35. Rally Serras de Fafe - Felgueiras - Cabreira e Boticas 2022
ERC #1 • ERC Open #1 • ERC3 #1 • ERC4 #1 • Portugal #1 • Portugal 2RM #1 • Peugeot Rally Cup Iberia #1
11. 3. – 13. 3. 2022, Fafe • Demoporto - Clube de Desportos Motorizados do Porto • gravel 196.21 km - (cancelled 31.98 km) • total distance including road sections - 783.07 km • Other years
Portugal and Peugeot Rally Cup Ibérica just count until SS9
Info
SS17
"We were consistent. We didn't have time to prepare for this rally, so we are very happy with the result. We are thinking now if we can go to Azores - I think our entry is done but we need the support to make it happen. We will see."
"I have something wrong with the car, it's undriveable. It's uncontrollable."
"Really tricky stage - very difficult and so slippery. I slid a lot into ditches so it was a big risk to arrive here. I am really happy with the result."
"Very difficult conditions. It was more difficult than yesterday because the gravel is very soft. A perfect rally for us with a lot of kilometres for learning."
"Here I was very cautious because I had a vibration on the brakes. We are here at the end, so I am happy about that. I didn't enjoy so much this last stage but I think overall the weekend was a success."
"Absolutely crazy! I had a big moment at the beginning and for sure our set-up was too hard for these conditions. I just tried to come to the finish because we have a rally in 15 days."
"That was really crazy. At the beginning there was zero grip but we survived. I am really saw a lot of places where previous drivers had gone off."
"Very, very slippery. On the third corner I almost went out, so I told myself to go slowly. Next week we need to put the car on the boat for Azores!"
Stopped
"It's a difficult end to the rally, but we are here and this is the good news."
"It's very slippery so we tried to stay on the road to be here. Anyway, for sure not the result we wanted but we are happy with the team. MRF doing a really good job and we will be stronger in the next one."
Stopped
"Looks like the black ice in Monte-Carlo, without the proper tyres! It's like soap in the special stage. I crashed once, I had a spin and I always fell down a ditch in another one. I never drove a stage that slippery - it was really complicated."
Puncture
Puncture
Spin
Spin
SS16
"On the fast sections the car is more undriveable for sure. We are taking lots of care with it."
"This one we definitely had more moments. It was definitely very slippery."
"I am surviving and I am saving the car. Really happy with this event."
"I used the helmet of my co-driver and it's better. I don't know the time here but the feeling is perfect."
"It was a nice fight until now. On the last two stages he was really fast, but we are keeping our rhythm."
"It was a little bit worse, but not so bad."
"It was much different than this morning. This one was a bit more slippery with some mud in the middle. We were trying to adapt and not risking too much."
"This one was quite difficult because the rain makes the muddy parts very slippery. The last 3km is very slippery, at least for me."
SS14
"All good. We changed the tyres right now and it's much better than before. I am trying to be consistent all the time and not make any mistakes."
"'Armindo is obviously pushing quite a lot, so hopefully we can have some answers for this afternoon and we can keep him behind."
"I am trying. I pushed hard this stage and made no mistakes, but I am enjoying so much. I don't know the time but I am quite happy."
"I am pushing a lot, but the pop off valve went out three times. It's a little bit rubbish but it's rally."
"For us, it was quite okay. I don't understand why, but two times some gravel entered the car and it was in my eyes."
"I had a lot of fun. It was less slippery than this morning, so I enjoyed it a lot."
"We changed the rear dampers and we were late out of service. It's not a big problem because we keep our position and we prefer to make sure the job is done properly."
"The sun is shining. This stage was much better than before - we changed the set-up and it was much better. We are here and I have learned many things about the tyres again."
"We lost it in the first loop and again now! It was quite rutted in here, so maybe that is why."
SS13
"I don't know - I maybe was too tight in some places, but I don't know. No drama."
