One of the great novelties in the European Rally Championship was the entry of the tyre brand MRF Tyres. After their success in the Asia-Pacific Championship, with many drivers, they have entered the European market with strength. Spain is a great example, with several regional victories and even in the Spanish Gravel Championship with Xevi Pons.
On the one hand, they have a team from the World Rally Championship in their ranks. We’re talking about Ireland’s Craig Breen and Paul Nagle, members of Team Hyundai Motorsport in the WRC. The involvement of this duo with MRF is outstanding. They are in a Hyundai i20 R5.
The second piece of the puzzle, and no less important, can be considered a clear bet for the future. Finland’s Emil Lindholm, with Mikael Korhonen on his right, has postulated himself as one of the tournament’s surprises so far. His speed with the Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo is proven from the first kilometer.
At the moment, Breen has achieved two fourth places in the ERC. On the tarmac in Rome it was a little further from the lead times, but in Latvia things were much more evenly matched. He is third in the overall standings, 30 points behind Solberg and 26 points behind Lukyanuk, the fastest so far. There are four tests left and everything is still to be decided.
Lindholm, on the other hand, is also doing well. A pity for two small failures in Latvia, where he had the rhythm to aspire to the podium, just like his teammate. In Arezzo, of Italian Rally Championship, he has already shown what he is capable of. He was leading the race with solvency in the absence of a stage in front of all the premises, until the engine of a rented Skoda said enough. Its main objective is the ERC1 Junior, where it is third to a point of Grégoire Munster.
The next ERC rally will be held in the Azores from 17 to 19 September. A week later, if nothing is twisted, the Spanish Gravel hampionship will be restarted, where the brand has many hopes. Gorka Eizmendi (Skoda Fabia R5) and Juan Carlos Quintana (Ford Fiesta R5) are the main spears of MRF Tyres Spain to aspire to everything.
