ERC calendar: minus fourth round, plus two more races
Sergei Remennik and Mark Rozin, acting for the Russian Performance Motorsport Team, have summed up their provisional results: the FIA European Rally Championship three rounds are behind, and the Uralian crew has received silver trophies for each competition. Stable performances have given 89 points in the total that allow guys to maintain a leading position in the ERC-2 standings, where the crew performs in the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X.
At the beginning of the season the crew announced participation in only four rounds of the FIA European Rally Championships: the rallies in the Azores and the Canary Islands, the Acropolis Rally in central Greece and the “home” for the technical support team race in Latvia. To save the opportunity to fight for the title Sergei and Mark decided to expand their program by adding two more races – the Italian Rally di Roma Capitale (round number five in the series calendar) and one of the oldest rallies in the world – the pre-final round in Poland.
Sergei Remennik and Mark Rozin miss the fourth ERC round that starts today in Cyprus, as they are literally overwhelmed by the main work. Tibor Erdi, occupying the second position in the final ERC-2 classification with 79 points, will also skip this rally.
Sergei Remennik, driver, “We are very sorry that we can’t attend one of the most beautiful races of this season. We liked Cyprus Rally very much last year! A complicated track with dusty trails is a main feature of the Cyprus race, and it’s interesting. It’s not about speed, but about finding a balance on the verge of vehicle endurance and reasonable acceleration. Therefore, overcoming complex special stages leaves a sense of satisfaction as from well-done work.
Unfortunately, life makes its own allowances, and we are forced to spend this week in a working routine instead of a rally holiday. And we really like the rally, for the second year in a row our work and everyday life are organized in accordance with the rally calendar! We wish all the Cyprus Rally participants good luck, and most importantly – to reach the finish line. We really hope that everyone will enjoy these roads, and we will “suffer” at home (laughing)”.
Only one Russian Performance Motorsport team crew starts in Cyprus – Alexey Lukyanuk and Alexey Arnautov in the Ford Fiesta R5. They are going to defend their leading position in the European racing series overall standings.
Calendar of Sergei Remennik and Mark Rozin’s performances:
Azores Airlines Rallye, gravel – took place, second position in ERC-2Rally Islas Canarias, asphalt – took place, second position in ERC-2EKO Acropolis Rally, gravel – took place, second position in ERC-2Cyprus Rally, gravel – the crew skips this rally- Rally di Roma Capitale, asphalt – scheduled
- Barum Czech Rally Zlín, asphalt – the issue of participation will be considered following the results of the fifth stage in Italy
- Rally Poland, gravel – scheduled
- Rally Liepāja, gravel – scheduled
Alexey Lukyanuk, the European Championship main favorite, won the first day of the race on Friday, but Saturday morning brought troubles to the crew – the broken suspension arm of the Fiesta R5 and decided to retire and continued the race on Sunday with the help of Rally 2 system with a large fine for missed special stages. On the final day Lukyanuk showed his driving skills and received seven bonus points for the victory at the end of the day, so Petersburgers are still the series leaders – they have 83 points against 69 of Bruno Magalhães, who was able to win the race in Greece.
Alexey Lukyanuk, driver (Ford Fiesta R5), “On the second day, on Sunday, we had the task to score as many points as possible, namely for the day (maximum 7 points) and to take as many points as possible from Bruno Magalhães. Fortunately, we did it. Although at the first stage we had a problem with the brakes overheating – the brake fluid boiled. Then we “bled” the brakes; everything was perfect until the end of the day, there were no problems. Also, in a very narrow place of that SS I slipped and hit the tree with the rear wheel. I didn’t expect that it would be so loose there. I’ve damaged the hub, but we reached the finish line, losing a little time. It was a bit uncomfortable at first because of the brakes, but then we went at our own pace; the notes were good, we enjoyed driving. We were ahead of all the closest competitors for a minute. 
Sergei Remennik, the second RPM team driver, faced fewer problems in Greece, but surprised himself on Saturday, when he managed to puncture the same tyre twice at one special stage. According to Sergei, he has never changed the tyres as many times as in Greece. However, the flat tyres did not prevent the crew from entering the ERC-2 top three and finishing the difficult race on the second position.
Sergei Remennik, driver (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X), “Finish at the Acropolis rally is a special experience, and I would like to repeat it! Two special stages before the finish line our competitor Tibor Erdi drove confidently ahead, which includes our tyre punctures. And there were three of us behind him: Juan Carlos Alonso, Petros Panteli and our crew, all in 10 seconds. After the day service there were two more stages, where we mobilized energy and pushed hard. Psychological pressure was incredibly strong, but it seems that we pushed more. Alonso didn’t cope with it (he went off the track at the final special stage), and Panteli had problems with his car. 
Following the three FIA ERC rounds, Lukyanuk and Arnautov remain the series leaders in the overall standings; while Sergei Remennik and Mark Rozin, having secured the second place in three rounds, keep the lead in the “Production” category.
Alexey Lukyanuk, driver, “It was clear that it was necessary to play a backlog somehow in order to rise in the day results. So we’ve gone! I don’t know what others did, because I was cautious in places, and sometimes I drove normally. We have the very good pace notes; and it’s great that we drive quickly from the first pass at the new special stages for everyone – this road has never been used. Of course, I’m pretty much tired, my hands ached at the end… but when we finished we felt that we were working!”
A full racing day, the results of which will go to the bonus points, started only on Saturday. It sound really epically, but the day special stages were located only ten kilometers from the historical site of the Thermopylae – the most famous battle of antiquity. In European culture, when it is mentioned, first of all the valor and courage of the Hellenes are emphasized.
