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Great ERC1 win for Ingram in the Azores

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Great ERC1 win for Ingram in the Azores

Chris Ingram got his 2019 FIA European Rally Championship campaign off to a fantastic start by winning the ERC1 Junior category and finishing third overall on the Azores Rallye.

Co-driven by Ross Whittock, Ingram mastered some truly horrible weather conditions on the final day to bring his Toksport WRT-run ŠKODA Fabia R5 home to an excellent result, despite a puncture and a few spins.

“It was the most difficult Azores Rallye I've ever done, but to win my class and be on the podium overall is fantastic,” said Chris.

“My focus wasn't at the right level because I’m struggling for budget. I made a lot of mistakes, but the car was awesome, the tyres, Ross, everything. I just need to be more focused next time, but to come away with that result after our problems is really good. It's a great start to the championship.

“When we stalled on Sete Cidades were were two seconds down on Alexey Lukyanuk on the splits and not far from the finish of the stage. It was a right over a crest into a hairpin. It was just a half spin but because the car was hot we couldn’t get it restarted and I thought it would never restart. In that moment it felt like we were losing minutes. I had another spin [on Saturday] and then had a puncture but to be at the end it’s a big relief to win.”

Alexey Lukyanuk/Alexey Arnautov were on course to win their second consecutive Azores Rallye, but picked up a puncture on the penultimate stage. But the flailing rubber had also damaged their Saintéloc Racing-prepared Citroën C3 R5, which contributed to a big accident on the final stage, when the Russian driver rolled the car at the first corner.

Poland’s Łukasz Habaj/Daniel Dymurski won the event, beating Portugal’s Ricardo Moura/António Costa by just 8.4 seconds in a pair of ŠKODA Fabia R5s.

Chris Ingram wears a STILO WRC DES CARBON PIUMA helmet, with a SIMPSON HYBRID SPORT FHR and P1 Advanced Racewear race suit.

Chris Ingram, ERC, FIA European Rally Championship, Azores