Sergi Perez and co-driver Axel Coronado won all three Rally4 Tarmac stages for Team Spain on Saturday morning in their bid to add to their Gravel gold medal.
In the category for front-wheel-drive machinery, the Peugeot 208 pair were quickest across Friday’s six dirt stages and Super Special Stage at Circuit Ricardo Tormo to claim the Gravel class glory.
With the competition shifting to the smoother asphalt roads of the designated Tarmac Rally Area to the southwest of Valencia on Saturday, Perez / Coronado remained the in-form duo. They were fastest on all three morning stages to take a lead of 34.6s into the break as they work to secure victory in the dedicated Rally4 Tarmac contest also.
Team Türkiye’s line-up of Kerem Kazaz / Onur Vatansever kept the pressure on by finishing the opening two stages on Saturday in second. Then taking fourth on the third leg, they occupy second in class with a deficit of 34.6s.
Greece’s Christos Avgeropoulos / Efstratios Giavasis sit 15s further back, although the Netherland’s Nard Ippen / Jorie Christiaens (Opel Corsa) are only another 2.4s behind.
Perez / Coronado keep Spain in first place in Rally4 Overall – which combines both Gravel and Tarmac times – ahead of Brazil’s Luis Eduardo Stedile / Carlos Enrique Morales as Tom Kässer / Stephan Schneeweiß hold third for Germany.
Three more Tarmac routes await the crews this afternoon before a second Super Special Stage, with the top trio at the end of the day claiming the medals.
The Rally4 schedule continues this afternoon from 14:23 local time.