Germany’s Tom Kässer and co-driver Stephan Schneeweiß pipped Team Spain by just 1s in a closely fought Medals Stage on Sunday to claim gold in the Rally4 Overall contest.
Sergi Perez / Axel Coronado had already guided the 2024 FIA Motorsport Games host nation to wins in the separate Rally4 Gravel and Tarmac classes in the competition for front-wheel-drive cars. The duo also sat top in the combined times that determined the Overall leader board.
But the slate was wiped clean for the Medals Stage decider as the crews from Spain and Germany lined up alongside Brazil’s Luis Eduardo Stedile / Carlos Enrique Morales for the head-to-head, three-lap, 12.4-kilometre showdown at Circuit Ricardo Tormo.
All driving Peugeot 208s, it was the Brazilians who enjoyed the superior launch to take an early advantage before the crews embarked on their different length opening laps.
The Spaniards tackling the shortest loop to begin with, Perez / Coronado slid their way round the greasy track to cross the timing line with a 24s lead. However, they had to complete the longest route to the finish while Kässer / Schneeweiß had the shortest distance to travel.
A clean run meant that, as the laps converged, the Germans popped out into the lead and hung on for the sprint to the line to win the gold medal by just 1s. Behind Team Spain, Stedile copped a 10s penalty for collecting a cone on his way to earning bronze for Brazil.