Peugeot UK driver Kris Meeke has won the all-gravel Curitiba Rally in Brazil

Round two of the IRC series.

The Irishman claimed all seven stages on the opening day of the rally and then controlled his advantage on the second day to end up with a 26.2 second margin over Peugeot Belgium’s Nicolas Vouilloz, who finished second.

“This is one of the best rallies I have ever experienced,” said Meeke.

Irishman Kris Meeke’s Peugeot UK 207 S2000
won the Rally Internacional de Curitiba in style

“From start to finish, it was simply awesome. The stages are just incredible: so enjoyable to drive. I had a really good feeling with the car and the team and at the end of it we got the perfect result.”

Vouilloz overhauled Abarth driver Giandomenico Basso on the final afternoon, who finished third. Peugeot Belgium’s Freddy Loix was fourth, to move into the championship lead.

Abarth driver Anton Alen retired on the second stage of day two after going off the road.

The rally finish, at the Curitiba circuit in Brazil, was immediately followed by the qualifying session for the opening round of the FIA World Touring Car Championship.

Freddy Loix now leads the championship on a total of 13 points, ahead of Kris Meeke, Sebastien Ogier and Giandomenico Basso – who are all tied for second on 10 points. Nicolas Vouilloz is third in the standings with eight points.

QUOTES

Kris Meeke, Peugeot UK driver

“It’s been an absolutely amazing event for me; quite possibly the best rally that I’ve ever driven on in my life. We’ve had a really warm welcome from everybody here in Brazil and we all enjoyed driving on some fantastic stages. When everything comes together in the car, it all feels very natural. The car and the team has been brilliant from the very beginning, and we’ve had no real problems throughout the rally. Naturally Saturday was a little bit more difficult than Friday as we were running first on the road, but I think we were able to deal with that problem quite well.”

Nicolas Vouilloz, Peugeot Belgium driver

“We had a very exciting battle with Giandomenico on Saturday where we were pushing hard throughout the day. We made a special effort in the afternoon though and luckily it paid off. He was very quick and so was Kris, so I’m sure it’s going to be a very close season. I’ve really enjoyed driving on this rally and it’s a relief to bring home a good result after retiring in Monte Carlo, so I think this gives us a solid base now for the rest of the year.”

Giandomenico Basso, Abarth driver

“I really liked this rally although of course I feel slightly disappointed that we were third rather than second. I had hoped for a little bit more but in the end it was very close, also because we made a mistake and stalled the engine on Saturday afternoon. However, it’s always good to be on the podium, particularly on a rally that is as challenging as this one. I’ve really enjoyed myself, and I’d like to thank the Brazilian rally fans for making us so welcome. I’m definitely looking forward to coming back here again.”

NEXT EVENT

The next event on the IRC calendar is round three, the legendary Safari Rally, which takes place from April 3-4 in Kenya. The Safari Rally is based in the country’s capital, Nairobi, and takes in a wide variety of gravel roads through some spectacular scenery.

For more information, please visit www.motorsportkenya.com.

For any other enquries please write to info@motorsportkenya.com or media@ircseries.com.

IRC FINAL RESULTS AFTER SS13, RALLY INTERNACIONAL DE CURITIBA (BRAZIL)*

1 Meeke/Nagle         Peugeot 207 S2000    2h08m05.7s
2 Vouilloz/Klinger    Peugeot 207 S2000    +26.2s
3 Basso/Dotta          Abarth Grande Punto S2000    +47.9s
4 Loix/Smeets         Peugeot 207 S2000    +2m32.1s
5 Cancio/Garcia       Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9    +5m20.0s
6 Tulio/Valandro     Peugeot 206 S1600    +19m04.0s

Two-wheel drive leader: Rafael Tulio (Peugeot 206 S1600)

source: IRC