Zoom Skoda strongly aiming for the top of the podium

Skoda Motorsport boss Michal Hrabanek believes Jan Kopecky's second-place finish at the Belgium Ypres Rally will be a major step towards the Czech manufacturer achieving its debut win in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

Speaking after Kopecky's second consecutive runner-up placing in the IRC, which also marked his first podium on a full asphalt rally, Hrabanek said the result was very significant.

"Just like we presumed, the Ypres Rally was a tough fight for every second, which is actually typical of the entire IRC series and certainly attractive from the perspective of the rally fans," Hrabanek said.

"The final result confirms that our success at the Azores Rally was no coincidence and that we are indeed good enough to fight for the overall victory," he pointed out.

The Skoda boss urged caution, however: "We haven't made the last step, though, and we know that we still have a lot of hard work to do."

Nonetheless, the good result at the difficult Ypres Rally is strongly considered as a stepping stone towards an eventual victory - hopefully this season.

"The experience we have gained in Belgium will definitely help us in our development work and in preparing the car for the races to come," Hrabanek confirmed.

The Skoda team will return to the IRC on Rally Russia, which is due to run from July 9-11.

D.B. © CAPSIS International