Ypres - IRC news before SS4

Vibration makes seeing difficult for Aigner

Andreas Aigner says it was hard to see where he was going on stage three of the Geko Ypres Rally after his Subaru Impreza R4 STI picked up a vibration.

The Austrian driver, who won the IRC Production Cup on Giru di Corsica-Tour de Corse in May, reported striking an object with the front-right of his Stohl Racing-run machine.

“On the last one we hit something in a cut and there was a vibration from the right front tyre,” said Aigner. “We expected a puncture but there was nothing but it was difficult to see the road because of the vibration so we took it easy.”

Bob Colsoul leads the IRC Production Cup after three stages with Cédric De Cecco second, Aigner third and Kris Princen fourth in his Renault Mégane RS.

Flodin still recovering from shoulder injury

Patrik Flodin admits he’s still not 100 per cent fit as he recovers from the broken collarbone he suffered during a training fall back in April.

The Swede is making his belated return to the Intercontinental Rally Challenge on the Geko Ypres Rally, which he is tackling for the first time.

After four stages the Swede is fifth overall in his Petter Solberg Engineering M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000.

“I don’t have any problem when I’m driving but after the stages I can feel some pain and the muscles around my shoulder start to be stiff,” said Flodin. “But 95 per cent I will be good.”

Flodin’s only cause for concern occurred on stage two when his car’s windscreen wipers were slow to work.

Marshall describes Taylor’s crash on Ypres opener

Molly Taylor’s co-driver Seb Marshall has described how a bump in the road caused the high-speed spin that damaged their Citroën DS3 R3T on the opening stage of the Geko Ypres Rally

Australian Taylor and Briton Marshall were approximately five kilometers into the first Dikkebus stage when they hit trouble while travelling in sixth gear.

“It was a fast right/left with a big cut and there was a bump in the right-hander that pitched the car up,” said Marshall. “We spun and it went into the ditch with the front and rear but we managed to stay on the road. The geometry was bent but we’re still here.”

Marshall reckoned they’d lost approximately one minute on every stage thereafter due to handling issues caused by the impacts.

“It was pretty bad handling under braking and it was stepping out a lot,” said Marshall. “There’s still a long way to go and while it’s frustrating to lose time we’re still in the rally while a lot of other cars are out.”

After three stages, Taylor and Marshall are 41st in the IRC 2WD Cup, which is being led by French driver Mathieu Arzeno, who is an impressive eighth overall.

Al-Ketbi pleased with cautious start to Ypres Rally

Rashid Al-Ketbi says he has no plans to alter his approach on the Geko Ypres Rally.

The Skydive Dubai Rally Team driver reached service in Ypres in 30th overall on his first appearance on the Intercontinental Rally Challenge event in Belgium.

He said: “It has been difficult because it has been so slippery and I don’t know much about this rally. I try to drive carefully without mistakes because I want to be at the finish. After I saw a car had crashed on the first stage after 800 metres I knew I had to be even more careful."

Al-Ketbi is a regular in this season’s IRC and scored points for the first time on Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés back in April.