FIA IDC: Top 16 determined ahead of final day
The Top 32 session held at the Riga’s Bikernieki circuit in the pouring rain narrowed the number of the 2021 FIA Intercontinental Drifting Cup contenders to 16 names who are set to face each other on Sunday, fighting for the highest honours in drifting.
The top eight qualifiers — Damir Idiyatulin, Jack Shanahan, James Deane, Benediktas Cirba, Nikolass Bertans, Alex Golovnya, Kristaps Bluss and Max Miller — benefited from bye-runs and automatically advanced to Sunday’s Top 16 session. Despite not having to score points, the drivers used the opportunity to practice in wet weather conditions.
In the Tandem Battles Grzegorz Hypki managed to beat his compatriot Pawel Grosz; Evgenii Losev prevailed in the battle against Joshua Reynolds; Arkadiy Tsaregrdatsev got the better of Jerome Vassia, while Ivo Cirulis scored higher notes than local driver Edgars Krogeris.
On the other side of the Top 32 grid, Oliver Randalu outscored Massimo Checchin, while two-time FIA IDC winner Georgy Chivchyan beat Italy’s Manuel Vacca. Marco Zakouril and Charles Ng also made it through, defeating Kodua Nodo and Michal Reichert respectively.
The final encounter of 2021 FIA IDC will be held on Sunday, at 15:00 local time.
2021 FIA IDC TOP 16 QUALIFIERS
Damir Idiyatulin — Grzegorz Hypki
Max Miller — Evgenii Losev
Benediktas Cirba — Arkadiy Tsaregradtsev
Nikolass Bertans — Ivo Cirulis
Jack Shanahan — Randalu Oliver
Kristaps Bluss — Georgy Chivchyan
James Deane — Marco Zakouril
Alex Golovnya — Charles Ng