9 times absolute national champion of rallies, Simone Tempestini, went out in the decoration during the special sample with the number 10 of Rally Sierra Morena, the first stage of the European Rally Championship, which took place this weekend in Spain.
Simone Tempestini, disappointed at the end of the race
On a Skoda Fabia Rally2 RS model, the Cluj pilot had a spectacular return in the rally, climbing from 18th after the third sample to 9th during the ninth, the objective being a top 7 ranking at the competition that attracted two pilots in the WRC, Thierry Neuville and Elfyn Evans.
In the champion's champion, the Romanian champion lost control of the competition car in a turn, skidded and went out, having to abandon. At that time, MRF Tyres, the team at which Tempestini is a equipment, was first in the top team in Spain.
“Unfortunately, here any fraction of a second can be decisive. Both I and Sergiu are okay, but we could not continue the rally. It was impossible to remove the car there, and the rally stops here for us. Now we are looking to recover the points in the next stages,” said the pilot from the Napoca Rally Academy club.
Tempestini will not have a break in the next week because when returning to Romania will go directly to Odorheiu Secuiesc, where he will start in Harghita, the first stage of the National Rally Championship. Nearly 70 crews are already registered for the race on ASTFALT where the Cluj has to defend its trophy.
Victoria in Spain returned to the Bulgarian with Russian origins, Nikolay Gryazin, followed by the French Yoann Bonato and the local favorite Juan Antonio Suarez. Two other tricolor crews competed in the Iberian Peninsula. Catherin Rădulescu and Bogdan Minea ranked 45th, and the only tetrapplegic pilot in the European, Ciprian Lupu, seconded by Vlad Colceriu, concluded on 46.
