Tidemand aims high in the Turkish mountains

After their third place in Estonia, Pontus Tidemand and his co-driver Patrik Barth are in second place overall in the current WRC 2 standings – a very promising position to continue the hunt for points together with Toksport WRT. This time speed isn’t the key factor, clever driving is the way to go when the WRC arrives in Turkey.

“We aim for the top, without a doubt. I’ve competed in Turkey twice before and even though I know exactly how difficult it is, it feel good to have experience from this event. I also know that the Skoda is an exceptionally strong car that suits perfectly for a tough rally like this” said Pontus.

Rally Turkey is one of the hardest challenges in the this year’s WRC series. High temperatures, sometimes more than 30 degrees Celsius, and very abrasive roads with many big rocks, put high demands on both man and machine. In south-west Turkey’s mountains, a smart strategy is the winning concept rather than just speed.

“It’s all about trying to avoid problems as much as you can and to have a bit of luck” said Pontus. “You need to be prepared for at least one puncture during the weekend, but it’s the same challenge for everyone. The stages are more or less the same as last year so I feel like I know them pretty well and at a quite unique rally like this, experience is valuable.”

The rally base is located near the city of Marmaris and the event starts in the city centre on Friday afternoon, then to be followed by two opening stages. Saturday is the longest day of the rally and is identical to last year’s programme, while Sunday offers a thrilling finish with one of the stages being the longest stage of the event.