“It was a special experience, as it was my first rally in an R5 class car and my first start in the FIA European Rally Championship. I will never forget the strong rain, which made the driving conditions very challenging,” says Rakan Al-Rashed, who will again be competing in a Škoda Fabia R5, prepared by Printsport.
“I believe that moving the rally to this time of year was the right decision, as the roads are fantastic. The stages will be perfect. I hope that the weather holds up throughout the race weekend. I have experience competing in the desert, on forest roads, gravel, and snow, but have not raced on asphalt. From what I have experienced, I definitely prefer twisty forest stages.”
The roads and itinerary of Rally Liepāja were among the main reasons for Al-Rashed’s decision to come to Latvia. “I have competed in all three Baltic countries – in Rally Liepāja, Saaremaa Rally and 300 Lakes Rally. The stages here are amazing – fast and wide. I am used to slower stages on much narrower roads, so this is an opportunity to learn and improve my skills. In addition to that, I must add that the people and fans here are fantastic.”
Co-driving Rakan Al-Rashed will be Hugo Magalhaes, who has won three ERC events in the past, and last year, co-driving for Bruno Magalhaes, finished third overall in the ERC standings. “Absolutely, Hugo has been great help during and outside of the rally. We have been able to work together because we both have goals and ambitions to push our limits. We are not here just to compete – we will do everything to get the best possible result.”
Al-Rashed adds that the main focus will be on setting a good time in every stage and finding the necessary pace. If everything goes well, they will also try to fight for some championship points. “We are definitely ready to race on these roads! It will be very important to have some testing before the event to get back into a rhythm.”
Rally Liepāja will be the third rally of 2019 for Al-Rashed. In addition to competing in the RAK rally in the UAE, the ambitious Rakan gained valuable experience in the Finnish Arctic Lapland rally, and is planning to compete in two more ERC rounds after Latvia.
