Skoda factory pilot Jan Kopecký , after winning the home Rally Bohemia , is going into the Malaysian adventure full of confidence. 10,000 kilometers from the last starting point, the current championship leader Kopecky and his team-mate Gaurav Gill are waiting for particularly demanding special stages in the fourth event of the APRC . The factory-supported Skoda MRF team leads the APRC standings after three victories in three competitions and wants to extend its successful streak to Rally Malaysia .
"Defending the championship at Rally Bohemia in front of the Skoda headquarters in Mladá Boleslav was a special moment for me and my co-driver Pavel Dresler . This will encourage us for the second half of the season in the APRC ," says Jan Kopecký . On July 12, the Czech matador crowned the triple triumph of the Skoda brand at the domestic "Bohemka", which was run in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Skoda RS models. The red and white design of the Fabia S2000 factory cars was a reminder of the then legendary cars.
In the same colors, Kopecký will drive the Skoda MRF team car to the Malaysian rally the following weekend. But that is probably the only similarity between competitions in Europe and Asia. "I have to quickly reorient myself from fast asphalt tracks in the Czech Republic to muddy roads through banana and coconut plantations in Malaysia," comments Kopecký.
"Tropical temperatures in Malaysia are also a big challenge," adds Kopecký. "We have to be properly prepared for that. In the past weeks, we trained again in the sauna wearing our riding overalls. Similar conditions prevail in our Fabia S2000, when we are really at the limit in the competition. We are doing everything to be as well prepared as possible for this adventure.”
Last year's teammates Gaurav Gill and Glenn Macneal l know from their own experience how tough the competition is in Malaysia. That's when this crew took off from a soggy track on the first day of the competition after heavy rains, giving their rivals victory. "We definitely want to do better this year and we want to win most of all. But the most important thing will be to reach the finish line and score important points in the brand ranking," says Gaurav Gill . "But one thing is very clear to me: If I want to defend last year's APRC title, I have to go hard in Malaysia."
With 66 points, the defending champion is second behind the leader Kopecký (105 points), who, after finishing second behind Gill at the opening event in New Zealand, triumphed in the following rallies in New Caledonia and Australia . Tropical temperatures and 217.40 kilometers divided into 14 special stages await the pilots in Malaysia , the opening event of the Asian section of the APRC .
Source: Skoda Motorsport
