Team MRF driver, Gaurav Gill, has extended his lead in the 2016 FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship after a dominant performance in the China Rally Zhangye last weekend.
Driving a Skoda Fabia R5, Gill and co-driver, Glenn Macneall, battled scorching desert heat, camels, rocks and super fast roads to extend their title lead over team-mates Fabian Kreim and Frank Christian.
The China Rally Zhangye was won by Manfred Stohl, but as the Austrian wasn’t registered for championship points, Gill could concentrate on staying out of trouble and taking maximum points for the third event in succession.
“It’s been a great event for us, with very fast stages in the desert and incredibly hot conditions,” Gill said.
“Both the car and the tyres worked well, and to score maximum points in three out of three rallies couldn’t be better for us.”
Kreim, who currently leads the German Rally Championship, suffered a mechanical problem on the first day which cost him any chance of victory, however, he bounced back on day two.
He was the fastest APRC driver on the second day, and retains his second place in the race for the title.
“We are satisfied with our performance,” Kreim said at the finish. “We won three out of three stages on the final day, the car worked well and we had no problems.”
Based at the faraway city of Zhangye, close to the border with Mongolia, the event used stages on the edge of the Gobi desert.
“It was a brand new event, and it posed plenty of challenges for us,” team boss, Lane Heenan, said.
“However, to come away with points for first and second again is a great result, and Gill now holds a commanding 33 point lead in the championship.
“The Skodas once again showed their strength in what were incredibly tough conditions.”
The Asia-Pacific Rally Championship resumes in late September, when crews tackle the popular Hokkaido Rally in Japan.
APRC points after Round 3:
1. Gaurav Gill 107
2. Fabian Kreim 74
3. Mike Young 60