Carlberg wins again in Morzine to extend his overall lead!

Calle Carlberg and his co-driver and father were the quickest out of the traps, claiming three stage wins to establish a healthy 8.4s lead over Max Reiter, their closest rival. However, a rear left puncture on SS5 meant they dropped 12.5s and a Carlberg victory, which had seemed something of a foregone conclusion, suddenly seemed less certain. His belief and clear current superiority were not to be shaken: a superb time on Praz de Lys – Sommand (29.10km), the rally’s decisive stage contested on Saturday morning, enabled him to turn his deficit into a 14.5s lead. A lead that meant he could tackle the seventh and final speed test in a more relaxed frame of mind to claim this third victory of the year, his second win running since the summer break, after a hard-fought race over the hundred and thirty kilometres plus on the magnificent roads around Morzine.

He thus finished ahead of Max Reiter and Sarah Rumeau, the 28 year-old French driver who produced the weekend’s other big performance to claim her first podium of the season, having even had her eye on second position at one stage. “This win feels fantastic,” declared an enthusiastic Carlberg at the finish. “We really enjoyed this rally. That’s the main difference compared with last season: I feel very confident in the car and I can relax when I’m driving. I’m perfectly aware of the fact that cup is far from settled but we definitively have the momentum.” It is now up to Reiter to interrupt his progress at the next round at the ADAC Rallye Stemweder Berg in Germany on 29-30 September. If he cannot, then Carlberg may start to believe it’s his year.

Championship update

Calle Carlberg is very much the man in form at the moment: with this, his third win this season, the Swede now tops the championship standings, fifteen points ahead of Max Reiter, his closest rival, with just two rounds to go.