Step on the road in Holese riders as one of the most favorite in the calendar. This year the route to pay them are not the best way — the problems the participants have suffered from the first qualification and until the very end. Fate did not spare anyone — neither favorites nor outsiders. It has got all...
That there is only the first qualification, which resulted in last place with insulting «the wheel» instead shown times found themselves just three riders fighting for victory in the championship of 2016 — two-time world champion on rally-cross Petter Solberg, leader of the season Mattias Ekström and the winner the last stage in the Norwegian Andreas Bakkerud.
Petter was unlucky in the contact anti-Davi Jeanne — Peugeot Citroen Frenchman was stronger Norwegian and bump, which ricocheted car Solberg, was even stronger.
At Matthias happened exotic breaking — out of order system e-gas. What is it? Electronic gas pedal. She broke once conjured mechanics and the car was returned to life, but he immediately broke again.
But Andreas himself had made a mistake and «rolled» his front suspension. But it does not matter who or what was the cause of the problems. The main thing — they have caused significant damage to the standings of these specific drivers.
But in the second qualifying situation has changed diametrically opposite. Now at the end of the table of results it was already the leader of the first session, Sebastien Loeb and Davie Jeanne. unlucky Timur Timerzyanovu and Reinis Nitishsu The third session — the last stumbled in the final part of qualifying races.
As a result, among the twelve participants who went into the semi-finals, were Johan Kristofferson, Andreas Bakkerud, Petter Solberg, Sébastien Loeb, Mattias Ekström, Robin Larsson, Toomas Heikkinen, Janis Baumanis, Timmy Hansen, Niclas Grönholm, Davie Jeanne and Anton Marklund.
Unfortunately, in the semi-final race did not hit Timur Timerzyanov — Russian citizen on the basis of qualification was on the 14th position, he lacked only nine points. But the tragedy did not end sports...
One phase of the leaders — who held on the basis of qualifications third place Petter Solberg — failed the first semi-final. From the start of the Norwegian chose a rather conservative approach — he sat down on the tail of leader Johan Kristofferson, putting check on the «joker-circle» until the very end. Neither Solberg nor his spotter could ever predict that in the lead after the qualifying rounds Swede in the semis will lose all your momentum.
Timmy Hansen and Mattias Ekström also went on a standard way — those who find themselves after starting at the tail of the group of six cars are usually just call in to «joker-lap.» The Swedes did, then immediately caught the group leaders — Kristofferson was driving so slowly that gathered for a rest of the participants who have not been able to beat him.
It is not surprising that after his arrival in the «joker» Kristofferson and Solberg were in the same group with Hansen and Ekström.
In the struggle for getting into the top three contenders were only half of the circle, so that a change was not possible. Timmy Hansen won, Johan Kristofferson finished second and Mattias Ekström has closed three. Petter Solberg finished fourth and reached the final.
The second semi-final took place on a similar scenario, but this time the deceased in the first race, Andreas Bakkerud went much faster, so to him, and who was riding after him, Sébastien Loeb after the «joker-circle» managed to keep the first and second place at the finish arrival. The third was Anton Marklund — he drove from the start to the «joker» with Robin Larsson, but the latter is later stopped due to a fault.
Like podsmotrev tactics Timmy Hansen from the first semi-final in the final, Andreas Bakkerud drove to the «joker» right from the start, behind strictly Hansen, as well as Sebastien Loeb and Anton Marklund.
Loeb did not spend long in the second position — a small blot and forth breaks Marklund, but Sebastien immediately rushed to the counter. This fight went on and on, but it has led to the fact that both pilots let a self Bakkeruda!
The fate of the wins and prizes decided on the last lap. Teammates Timmy Hansen and Sébastien Loeb went on a «joker-lap», Andreas Bakkerud immediately burst into the lead. Hansen — like last year — tried to overtake the Norwegian to the finish, but in the last corner he jammed the hand brake and the rear wheel of his Peugeot 208 Supercar blocked tightly.
The Swede was not taken aback, and having pressed the gas pedal to try to overcome the finish line. He managed to do it, but Sebastien Loeb has already raced past.
As a result, Andreas Bakkerud won, Loeb was second, and the loser only the third Hansen.
Breakfast stage also hosted participants monoprivodnom standings Super 1600, among whom were three Russians — Yegor Sanin, Timur Shigabutdinov and Dmitry Malakhov.
On the basis of qualifications Sanin was third, Shigabutdinov — sixth and fifteenth Malakhov only. The finalists came only Timur — judge deprived Yegor result of contact fighting. And by the end of the fifth Shigabutdinov finals.
The next stage of the world championship on rally-cross will be held in late July on the road in Canada.
Photo: www.fiaworldrallycross.com
