New Delhi, Sep 11 : Indian rally ace Gaurav Gill showcased impressive stage timings in challenging conditions at the Acropolis Rally of Greece.He bounced back strongly on the final day, ending stages 13 and 14 in the 10th and 8th positions in the WRC 2 classification.
While the recce helped him develop a good strategy, the weather played spoilsport from the start of the rally, throwing challenges on the go.
Showing characteristic tenacity, the JK Tyre backed Gill was exceptional as he made his presence felt throughout all clean stages coupled with split times on the stages where he had breakdowns, his speed was off 0.5 to 1.0 seconds per kilometre of than WRC 2 leader Andreas Mikkelsen.
Indian motorsport’s only Arjuna Awardee, Gill and his co-driver Barral Florian had gone into the hot, dusty, stages of the gruelling event expecting to be in their element.The pair were able to put up some wow moments in their Škoda Fabia R5.
Despite facing setbacks like torrential rain and dry weather which eventually cancelled the shakedown stage and curtailed a few more stages.The route conditions further led to a radiator issue in Gill’s Car.The Punctures picked up on the rock-strewn terrain also dashed his hopes of a strong result.
However, Gill bounced back strongly on the final day ending stages 13 and 14 at the 10th and 8th positions in the WRC 2 classification, respectively.
The rally seriously tested the mettle of the man and machine by throwing them off-guard with various trials.
On his experience at the Acropolis Rally, Gaurav Gill said, “It’s not called the ‘Rally of Gods’ for nothing! This rally is known for its treacherous conditions, the biggest challenge that you can ask for in the WRC in terms of climate terrain and competitors.
“We didn’t get the result we hoped for but we were still able to mix it with the great champion drivers in terms of raw pace, despite it being our first rally of the year, which was incredibly encouraging.We also took away a lot in terms of learning and experience and I’m grateful to JK Tyre and Vamcy Merla for the opportunity.
Our full focus now is on the Indonesian round of the APRC and bringing the title back to India,” Gill said after the rally.
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