Portugal : Czech Rally Team Kopecky - FinishThe Czech Rally Team Kopecky crew composed of Jan Kopecky and Filip Schovanek has completed their first start in the Rally de Portugal, finishing in 22nd position.
After a jinxed entry into the race, when the crew had to
retire as a result of a technical breakdown from Friday's leg, Jan Kopecky focused on running quality times in the individual special stages.
During the eleven special stages on Saturday and the entire Sunday's leg he arrived six times within the top ten. In the final eighteenth special stage, he arrived at the finish line of Rally Portugal with the seventh-best stage time.
Team manager Josef Kopecky was pleased with the general results reached during the week-end. "Although we have not accomplished the expected result in Rally de Portugal as far as the final overall position, which was caused by the faulty left rear brake valve, we are leaving Portugal satisfied,” he said. “In Saturday's and Sunday's special stages our Jan Kopecky-Filip Schovanek crew put in a very good performance, comparable with other crews, which at this phase of development should be a measure for Jan and Filip.”
Of course, keeping a trained eye on the competition is also a measure of one's own standings.
“When evaluating, it is necessary to take into consideration what continuously developing technology our competitors have at their disposal and what technical lead they have before our crew,” Josef Kopecky pointed out. “The track's profile and race parameters also have their significant place in the evaluation and I am trying to analyze and evaluate them thoroughly. Although these parameters are the same for all cars, the individual cars react to them differently.”
The team manager was also happy with the manner in which the Portugal challenge was approached. “The entire Czech Rally Team Kopecky fabulously worked on preparation as well as testing before the Rally de Portugal, but unfortunately what was proven true was the slogan that you cannot command technology.”
“Friday's technical breakdown has convinced us of such, when the faulty material on the brake valve forced Jan to retire from Friday's leg. The rear brake circuit, including the hand brake, was completely non-functional as a result of the leaked out brake fluid and the front brakes also very rapidly lost their effect," concluded Josef Kopecky following the end of Rally Portugal.
Source Czech Rally Team Kopecky
