新闻 - WRS R1-3 report: The old Hunter learns new tricks

WRS R1-3 report: The old Hunter learns new tricks

WRS Monte-Carlo (361.4km distance)

It didn't take long for the season to produce it's first moment of high drama. Michelin were accused of making the dry asphalt tyre too good, as despite day 1 being a mostly wet affair, dry runners were 1st and 2nd, whilst wet tyre user Visvaldis Ceļš had struggled, though a suspected puncture on stage 3 didn't help.

Cels would claw back 2nd place by the end of the rally, but it was Wynn Hunter who would draw first blood and move to 55 career WRS wins.

1st: W. Hunter/N. Hampshire, 4:07:38.370
2nd: V. Cels/V. Markov, +2:05.608
3rd: P. Zatacka/A. Haggui, +2:22.508

WRS Sweden (322.92km distance)

Sweden wasn't as eventful, the only major development being Acosta falling to 10th after a tyre mix-up. Lesser drivers lost a lot of time on the snow, but the top 5 stayed relatively tight. Ultimately, Hunter was just that little bit quicker than Cels on most stages and took win #56.

1st: W. Hunter/N. Hampshire, 3:07:27.382
2nd: V. Cels/V. Markov, +35.067
3rd: P. Zatacka/A. Haggui, +01:46.332

WRS Safari (240.09km distance)

Cels would strike back by taking an early lead in Kenya, whilst Zhuk and Rezervists went back and forth for 4th place in the standings. But then on day 4, Cels fell victim to the same tyre mix up that felled Acosta in Sweden, turning a 24 second lead into a 3 minute deficit, enough to relegate them all the way to 5th.

This opened the door for Rezervists to win their first WRS podium by 6 seconds over Zhuk, whilst Hunter took win #57.

1st: W. Hunter/N. Hampshire, 2:27:52.956
2nd: P. Zatacka/A. Haggui, +01:02.061
3rd: A. Rezervists/B. Kuncl, +02:09.512

Whilst it's still early days, Wynn Hunter already enjoys a 27 point lead over Pankrác Zatáčka, with Visvaldis Ceļš now 29 points down when the gap could've been just 7 with a win in Kenya. Will that 22 point swing prove to be the difference come seasons end?