No dream weekend at Rally Poland for Tidemand
The Polish round of the FIA European Rally Championship was no walk in the park for Pontus Tidemand and his co-driver Julia Thulin. After three tough competitive days on the sandy and fast roads, they finish the event in 13th place. “I know we can do better” said Pontus.
After a good start on Friday evening’s spectator stage, the Swedish crew was only three seconds off the lead. But a tough Saturday morning made them quickly lose time. The afternoon on the other hand, was a lot better and Pontus presented great driving.
“It was hard to find the right rhythm and the morning did not go our way. It was my first time on these stages so it almost felt like a third recce, while most of my competitors had been competing on these roads before. But on the second pass we felt more at home and I could drive more like I usually do, and even if it does not affect the result, it does something for the feeling in the car” said Pontus.
On Sunday, the 15 first cars changed road order, which meant that Pontus was car number four on the road.
“It was very slippery and we had to do a whole lot of road cleaning. Not easy, but in our position it was not about chasing the podium, it was just about improving our driving and making the most of it. The second loop was better today as well, despite having an incident with some hay bales that cost us extra time” said Pontus.
Eventually they could wrap up Rally Poland in 13th place and although the experience is important, Pontus is far from happy with the result.
“I don’t know how to feel to be honest. Of course I’m very grateful to be here, all driving is good driving, and the experience means much to the team, to me and to Julia. But I know that we can do better and have more to give. We will analyze and look at every tiny detail until we find the right recipe for the next round. This result is not what we came here for but we will continue fighting” said Pontus.