3.6.2019 Matosinhos. The new ŠKODA FABIA R 5 evo what driving at the time of its Premiere in the FIA world rally championship to a dominant double victory in the category WRC 2 Pro. At the rally Portugal (30.05 to 02.06.2019) what tune the new Czech rally car with factory driver Kalle Rovanperä and passenger Jonne Holding (FIN/FIN) unbeatable.
While Rovanperä took with this success, the Championship lead in this category, secured the team-mate Jan Kopecký/Pavel Dresler (CZE/CZE) a double victory for ŠKODA. The French privateer Pierre-Louis Loubet/Vincent Landais were also three ŠKODA Teams occupied within the original 32 cars strong R5 field the best placings in the overall standings.
History of Portugal won the rally: in 2015, the first Generation of the ŠKODA FABIA R 5, celebrated a successful championship debut at rally Portugal. Exactly four years later, the successor to the ŠKODA FABIA R5 evo proved to be in the same place in the original 32 participants in the strong field of the R5 cars as unbeatable. Only a puncture in the fourth stage at a cost of Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne holding tune temporarily the lead in the category WRC 2 Pro. But only four tests later, they came back to the first Position and defended it to the finish in Matosinhos, near Porto.
“The car feels great, it is pure joy to drive it. The most Important thing on the last day of the rally was to keep the concentration and to control the management,” well-known Rovanperä and added: “Frankly, it makes no fun, when you lead with about a Minute – much more interesting it is when you have to full attack. But today, we have simply enjoyed the tests.“
His team-mate Jan Kopecký/Pavel Dresler have achieved two weeks earlier, with the new ŠKODA FABIA R 5 evo a run for the Czech rally championship with its first victory on Asphalt. Although they were no longer since the rally Spain last November, the competition on gravel, delivered you at the rally Portugal, with a ranking of 2 in the WRC 2 category, Pro-category, a strong performance. “After I completed most of the Tests with our new rally car, it is all the more beautiful to how well it works on Asphalt and gravel. Today it was time for us to come to the finish. We have done everything possible to have our car as much fun,“ said the reigning WRC 2 Champion Jan Kopecký.
At the end of the occupied ŠKODA Pilot Rovanperä even the sixth place in the overall ranking in the midst of the much more powerful World Rally Cars (WRC), a team-mate Kopecký came in Eighth in the overall ranking. Happy ŠKODA Motorsport boss Michal Hrabánek what: “What a great debut for our new ŠKODA FABIA R 5 evo. Our in-depth development and extensive test rides have really paid off. I am very proud of Kalle, Jan and the whole Team of ŠKODA Motorsport.“
With the predecessor model, the ŠKODA FABIA R 5 the French team Pierre-Louis Loubet/Vincent Landais what is the third fastest in the originally 32 Teams, a strong field of the R5 cars.
The final result of the rally of Portugal (WRC 2)
Rovanperä/holding tune (FIN/FIN), ŠKODA FABIA R5 evo, 3:30.57,0 hours,
Kopecký/Dresler (CZE/CZE), ŠKODA FABIA R 5 evo, +1.07,7 minutes
Østberg/Eriksen (NOR/NOR), Citroën C3 R5 +19.08,6 minutes
Pieniazek/Gerber (POL/POL) Ford Fiesta R5 +30.55,1 minutes
Between WRC 2 Per driver (after seven of 14 races)
Kalle Rovanperä (FIN), ŠKODA, 86 points
Mads Østberg (NOR), Citroën, 83 points
Lukasz Pieniazek (POL), Ford, 74 points
Gus green Smith (GBR) – Ford, 73 points
Jan Kopecký (CZE), ŠKODA, 18 points
Marco Bulacia (BOL), ŠKODA, 12 points
Between WRC 2 Pro/manufacturer (after seven of 14 races)
Ford, 147 Points
ŠKODA, 116 points
Citroën, 83 Points
The number of The day: 3
In the original 32-car field of the R5 cars, three ŠKODA Teams were faster than all the competitors.
The calendar 2019 FIA world rally championship (WRC 2)
Event Date
Rallye Monte-Carlo 24.01.-27.01.2019
Rally Sweden 14.02.-17.02.2019
Rally Mexico 07.03.-10.03.2019
Rally, France, 28.03.-31.03.2019
Rally Argentina 25.04.-28.04.2019
Rally Chile 09.05.-12.05.2019
Rally Portugal 30.05.-02.06.2019
Rally Italy 13.06.-16.06.2019
Rally Finland, 01.08.-04.08.2019
Rallye Deutschland 22.08.-25.08.2019
Rally Turkey 12.09.-15.09.2019
Rally Of Great Britain 03.10.-06.10.2019
Rally Spain 24.10.-27.10.2019
Rally Australia 14.11.-17.11.2019
ŠKODA FABIA R5 evo (photo: ŠKODA)
