This time it was Kalle’s turn to show his abilities on his home turf. And he started out great, jumping into the lead in SS2 and staying there for most of the rally – until a jump landed him on a rock hidden in a rut in SS18. The impact ripped of his left front suspension, with shock absorber going through the car’s hood. Once again, the sturdiness of FABIA R5 and ingenious roadside repair done by Kalle and his co-driver Jonne Halttunen enabled them to continue, but the time loss was huge. After the car was repaired, they started a valiant chase after the pole position, but in the end, they ended just short of the third place. Ole Christian Veiby was even less lucky. First, he damaged rear-right wheel and had to drive with brakes on just three wheels for some time, and then, also in SS18, he went off the road and had to retire. It was the only rally of the season where ŠKODA Motorsport did not score any medals.
This rally was a big unknown – a brand-new event in WRC 2 that the teams have never driven before. And with its combination of smooth, fast tracks around the coast and rocky, rutted gravel roads in the mountains, it was destined to be a challenge. For ŠKODA Motorsport drivers, it was also a battle that could decide the championship – will Pontus Tidemand defend his 2017 title, or will Jan Kopecký claim his first? From the beginning, Jan Kopecký was the faster of the two, keeping his lead until Friday afternoon. Then, the problems struck both crews – both Kopecký and Tidemand collected two punctures each, leaving them with no spares left. For Kopecký, it meant falling to third place in overall standings, while Pontus Tidemand had to retire when he discovered hidden suspension damage. It took Kopecký until the end of Saturday leg to regain his lead, but he stayed on top until finish and collected another gold.
For ŠKODA Motorsport, the RallyRACC Catalunya was the last event of this year’s calendar, as the team never planned to go to Rally Australia. While Jan Kopecký was already certain to become the WRC 2 Champion*, he wanted to celebrate the end of his season with a great result. For Kalle Rovanperä, this rally was the opportunity to collect enough points to move in front of Gus Greensmith and to the third place in overall standings of the 2018 season. Even though Kopecký had nothing to gain or lose from the rally, he gave everything into his performance. After too confident tyre choice in Friday’s rainy leg, he lost some time, but he still managed to finish second, celebrating the end of his season and the 100thbirthday of his country with a podium finish. However, it was Kalle Rovanperä who became the hero of the day. Even with his lack of experience on tarmac, especially in rain, he managed to move up to the lead of the rally and stay there until the end. His second victory in WRC 2 ever, second in a row and second in just one month was a great ending of ŠKODA Motorsport season. And it meant that the team finished the year 2018 with a 1-2-3 victory. We hope that the next season will be as good as this one!
