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Five things we learned on ERC Rally Islas Canarias

The FIA European Rally Championship finally got underway on the Rally Islas Canarias El Corte Inglés last week - and this is what we learned from the series opener:

1. Tyre pressures are important
Even though he had the right tyre choice, Kajetan Kajetanowicz lost the lead and the chance to win because those tyres were over-inflated. So keep an eye on those pressures at home too.

2. Carlos Sainz is right about most things
The five-time Canarias winner said that we would be overwhelmed by the sheer number of spectators out in force on the event, and that rally fans there were the most passionate in all of Spain. He was right.

3. Alexey Lukyanuk is the next big ERC star
With no experience of the Canaries, he came, saw and conquered. His pace has always been beyond question, but he has now matched that with a consistency that will make him hard to beat.

4. Subaru Poland has a magic touch when it comes to talent spotting
It was the team that produced Kajetan Kajetanowicz, and now it gives us Woijciech Chuchała. His rapid and mistake free run in ERC2 was arguably the best drive of the rally - even though he was another Canarias debutant.

5. The top level in the ERC is world class
Many people expected Mads Østberg, currently second in the World Rally Championship, to come to the ERC and dominate. But not only did he have to dig deep to be competitive, he ultimately overstepped the mark while trying to stay in front.

Zdroj: fiaerc.com