After dropping his Ford Fiesta ST RX to return to a Volkswagen Polo RX, Ulrik Linnemann made it better than ever despite the setbacks of 2023 and 2024, and the Saturday (29) of RallyX Euro at Montalegre proved his point, as the fleet of FirstCorner FC2s tried everything to catch the Danish driver, but no one was capable of breaking his perfect record in the first round of the 2025 season.
Ulrik Linnemann was the supercar that was prevailing over the FC2 horde, with the Danish driver taking all three Qualifying heats, while Casper Jansson was quite a surprise in second place, ahead of Tommi Hallman and Euro RX champion Patrick O’Donovan. A puncture due to contact in Q1 hindered Fraser McConnell’s progress to seventh, while Tanner Foust still needs time to get used to the FC2, staying behind Nathan Ottink, while local hero José Oliveira saved himself in Q3 by throwing Nicolas Beaucle and his Mercedes off the Semifinal spots.
Semifinal 1 had Hallman and Linnemann trading paint for turn 1 supremacy, in which Linnemann was superior while Hallman tumbled down the order. Elias Svensson had second place but once the Joker Laps were done the runner-up spot was in McConnell’s hands, but he wouldn’t have the pace to chase Linnemann.
In the second Semifinal, O’DOnovan stood in control while Jansson and Oliver Eriksson were on the chase and the rest went to an early Joker. The top-3 stood where they were , and with Ottink spinning Alexandre Janot, the positions were unchanged until the Final Lap, when a problem in O’Donovan’s FC2 slowed him enough to let Jansson pass for the win, while Eriksson settled for third place.
In the Final, Jansson jumped the start, and in the second try, everybody was combative, which left O’Donovan and McConnell to take on Linnemann, only for the British to stall after a failed lunge. With folkrace levels of panel beating for third place, McConnell and Linnemann were isolated in the lead battle, but once the Joker Laps were completed, it was clear that the Danish was in control, just having to manage his way through the final lap and to the finish, with Eriksson getting second place in the final lap and McConnell completing the podium.
RallyX Euro - Montalegre I event results
Nathan Ottink ended the Saturday with the Open 4WD Pro-Am win while Casper Jansson won the Open 4WD FC2 Final.
PHOTO: Linnemann Promotion
Comments
Post a Comment
Do you have an opinion? Feel free to comment.