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Tag: European Rally Championship
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Team MRF’s Andrea-Virginia win final round, Rally Silesia: Euro Rally
Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi take their first European victory after a solid and mature performance against two-time FIA ERC champion Hayden Paddon.
Katowice (Poland), 14 October 2024: Team MRF Tyres’ Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi (ITA) notched up a creditable victory in the 8th Rally Silesia- Rajd Śląska, the final round of European Rally Championship 2024 here on Sunday. The MRF duo in a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 became the eighth different winner of the eight round 2024 FIA European Rally Championship.
The Italian crew, who finished second in the previous championship round at the JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion, delivered an outstanding performance, allowing Mabellini to claim his first European career victory. This is a significant result, marking the first time in 13 years that an Italian has won a European rally outside of Italy. With this result, Mabellini finished the season in fourth place, missing out third by just a few points, while contributing significantly to Team MRF Tyres’ second-place finish in the teams’ standings.
Mabellini’s success was built over time, with strategic teamwork ensuring the right tyre choices at critical moments. The Italian driver was in contention from the start, securing second place in the opening show stage and becoming the only driver to challenge former WRC driver Hayden Paddon, the two-time European champion. The turning point came on Day 2, with Mabellini’s victory on SS11, propelling him into the lead after an intense battle fought down to the tenths of a second.
The key moment came three stages from the end: after a mostly dry rally, changing weather conditions and the rain made tire choice crucial. Team MRF Tyres made no mistakes, with Mabellini driving with both speed and precision, showing maturity, and extending his lead from a narrow 1.9-second margin to an 18.3-second gap by the finish.
“I’m extremely happy. I want to thank Team MRF Tyres for believing in me from the start. We’ve worked hard together, and achieving this result is a huge satisfaction for all of us. A big thanks also to Virginia, who understands me perfectly, guides me, and without whom I wouldn’t be able to give my best, and to everyone who supported us from Italy. It’s been an incredible weekend, a season finale to remember. We’re enjoying this moment,” said Mabellini.
Also crossing the finish line in Katowice were Team MRF Tyres’ Amaury Molle (B) and Alex Dubois (FRA) in the Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo. The Belgian driver returned after his accident at the Barum Czech Rally Zlín two months ago, delivering a consistent performance. Molle worked on regaining confidence and consistency, posting impressive times, including seventh on SS11, run in very uncertain conditions.
“It’s been a weekend full of positives. I know it will take time to fully regain my rhythm and the confidence to push at 100%, but I felt a great connection with the car, and Alex and I did a good job, improving stage by stage. We made a small mistake on the final stage but that doesn’t change our outlook on the weekend’s result. Thanks to Team MRF Tyres for this opportunity; now we have the winter to prepare and focus on our 2025 season,” said Molle.
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ERC awards for Team MRF Tyres at FIA gala 2022
Bologna (Italy) 11 Dec 2022: Team MRF Tyres received the European Rally Championship 2022 Awards here at the prestigious FIA Gala where all the Champions and Championship winning Teams have been awarded their Titles. The presentation was held in Bologna and marked the culmination of a successful and victorious season for Team MRF Tyres strengthening their place as one of the best in the sport.
Arun Mammen, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director – MRF Ltd., received the Winning Team award, while Efren Llarena received the Winning Driver Title and Sara Fernandez received the Winning Co-Driver Titles for the European Rally Championship. Javier Pardo of Team MRF Tyres was the Runner-up in the European Rally Championships 2022.
Speaking after collecting the award, Arun Mammen said, “It is indeed a proud and landmark moment in our journey as a Tyre company to be able to achieve this success in such a short period of time. We entered the ERC in 2020 and have been able to bring our technical and development skills to be able to fight against the top Tyre brands and win this Championship. This win means a lot to the team of MRF men and women back in the factories and India and is a stupendous achievement and is a realization of their hard work. We hope that this is the first of many to come.”
