Claire Schönborn
(Germany) returned to action after Friday’s retirement and instantly gelled
with the Ford Fiesta Rally3 despite having to overcome several firsts, which
included having to tackle the large cuts on the stages in damp conditions, a
feature of the CER terrain.
The German
Hillclimb champion continued her steep learning curve with a full day behind
the wheel, adapting to the Fiesta in the tricky conditions.
“This morning
was really slippery, but I still felt good in the car, but normally I like
driving in the wet, so it was not so bad” she said.
“The cuts were a
big surprise as they were so deep with so much mud. In hillclimbing, they sweep
the track every time there is mud on it, so it was completely new for me but overall,
I think we managed the day quite well and I`m pleased to make it to the end
after yesterday’s disappointment.”
Despite a
successful day behind the wheel on Friday, Lyssia Baudet (Belgium) was caught
out by the conditions on the Beyond Borders 1 test, going wide on a
right-hander over a crest and damaging the front suspension, bringing an early
end to her day.
"I was just
a little bit offline over a crest and we went wide onto the grass,” explained
Lyssia.
“I followed the pace notes, but it was a bit too optimistic, and we arrived
with a little too much speed. That would have been ok, but we just hit a pole
on the side which damaged the suspension, and we could not continue. I am
disappointed but we will come back stronger tomorrow."
After a strong
start, Suvi Jyrkiäinen (Finland) also couldn’t complete the leg after her
Fiesta suffered a coolant leak on the second stage of the day. She elected to
stop on the road section to ensure further damage was not caused.
“I was feeling
really comfortable today, but we had to stop after the stage which was not so
good for us” she reflected. “We will work on our notes tonight and see what we
can do tomorrow, it is a completely new day.”
Looking ahead, just Sunday’s stages stand in
the way of one driver securing a career-defining season in the FIA Junior WRC,
with the winner selected by an esteemed panel of judges and announced on
completion of the rally.
Japan
Poland
Turkey