"It happened about 2km from the finish, so luckily not too bad. It was obviously tricky and we had to slow down a bit for the jump."
"I try a little bit, but the gap is too big to Linnamäe. I am enjoying the car and not making any mistakes which is important."
"I don't know the time but it was a horrible stage for us. The intercom wasn't working well and in some places I couldn't hear the co-driver."
"I don't know the times from the others and we have other people behind that will come really fast, but for us it was a good stage."
"I enjoyed this stage a lot. We are just cruising but I tried to enjoy the road and it was quite okay. We had fun, so that's the most important thing."
Puncture
"We pushed quite hard and we like this famous stage. Everything was okay. In front our opponent is too far and behind us as well, so we just have to keep our focus and enjoy the driving."
"I have done some changes on the car and it's better in terms of stability. This morning is very good for us because we are learning a lot."
"We started to have some errors on the dashboard, so I started to be steady because we need to get to the finish. We will check it in service."
"It was okay. The stages today are perfect and it's a big pleasure to drive here. Now we will do some changes and try something for the next event."
"It was very nice - this is maybe my favourite stage in the world."
"It's a bit muddy in some parts, so that part is really slippery. The feeling today is much better."
"28 years ago I had the possibility to watch this stage and I saw Colin McRae - my best rallying memory. For me, to start the same stage that I saw Colin is amazing for me."
"It was not so bad but we had a lot of problems with the pop off [valve] now. It opened around seven or eight times, so we might lose some time because of that."
SS12
"This time was quite okay. I don't know why, but the rear of the car was a little bit crossing. Maybe it's something with the set-up."
"The car is feeling well. We started very soft to make a rest and work for the next event in Azores. I am changing things stage by stage and I have found the grip finally.|
"We are driving better today and I am trying to learn. There is still lots of room for improvement and I think we can driver better and cleaner."
"This stage is so beautiful. I am enjoying it a lot today."
SS10
"It's different. There is grip, but you are losing speed with some loose. I enjoyed this stage quite a lot."
"It's okay. I could be a little bit more committed towards the end of the stage but it wasn't too bad."
"I will try and put pressure on the second place, but it's difficult so let's see. Everything is okay."
"The conditions are much better and I hope to be faster. I am still working towards the next rally in Azores."
"This is fun - this is Fafe. That stage was perfect."
"It's very nice. The stages are dry and very smooth, so we are happy."
"We had quite a lot of fun on this stage. Today I like it more than yesterday and now we have to improve. This is a test for Azores."
"This stage was better. It's much more easy and more fast."
"For sure, it's completely different to yesterday. Now it's completely dry, so you can drive better for sure. The start position is not perfect. There is a lot of cleaning to do because of all the small stones."
SS9
Accident
"Very tired! It's impossible to drive the car like this. Now, the wipers stopped and the glass was full of mud. Okay, we are at the end of the first day and I hope tomorrow we can work on the set-up of the car."
"We lost a lot of time, unfortunately.That's it."
"It was the most difficult stage of my rally career. We made a bad decision and we didn't put the lamp pod in the car. It was very dangerous, but we are here and we are really happy."
"I love driving in the night. It was a very difficult stage with rain and fog, but it was very good."
"It would have been fine, but we can't see anything. The windscreen was completely fogged up, so I put it in road mode."
"A crazy day. This last stage was like a lottery with the fog. We are here at the end and we are in the top ten for my first time, so I couldn't be happier."
"I feel fantastic. I won the day for the national championship and to be third in the ERC is a dream for me. This stage was the hardest of the day for me. Really difficult conditions and a big challenge for the drivers."
"I am very happy. We learned something from last year, so that's good. In this stage I just tried to keep it on the road. There was a lot of water and mud. I was trying to avoid the water splashes, but it's better than before."
SS8
"It was a good stage for us. I like this stage and we tried to be a bit faster."
"The condition was quite good and our problem was that we lost our pace notes in some places. Therefore I had to brake a bit too much, but we are here."
