MOTORING NEWS - At the finish line of a fiercely-fought second round of the 2017 FIA ERC, Pepe López (21) won the U28 class (under 28) - his maiden international win, with the Peugeot 208T16 of the Peugeot Rally Academy.
The weather conditions in the Canary Islands proved tricky, with a cocktail of sunshine, fog and showers adding to the challenge of the season's first asphalt clash from 4 to 6 May.
Lópes and team mate Borja Rozada emerged in front after the qualifying stage and maintained their speed to the event's conclusion to claim an assertive win in front of home fans.
Some first-class stage times also confirmed the ability of José Antonio Suárez and Candido Carrera to mix it with the front-runners but an electronic problem on the car deprived the pair of a top-three finish. Suárez was presented with the Colin Mc Rae Flat Out Trophy in recognition of his speed and fighting spirit.
Next stop for the Peugeot Rally Academy is Poland's Rally Rzeszow on from 3 to 5 August where the crews will rely on the experience and confidence gained in the Canary Islands to confirm Peugeot's winning ways.
"We managed to show what we are capable of and found our true speed on the last three stages of the rally. We didn't overdo it on the last one to be sure of getting the victory. We are delighted with the pace we showed on our first asphalt rally as we also had good sensations at the wheel of the PEUGEOT 208T16. It's an incredible, fully-deserved result for everyone in the rally academy squad. We are now in a good position for the rest of the season, so we intend to stay focused, keep up the momentum and carry on fighting," López said.
1. López Pepe / Rozada Borja (SPA) 2h7m35.6s
2. Michel Sylvain / Degout Jérôme (FRA) +9.9s
3. Griebel Marijan / Kopczyk Stefan (GER) +1m3.3s4. Gryazin Nikolay / Fedorov Y. (LAT) +1m15.7s
5. Pernía S. / Del Barrio C. (LAT) +2m13.2s
6. Suárez Jose / Carrera Carrera (SPA) +5m4.6s