Photo caption: Arun Mammen, Vice-Chairman & Managing Director MRF Limited poses with the Team award along with, with Efren Llaren, right, and Sara Fernandez, who won the awards for ERC Driver championship and Co-Driver’s championship for the year 2022 at FIA gala Awards Giving on Saturday.
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MRF Tyres are the 2022 European Rally Champions
Chennai, 24 August 2022: Team MRF Tyres with Efrén Llarena and Sara Fernández are the new 2022 FIA European Rally Champions. Team MRF Tyres secures the championship with two rounds to spare of the eight round 2022 FIA ERC Championship, demonstrating the high performance and success the team has demonstrated throughout the ERC. The team will take part in the Barum Czech Rally this week-end.
It is the first FIA ERC title for MRF Tyres, having only come to the Championship in 2020, to take on, compete and then beat the world’s best.
This victory comes close on heels of the success that Team MRF Tyres has enjoyed with victories in the Finnish Rally Championship and Italian Rally Championship in 2021. The FIA ERC title is the result of the immense effort the team has put in over the last three years.
The year 2022 has been equally rewarding for Team MRF Tyres with wins in the Azores Rallye, and podiums in Rally Islas Canarias and Liepaja Rally for Llarena and Fernández. A further win for Mārtiņš Sesks and Renars Francis followed in Latvia, winning every stage of the event. Simone Campedelli and Tania Canton took second place at Rally di Roma Capitale.
Mr. Arun Mammen, Vice-Chairman & Managing Director, MRF Tyres said, ““It is a very happy and momentous occasion to capture this first European Rally Championship for us at MRF Tyres. It is a testament to the work put in by our entire team to come up with Championship winning tyres which have performed at the top most level in European rallying thereby showcasing our superior technical capabilities. I would like to congratulate Efrén Llarena and Sara Fernández for achieving this feat, and our other drivers who have supported our Team in achieving this historic effort. It is indeed a very prestigious and proud moment for us to be crowned European Rally Champions 2022.”
The outstanding and consistent performance with the team, allowed them to take the Championship with two rounds remaining. The team of Llarena and Fernández has been a successful one for the team. They have proven equal to the challenge of competing with the world’s best and have been strong and consistent throughout the championship.
Efrén Llarena, FIA European Rally Championship, Driver’s Champion, Team MRF Tyres said, ““I can’t stop smiling! I would like to thank everyone at Team MRF Tyres. The commitment and work from the entire team over the last seasons has made this possible. We have worked hard this year and I am very proud to take the title with MRF Tyres. This is the result over the year of work. For us, and for MRF Tyres to be able to win a Championship at European level is a great achievement. To win it with the two rounds to spare demonstrates what a great product MRF Tyres has given us.
I am now looking forward to the rest of the season and we will continue to push for more great results!”
Sara Fernández, FIA European Rally Championship, Co-Driver’s Champion, Team MRF Tyres said, “I am really happy. This is my second co-driver’s title but this one is better because I can share it with Efrén and the entire team at MRF Tyres. “I would like to thank everyone at MRF Tyres. They gave us the most important opportunity of our life and they gave us an amazing tyre to rally on. We would not be in this position without the hard work and dedication from the team. “From our win in the Azores and our podiums this year, we have a great year, and I am looking forward to more success with MRF Tyres.”
Mr. Iain Campbell, FIA European Rally Championship Manager said, “On behalf of WRC Promoter and the FIA ERC, I’d like to pass on my congratulations to Efrén Llarena and Sara Fernández on becoming our 2022 champions. They have performed exceptionally all season. Furthermore, I also want to congratulate Team MRF Tyres on making history with this breakthrough win.”
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Breen to rally with MRF Tyres in first ERC campaign
Chennai, 21 July 2020: Team MRF Tyres is preparing for the European Rally Championship (ERC) opener this week; the first time the Indian tyre company is competing in a full season of European rallying.