"The best stage of the rally so far. In the first kilometres it's difficult, but the second part is very good and I enjoyed it a little bit!"
"I was not trusting the grip at all and we went completely the wrong way with the set-up, so it was terrible to drive."
"I think this is the worst stage of the rally. We did it for surviving."
"Everything is okay. We didn't push so much, but the stage is in a really good condition - better than we expected. Everything is perfect up to now."
"I tried! I tried to push as much as I could and took some risks in places. We need to prepare the car for the second pass, because we are cleaning the lines from the previous pass. It's really difficult, but we will try to do our best."
SS7
Stopped with damaged suspension
"On the first part of the stage it was good. However, the last part was a mess. I tried to drive safely and I hope the car is okay."
SS5
"Happy to survive. It's crazy. I have done a lot of rallies in my career, but this is the most difficult. After six or seven cars, the road is completely destroyed and the guys coming behind have to just keep it on the road."
"I hope the mechanics can fix the problem because this is impossible to drive. If not, I will stop because it's impossible to drive this way."
"There is a lot of fog, but I think the biggest problem is not the fog! It's so muddy in places. I don't know how the conditions are for the first cars, but for us it's very slippery."
"Incredible conditions. This stage was quite okay for us. In many places it was very slippery, but some areas had quite good grip. The stage has a lot of fog in places, so we had to brake a lot because I couldn't see anything.:
"The first part of the rally is okay. Very difficult conditions in this stage with a lot of rain. I couldn't see - when you're flat-out it's impossible!"
"It's a very crazy rally. To my knowledge, we are quite far from Solans, so he can pretty much cruise right now. We are here to practice and the conditions are completely crazy, so it's good work."
"These modern cars are fantastic. In these conditions I still find it very tricky and the fog was incredible. I couldn't see a metre in front of the car so I tried to stay safe."
"I am quite happy. I am driving in a safe mode, but I'm enjoying these conditions. It's really fun and I'm really happy with my speed."
"It was impossible..."
SS3
Double puncture
"It's not a good morning. We only have front-wheel drive, and it's really hard to drive in these conditions."
"I didn't expect so much mud on the stage. I made a mistake because I set the suspension quite hard as the stage is fast, but it's getting very bad. Even on the straights it's not possible to go flat-out."
"It was difficult. Our tyres were not the right choice and we went out of the road, but luckily we are here."
"No problems. It's all good - the damage is from the previous stage. This one is very foggy with so much mud. It's difficult for the first time in this car."
"We feel OK. It's not an easy one - it's quite slippery and not easy to understand the grip."
"This stage was very difficult. We had a big moment, but we are here."
"Very difficult conditions in this stage. You can't see anything in the fog, but we are still here with no mistakes and no problems."
"This was one of the greatest stages I have ever done in my life. It was completely mad. It's fast but slippery so it's a crazy combination, but we made it through so it's okay."
"I don't know. On an easy right, there was a big stone. I didn't cut, so I don't know what happens. I am really sorry."
"I am just cruising this morning, especially on this stage. The fog was a surprise and we are trying to avoid rocks and everything."
power steering issue
Puncture
"A little bit of mud and a bit slippery, but we expect this. It's no worse than I expected and we are in a good pace and we're very happy with the car and the tyres. The stages are in perfect condition."
"Very happy with the first stage. I went absolutely flat-out. This one is a different thing - there is a lot of water and a lot of aquaplaning in the stage. I don't know if our road position is good for this one or not, but we will see."
SS2
"Everything is okay. It's slippy."
"We got problems with the radiator."
off road, damaged radiator
"In the forest it's really muddy and the other cars are bringing a lot of gravel over it and you're sliding a lot. It's quite difficult to keep the line, but honestly the grip is changing a lot."
