Alexey Lukyanuk was fastest on the Qualifying Stage for the final round of the FIA European Rally Championship in Cyprus, followed closely by youngster Nikolay Gryazin.Lukyanuk posted a time of 2m43.176s on the 4.48-kilometre test, which like most of the stages in Cyprus included a mixture of gravel and asphalt.
Gryazin, making his second appearance at the top level of the ERC in a ŠKODA Fabia R5, was only 0.892 seconds slower than three-time event winner Lukyanuk.
Dávid Botka began his ninth ERC start of 2016 with the third best time, 2.3s behind Lukyanuk and only 0.160s ahead of R5 debutant Marijan Griebel.
Ralfs Sirmacis made a steady start in fifth place, keen to avoid being first to pick his road position on an event he has not contested before.
Lambros Athanassoulas completed the top six on the double Acropolis Rally podium finisher’s return, just 0.4s ahead of the leading ERC2 runner Christos Demostenous.
Demostenous, chasing a third straight in the category on his home event, was 2.8s in front of Panikos Polykarpou, who was two tenths ahead of Costas Zenonos. Nikolaos “Chips Jr” Georgiou and Charalambos Timotheou completed the five-strong ERC2 contingent.
Murat Bostanci set the pace in ERC3, 1.4s ahead of his fellow Castrol Ford Team Türkiye driver Bugra Banaz. The squad’s third driver Ümit Can Özdemir was next up.
The priority four-wheel drive crews will choose their starting positions later this afternoon prior to the ceremonial start in Limassol and the first stage at 19h33.