WRC 3
Membrado takes Friday WRC3 honours, Abramowski in hot pursuit
Spanish youngster Gil Membrado made home advantage count on Friday at Rally Islas Canarias, building a narrow overnight lead in WRC3.
Fresh from finishing runner-up at Croatia Rally, the 18-year-old underlined why he is regarded as one of the category’s rising talents by claiming five stage wins aboard his Ford Fiesta Rally3 to move 17.0sec clear of Poland’s Tymek Abramowski in an identical car.
Abramowski had drawn first blood on Thursday night’s super special inside Gran Canaria Stadium, but Membrado responded strongly once the rally moved onto Friday’s fast and flowing Tarmac stages.
"Today was a really good day for us," said Membrado. "We are in P1 in WRC3, so I am really happy. It's my first time in this position in the WRC and I'm proud of my work."
Polish youngster Tymek Abramowski sat second following Friday WRC3 action
© At World
Neither driver can afford to relax on Saturday, however, with Frenchman Ghjuvanni Rossi consistently setting top-three stage times to sit within 17.5sec of Abramowski. FIA Junior WRC competitor Raúl Hernández is just a further 30sec adrift in fourth.
Germany’s Nicolas Otto, contesting only his third WRC3 event, had been set to round out Friday’s top five but rolled on the final stage of the day. That allowed Santiago Pérez to inherit the position heading into Saturday.
Ghjuvanni Rossi sat third overnight following Friday in WRC3 in Spain
© At World