"It's getting worse now. In the middle it's very twisty and it's starting to get a lot of ruts. It's difficult to get the traction so we lost a lot of time there."
broken driveshaft
"It was raining all the time, but in the last 4km we have a broken rear driveshaft. We have to keep going."
water leak
"We had some problems with the gearbox. We will try to improve the pace."
"It was not an easy stage - a difficult one. It's okay, we enjoyed it."
"I thought the stage would be worse, but it was quite okay and we had good grip. We made a little mistake in our pace notes, but we are happy the car is okay and we chose very good tyres."
'Everything is okay. The stage is very fast."
"It was good. The feeling in the rain is very good and there were no mistakes. It's possible to drive very fast."
"I think it was the right choice [road position]. I made some stupid mistakes and put the wrong map on for the stage, so the car had no power for a minute. We are here."
"It was really difficult. I don't know if the time will be good. I think it was not such a good stage for us, but we'll see what it was like."
"The stage was good, but I spun on a junction so I lost a lot of time restarting the car. It's the first stage - we are here."
"Everything went okay. The speed was not too fast because I didn't want to make big mistakes. We are in safe conditions and the car is okay, so we can improve."
"For the moment, the grip is quite nice. We know that when this gravel is moving it can be quite slippery, but right now the grip is okay."
SS1
"I had a problem at the start, but everything is okay."
"I don't know what, but we have problems."
"Everything was okay. In some places I was a little bit careful because the concrete was really close to the road. We are here, and the real rally starts tomorrow."
"It's always good to finish these stages because nobody likes these kind of stages, but the spectators are here so it was really good. I've got a big smile on my face because I enjoyed it, and we are really looking forward to tomorrow."
"The car was good. It's very slippery in places, but we enjoyed this stage. The real rally starts tomorrow."
"Unfortunately on the big parking, I arrived really fast. When it was time to brake on the stones it was slippy like hell and I wasn't able to slow the car down. I am really sorry, but for sure we started at our maximum. It's my fault."
"In the middle of the stage, it was very slippery and to go around the tyres we lost a lot of time. We went very wide, but the rest is okay."
"I made two small mistakes, but it was a good stage with no big problems."
"The stage was difficult, but it's beautiful in the town and it's great for all the people who come to see the cars."
"It was a good start. Maybe a little bit safe, but it was so slippery. I went too wide on the donut and lost a little bit of time, but apart from that it's okay. Tomorrow is a big rally."
"It was a superspecial stage, so it doesn't matter a lot, but it's good fun. It's also good for the fans here, so it's good to do stages like this. We hope to keep a good rhythm tomorrow."
"I don't know what the time is, but I enjoyed a lot. It was quite tricky in some parts, but anything for the show!"
"I made a mistake in the donut section. It's very slippery, but this day is very good."
"It was a very good stage but also very difficult. Everything is okay."
"Not ideal. It was a lot slippier than we expected, so it might have looked spectacular but we lost time. It's not ideal, but okay, we had fun."
"Everything is okay! The street stage is very cool and I'm happy."
"It was not bad. It was my first stage in this car and I was careful because you can lose everything in a stage like this. It's good to be here."
"I am just trying the car and trying to get the feeling. Let's improve."
"It was nice. I don't really like this kind of stage, but it's good for the public. I'm just getting through without losing a lot of time, so tomorrow we can go."
"It's a really good stage. A lot of spectators, which for me is very fun, but it was very slippy!"
"A special stage in the city - it's fantastic for the public! I don't love it because it's a big risk, but if the public enjoy it then we should do it. Let's focus on tomorrow."
"It's very tight with high curbs on both sides. There were plenty of places to pull a wheel off, so we just tried to get through it. It's good fun to get us warmed-up."
"It's very strange to recce the stage by foot and then do it with a car! Tomorrow the stages will be long, but it's all happy moments."
"We had a little incident - we hit the back side of the car on the roundabout, but it's all okay!"
"We don't have experience in this kind of car, but it's nice to be here. We didn't hit the concrete and that's the main thing!"