maybe a little more than was necessary and I think it must have been painful to watch. The fact is that everyone is going faster than yesterday. As soon as we get to the service park I'm going to check the weather forecast in order to know what tyres to choose for the last stage.'

Jaroslav Orsák (CZE, Škoda Fabia S2000, st. no. 15):
'We're slower than yesterday. The setup finally worked, which had to have some impact. The speed was definitely higher in yesterday's last two stages, but the setup was not right. We've been enjoying the rally from the moment it started. We're here to have fun and to make people happy. And if it rains, it does not matter to us.'

Robert Consani (FRA, Peugeot 207 S2000, st. no. 14):
'I am not satisfied with the time. I made a small mistake in today's first stage, but I didn't think it would cost us such a big loss. We need to speed up before it's too late.'

Roman Odložilík (CZE, Ford Fiesta R5, st. no. 16):
'We feel better today. I was too confident in the last stage. It led to wasting a lot of time after one turn sent us out in the field. Otherwise the results are not bad, because the distances between the crews are small.'

Tomáš Kostka (CZE, Ford Fiesta R5, st. no. 17):
'We are happier with the results today. The reason is that we focused more on our tactics. We went slowly in the first stage to prevent making a mistake. We only had to defend our margin and keep it. In the end we even managed to move up towards the crews in front of us. We'll see about the rest. We changed all the tyres; let's hope they take us through the finish line. We could go faster at Pindula, but it would be full of risk, so we prefer finishing the stage. If it starts raining, the conditions are the same for everyone. As for me, it does not matter.

Sepp Wiegand (DEU, Škoda Fabia S2000, st. no. 7):
'I am positive about today. Also, I am staying focused on our performance, not the others'. Lots of drivers push it to the maximum today, but the final standings don't matter to me. I don't mind whether we're second or third. We're trying to stay on the road, keep the speed up and make it to the finish line. When I saw the overcast in the morning, I thought it would start raining, but it looks like the weather in the Czech Republic is unpredictable.'

Václav Pech (CZE, Mini John Cooper Works S2000, st. no. 4):
'Today we're not taking unnecessary risks and we're trying to maintain the distance between the crews. And we never know much mud will be on roads.

Esapekka Lappi (FIN, Škoda Fabia S2000, st. no. 3):
'Yesterday we made a mistake in the passage that local drivers know very well. At first it didn't seem to be a big mistake, but it turned out to be a crucial one. Nonetheless we're happy to go on. I also made a mistake on today's first stage so afterwards I tried to be more careful.

Martin Vlček (CZE, Škoda Fabia S2000, st. no. 21):
'This morning wasn't that bad although I knew what Pindula will be like. Every time I race there, I make a mistake. This time I went out of the road and lost about twenty seconds on the meadow.'

Antonín Tlusťák (CZE, Škoda Fabia S2000, st. no. 20)
'I'm glad we made it to the service. We did well on the stage Zádveřice but Pindula was slightly slippery and it was getting worst with each crew that passed through. During the following stage we lost about twenty seconds but we're hoping to close the gap.'

Martin Březík (CZE, Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX, st. no. 31):
'On the last stage approximately eight kilometres before the end our rear differential broke down. After that our priority was to finish the stage without causing any further damage to the car. We simply needed to get to the service and fix everything. Unfortunately on the first stage we went out of the road, but in an instant we managed to get back.

Neil Simpson (GBR, Škoda Fabia S2000, st. no. 19):
'All today's stages are different and each of them is tricky in its own way. Especially the last one. Fortunately the car setup was perfect, therefore I have no complains. Our goal is get to the finish.'

Adam Kobliha (CZE, Renault Clio R3, st. no. 55):
'I'm satisfied with today's performance. However, on the second stage we slid on the mud so I slowed down and throughout third one I was trying to catch up.

Egon Smékal (CZE, Citroën DS3 R3T, st. no. 54):
'The SS Zádveřice was not my cup of tea. Since we reset our car, I think our perfomance was good on Pindula and Kudlovice as well. Still, the time won't be better. If we keep our position, I'll be happy. And we're hoping for a rainy day.'