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Thousands watch Gryazin set the ERC pace in Rome

Nikolay Gryazin leads Rally di Roma Capitale after winning the opening stage of the all-asphalt round of the FIA European Rally Championship this evening.

ERC Junior Under 28 contender Gryazin was fastest on the 1.80-kilometre ACI Roma Arena stage located beneath the Colosseo Quadrato in the EUR (Esposizione Universale Romana) area of the city.

Cheered on by thousands of fans, Gryazin took 1m47.9s to complete the run with ERC Junior Under 28 rival Jan Černý also proving his talent in second, a mere one-tenth slower than Gryazin. Grzegorz Grzyb, starting his 250th rally, was third fastest.

"It was very good," said Gryazin, who completed the stage with a damaged light pod on his Sports Racing Technologies ŠKODA Fabia R5. "We hit the tyres but it was good fun."

Alexey Lukyanuk was fourth quickest with ERC title leader Kajetan Kajetanowicz fifth and Bruno Magalhães sixth, unhappy at having to avoid a stack of tyres that Kajetanowicz had inadvertently dragged into his path.

Gryazin was the fastest of the ERC Junior Under 28 contenders with Chris Ingram setting the pace in ERC Junior Under 27 and ERC3 alongside new co-driver Ross Whittock. Sergey Remennik was quickest in ERC2 as Catie Munnings went fastest in the ERC Ladies' Trophy.

Following a 15-minute service halt in Fiuggi from 08h05 local time on Saturday, the Turriziani Petroli-sponsored Colle San Magno stage begins at 09h57. Gryazin will start first on the road.

Zdroj: fiaerc.com