Neither minor tyre issues on extremely fast Soluçoes stage on mixed, gravel and tarmac surface, nor variable rhythm of the opening loop and unexpected grip changes on different parts of twisty Vila Franca São Brás stage – nothing could stop Kajetanowicz and Baran from putting in an outstanding display of quick driving in Rallye Açores. Polish crew performed extremely well and after opening day trail the leaders by just 1.4 second.

LOTOS Rally Team crew commenced the fight in round 4 of FIA ERC in the best possible way: they won the opening stage Grupo Marques (3.95 kms), which was broadcasted live on TV and on-line. After this twisty, gravel test Kajetanowicz and Baran managed to adapt very well to the conditions on very fast second stage. On Soluçoes M test, with 40% run on asphalt, Kajto and Jarek experienced minor tyre issues but despite those problems were able to maintain excellent pace and recorded third quickest time. Tight competition between the frontrunners in Rallye Açores concluded today with extremely twisty Vila Franca São Brás stage, with elevation change of over 500 metres. Second place of Kajetanowicz and Baran means that LOTOS Rally Team crew have now recorded eighteen top three stage times in a row.

Kajetanowicz also enjoyed a positive beginning of his FIA ERC Gravel Master title defence. Top results on today’s stages gave him 20 points in gravel classification and second place in the standings, right behind the leader Craig Breen (24 points) and in front of Ricardo Moura (16 points).

The best competitors of FIA ERC return to action tomorrow, facing eight special stages and 101 kilometres of fight. Almost 60% of the competitive distance will be tackled during two runs of legendary Sete Cidades stage: arguably the most spectacular test in the world, around the rim of a dormant volcano. The day starts at 12:03 CET with Lagoa Meo stage (6.91 kms) and finishes with the second passage of Sete Cidades test (28.92 kms, starts at 18:07 CET).

Kajetan Kajetanowicz: – It was a good but tough beginning of the rally for LOTOS Rally Team. Today each test was completely different, so we had to change the set-up of the car between the stages. In these variable conditions our tyres performed quite well in some sections and slightly worse in others, but this was one thing that we could not change. I would like to thank the M-Sport team for excellent preparation of the car – which I think we put to good use today :-) Our gap to Craig is minimal, just 1.4 second. It is not much in such a big battle in this rally. I hope that tomorrow more crews will join the fight for top positions. It will be a difficult day. Now we want to have a good rest, so that we can start the morning with maximum focus, as Friday’s stages might decide the outcome of the rally.  These roads are very demanding from physical point of view. However, I feel that I am in better shape than last year. On Friday we face two long loops and tough tyre choices for the stages we still do not know, as we did not complete them in 2014. I thought about tomorrow’s route already on the way back from today’s stages. We have three relatively short stages for breakfast, but for lunch we have two runs of Sete Cidades: a tough, extremely complicated and delicious stage at the same time. All competitors get goosebumps and smile broadly before the start of this narrow test around the rim of a dormant volcano.

1. Craig Breen (Ireland, Peugeot 208 R5) 17:09.7

3. Ricardo Moura (Portugal, Ford Fiesta R5) + 6.2s

4. Josh Moffett (Ireland, Ford Fiesta RRC) + 24.7s

5. Bruno Magalhães (Portugal, Peugeot 208 R5) + 31.0s

6. Jose Pedro Fontes (Portugal, Citroen DS3 R5) + 32.7s

7. Robert Consani (France, Citroen DS3 R5) + 38.6s

8. Dominykas Butvilas (Lithuania, Subaru Impreza STi) + 42.3s

Starts of Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Jarek Baran are supported by strategic partner of LOTOS Rally Team - LOTOS Group - as well as CUBE.ITG and Driving Experience. More info about Kajetan Kajetanowicz and the team available at: www.lotosrallyteam.pl, www.kajto.pl, www.facebook.com/EmocjeDoPelna, www.facebook.com/KajetanKajetanowicz and www.twitter.com/Kajto_pl