Team MRF Tyres holds two top-eight positions after demanding Saturday at Barum Czech Rally Zlín

Team MRF Tyres completed the first full day of competition at the Barum Czech Rally Zlín with two cars inside the top eight, as Erik Cais and Simone Tempestini remained firmly in contention after a demanding Saturday on the Czech asphalt.

Following Friday evening’s opening Super Special Stage in Zlín, Saturday represented the first major test of the rally, with six special stages and 121.85 competitive kilometres. The itinerary included two passages over “Pohořelice”, “Bunč” and the 25.59-kilometre “Troják”, the longest special stage of the event.

Erik Cais and Daniel Trunkát ended the day in seventh overall with the #11 Hyundai i20 N Rally2. The Czech crew showed competitive pace throughout the leg, recording two fourth-fastest stage times and several encouraging split times. With the gaps in the leading group remaining relatively small, Cais will head into Sunday still in a position to challenge the crews ahead and potentially move closer to the podium positions.

Simone Tempestini and Francesca Maria Maior are eighth overall in the #8 Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. After a strong start to the morning, a small mistake on SS3 cost the Romanian crew some time. Tempestini responded during the afternoon loop with a series of competitive performances, increasing his confidence and showing the potential of the MRF Tyres package on the demanding Czech stages.

With Cais seventh and Tempestini eighth, Team MRF Tyres currently holds a valuable double points-scoring position towards the FIA ERC Teams’ Championship, which remains the primary sporting objective of the 2026 European campaign.

For Andrei Gîrtofan and Dorin Pulpea, Saturday represented their first full day of competition at the Barum Czech Rally Zlín. The #26 Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 crew successfully negotiated some of the championship’s most challenging asphalt stages, characterised by broken surfaces, narrow sections, numerous cuts and increasingly dirty conditions. Reaching the end of the leg provided important experience ahead of another demanding day on Sunday.

Simone Tempestini, #8 Škoda Fabia RS Rally2:
“It was a positive end to the day and we are happy. We know the pace is there. We expected these stages to be difficult and they certainly were, but we are in the fight. During the afternoon we were able to push with more confidence and set some interesting times, so there are positive indications for tomorrow.”

Erik Cais, #11 Hyundai i20 N Rally2:
“It has not always been easy today. Sometimes I would like to be faster because I know we have the potential to do it. We improved during the day and finished the afternoon loop in a better way, so now we will analyse everything and do the best we can tomorrow.”

Andrei Gîrtofan, #26 Škoda Fabia RS Rally2:
“What a rally! It is really tough and these stages are incredibly demanding. I am happy to have completed my first full day here at Barum and we have learned a lot. Tomorrow will be another very difficult day, but we are motivated and ready to continue.”

Sunday will feature the final six special stages and 83.94 competitive kilometres, beginning with one of the most famous tests of the Barum Czech Rally Zlín: the 18.01-kilometre “Pindula”. The finish podium in Zlín’s náměstí Míru is scheduled for 17.30, bringing Team MRF Tyres’ 50th FIA European Rally Championship appearance to a conclusion.

Il Team MRF Tyres ha completato la sua prima giornata intera al Barum Czech Rally Zlín con due vetture tra le prime otto. Erik Cais e Simone Tempestini hanno dimostrato di essere ancora competitivi dopo un sabato impegnativo. La giornata prevedeva sei prove speciali per un totale di 121,85 chilometri, inclusa la prova speciale “Troják”, lunga 25,59 chilometri.

Erik Cais e il suo copilota Daniel Trunkát hanno chiuso la giornata al settimo posto con la loro Hyundai i20 N Rally2 numero 11. Hanno mostrato una buona velocità, registrando due quarti tempi durante la giornata. I distacchi ristretti tra i primi concorrenti lasciano Cais in una posizione favorevole per lottare per il podio domenica.

Simone Tempestini e Francesca Maria Maior si sono assicurate l’ottavo posto assoluto con la Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 numero 8. Nonostante un piccolo errore nella SS3 le abbia rallentate, Tempestini si è riscattata nel pomeriggio con ottime prestazioni, aumentando la fiducia e mostrando il potenziale della loro vettura sulle impegnative prove speciali. Il Team MRF Tyres sta attualmente accumulando punti preziosi per il Campionato FIA ERC a Squadre, un obiettivo chiave per la loro campagna europea del 2026. Anche Andrei Gîrtofan e Dorin Pulpea hanno gareggiato sabato, acquisendo un’importante esperienza sulle difficili prove speciali su asfalto.

La giornata si è conclusa con commenti positivi da parte dei piloti, che hanno riconosciuto le sfide affrontate ma anche la loro determinazione a migliorare per il giorno successivo. Domenica sono previste altre sei prove speciali, a partire dalla celebre “Pindula”, e il rally si concluderà alle 17:30.