The Irish star, Craig Breen will team up with Paul Nagle in the Team MRF Tyres Hyundai i20 R5, competing in each of the six rounds of the 2020 ERC season. Breen is no stranger to top-level rallying in Europe, having achieved podiums in the World Rally Championship and having five wins in the ERC
The Team MRF Tyres design is a clear sign of progression into Europe for the team but is recognisable to past success for the team. The solid geometric shapes meld with the curves of the Hyundai i20 R5.
Craig Breen and Paul Nagle in MRF colours getting ready for ERC campaign on Hyundai I20. MRF image Meanwhile, the Finnish duo of Emil Lindholm and Mikael Korhonen will drive the Team MRF Tyres Skoda Fabia R5 evo2 in the ERC1 category taking a partial 2020 campaign. It provides Team MRF Tyres, with a mixture of experience and youth. Lindholm is no stranger to R5 machinery. He currently leads the Finnish Championship after taking two wins and a podium so far this year.
The opening round of the 2020 ERC is the Rally di Roma Capitale and it represents the next step in MRF Tyres development. After years of success in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship that included nine titles, the move to the ERC represents a new challenge for MRF Tyres. The team has been hard at work developing tyres to compete across tarmac, gravel and snow representing the various conditions that can be found in European rallying.
Mr. Arun Mammen (MRF Tyres Vice-Chairman & Managing Director) said, “We are happy to see MRF Tyres progress to compete at the highest level of rallying in Europe with the European Rally Championship. We know that the road ahead is filled with challenges which we shall strive to overcome, but this is a start for us in this competitive arena. We at MRF Tyres along with our partners in this journey are committed to the development of our product and learning about our competition. After our success at the APRC level with our nine titles, it is natural for MRF Tyres to aim higher with the European Rally Championship. These are the next steps for us as India’s motorsport pioneers. I wish the team the best of luck for the 2020 season.”
Craig Breen (Driver, Team MRF Tyres, Hyundai i20 R5) said, “I am excited to get behind the wheel of the Team MRF Tyres Hyundai i20 R5. I think we can agree that it is a great looking car! We started testing at the end of last year. This year, except for the lockdown, we had been testing quite extensively. We have done one rally in Finland for the Finnish championship and we got on the podium there. For sure, there are some exciting plans, a lot of work and a lot of testing. We hope to make the tyre better and better and prove the talent behind Team MRF Tyres and this challenge.”
Emil Lindholm (Driver, Team MRF Tyres, Skoda Fabia R5 evo2) said, “It’s great to be back behind the wheel after a five-month break. It’s interesting to start the summer season from tarmac rally but then again, this year has been quite extraordinary so far. I have had a chance to drive with the MRF tyre once before. It felt good considering it is on the beginning of its development. Hyundai’s Craig Breen is driving as the tyre manufacturers’ driver in the same rallies. It’s great that a really good professional driver drives the same tyre so I can compare my speed to him. I am looking forward to getting in the car on the Italian stages.”
The 2020 ERC season will get underway with the Rally di Roma Capitale. The service park is Fiuggi, south of Rome, for a 200km blast across 15 tarmac stages. This will be the first time MRF Tyres has competed on tarmac at the highest level of European rallying.
Team MRF Tyres crews will move to Rally Liepāja on the coast of Latvia for the second round. Ten gravel stages will greet the crews for 180km of rally action. The third round is the Azores Rallye on the Portuguese island of São Miguel in the Atlantic Ocean.
Round four takes the crews to another island rally, this time the rough gravel roads in Cyrus. MRF Tyres competed in this rally in 2019, achieving a podium with Mikko Hirvonen as the team prepared for 2020. The final two rounds of the Championship are scheduled to take place in November. Rally Hungary will take place on the first weekend before the Spanish Rally Islas Canarias will decide the Champion in late November.
Overall, the season sees three gravel rallies and three tarmac rallies and will present a challenge for Team MRF Tyres in the ultra-competitive championship. The opening round will be a challenge with 87 crews signed up to rally in Rome.
