The 2019 FIA European Rally Trophy also launched last weekend with Rali Serras de Fafe, the opening round of the Portuguese national championship and first event of the Iberian ERT. The trophy, specially aimed at amateur crews across Europe with the same technical and sporting regulations as the European Rally Championship, counts 34 events this year in seven regional zones - Alpine, Balkan, Baltic, Benelux, Central, Celtic, Iberian – and a final on the Rallye International du Valais, Switzerland, on 17-19 October.

 

WRC crew Dani Sordo and Carlos del Barrio claimed an assured victory in their first outing with the Hyundai i20 R5 on gravel on the Iberian event by setting the fastest time on 13 out of the 14 stages contested and winning the rally with a 1min14s lead over Portuguese driver Ricardo Teodosio. The Spanish pair certainly enjoyed familiar sections of the itinerary as the ERT route was passing over some of the special stages of the WRC round.

 

Portugal’s José Mereceano and Francisco Pereira finished first in the ERT2 category while their countrymen Pedro Antunes and Paulo Lopes claimed the ERT3 victory together with the top spot of the ERT Junior championship.

 

Beside the top factory stars competing in the ERT class as part of their preparations for their WRC debut on Rally México next week, Rali Serras de Fafe saw a strong participation in the other categories, notably ERT3 and ERT Junior, with many Spaniards who had joined to battle it out on Portuguese roads.

 

 

 

 

The rally action moves to South America next weekend with Rallye Tierra Colorada in Argentina launching the FIA CODASUR Championship. It will be the first out of five events in the 2019 season on the continent.