During Saturday the goddess of luck and destiny were showing all the variability of the world, its instability and chance, having thinned out the field. At SS-5 Alexey Lukyanuk and Alexey Arnautov were lucky enough to fix the suspension malfunction. The lever replacement directly at the stage – it took more than 14 minutes, the broken drive and the risk of not arriving to the TC on time led to the crew decision on retirement and return to the team location. Tomorrow guys will start with the help of “rally2” system.
Sergei Remennik, driver, “The race is cool, I’m very pleased to finish the day, because we had an open gestalt from last year (laughing). Everything is fine, but we had a puncture at today’s second stage – we lost the front left wheel, it was very unpleasant. So we lost all hope for fighting with Tibor Erdi. But, frankly speaking, we didn’t push hard on these stones; when I saw the stones, I slowed down, trying to ride carefully. But nevertheless, we somehow managed to puncture the tyre. And the car got some damage after that – we slid to the rock and I, as I could, pulled the forecarriage from the stones, but the rear end still hit. At the next stage we also punched the rear tyre, but it was purely my fault – I drove too optimistically shortly before the finish.
On Sunday the participants will tackle two different special stages that they will pass twice a day and 81 kilometers of competitive distance. And in the afternoon there will be a ceremonial finish and the prize-giving in Lamia.
Alexey Lukyanuk, driver, “In general, I think everyone increased their speed significantly. Last year we competed only with Magalhaes and Kajetanowicz, who then finished second and third. Okay, now Magalhaes had problems with the car, but a bunch of young drivers added a lot in pace. Nikolay Gryazin also finally accelerated, he is approaching. It’s cool for us, that he is so close. I expected that it would be a little more difficult to fight. We have also learned something from the past and, on the whole, we conducted this race very confidently, practically without any mistakes. The tyres are amazing; I don’t know why people use others. For these conditions Pirellis are ideal, and we have chosen the composition for each section well. Everything is super here”.
Asphalt rally is a heavy test for production vehicles. After three Saturday special stages the crew of Juan Carlos Alonso refused to fight, although by that time it firmly established on the second position. The mechanics could not retrieve the gearbox and did not release the crew to the final section of the rally. And for almost thirty kilometers to the finish of the rally there was a message that the Subaru Impreza of Zelindo Melegari stopped at the special stage – a technical problem with the engine and also a retirement.
Sergei Remennik, driver, «“Of course, I would like to conduct the race and climb the podium in a different manner, in the fight. But it turned out as it turned out. And maybe there is some universal justice: for the broken yesterday’s power steering, today everything went very smoothly. Unfortunately, the failures of our rivals have pushed us to the podium. And, as we counted, now we have risen to the first place in the championship standings. 
Following the two rounds results, the Russian Performance Motorsport team tops the championship, and the crews are the leaders – Alexey Lukyanuk and Alexey Arnautov in the overall standings, Sergei Remennik and Mark Rozin in the ERC-2 Production class.
Alexey Lukyanuk, driver, “We are at the service, the first day is over. I think the day was almost ideal for us. We chose the tires successfully, we were lucky enough with the weather because it was wet in the morning and the road dried up quickly to our starting position – we could attack well. Our competitors made a mistake with the tyre choice, and, fortunately, our pace is still higher. Nothing lasts forever, but we are in a good shape, the car works properly, the tyres are super. So everything is fine today for us. In the morning we had medium-hard tyres, and in the second half – very tough, the hardest. They worked perfectly, the road is very abrasive, it’s hot (the asphalt temperature is almost +50C). Everything worked as it should. In the morning on a wet track, probably, an average or soft composition would have worked better. We lost not so much at the second special stage, but there were a lot of wet places – we were careful. In general, on dry stretches we disengaged and played out much more than we lost on the wet ones. Everything turned out to be balanced”. 
The second team crew of Sergei Remennik and Mark Rozin could not boast of an excellent result – the power steering of their Mitsubishi Lancer broke at the fifth stage. Hydraulic system, allowing not to apply large forces when turning the steering wheel, remained without technical fluid due to the burst nozzle. This failure became a serious problem – driving the car at the special stage and along public roads – liaisons in a full of turns mountainous area turned into the most unpleasant moments of the race. Even for an athlete and physically trained sportsman it is extremely difficult to steer in such conditions.
On Saturday, from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, drivers will go to the final six stages of the race, the length of high-speed sections will be just over 100 kilometers; they will determine the leader of the FIA European Rally Championship second round.
The island round traditionally gathers a large number of participants and motorsport fans together. The complex track attracts viewers from all over Europe. But the participants here must be especially careful. Increased attention has to be given to the pace notes – there are many turns and twisted areas, uneasy liaisons and different surfaces. Asphalt at the special stages is really different – in the mountain part it has a more abrasive composition with gravel – in the winter months it helps to fight ice. But in the warm season this structure is fatal for tyres of any rigidity.
Sergei Remennik, driver, “It was easier to make the pace notes on these asphalt roads for the second time – we have a conceptual understanding of the notes; there are some “tricks” that help us to make notes easily without blocking them. The fact that we are taking part in this race for the second year allows us to check the recorded information more quickly, we have significantly fewer remarks and corrections than last year. This time the stages and liaisons are reversed, only one part of one special stage is the same, but I think the knowledge of these roads specifics should help us.
Thursday morning will start with “warm-ups” runs and qualifying stage, according to which the first 15 drivers with the best results will be able to choose the starting position for Friday. Ceremonial start will be held in the evening – crews will pass through a podium in the center of Las Palmas. And on Friday a serious fight for seconds will start – eight stages, of which the two final ones will also be held in Las Palmas – along the city streets to the delight of the audience. The most difficult high-speed roads are scheduled on Saturday – six special stages will be held in the mountainous part of the island, where the density of turns and “pins” counting for several racing kilometers will be record high. In total during the rally the drivers will overcome 603 kilometers, 202 of them are competitive ones.
