The 31-year-old Indian, who drives for the factory-backed ŠKODA MRF team, has a comfortable lead overall ahead of the final day of the last race of the season in China. In addition, ŠKODA is in with a strong chance of also clinching the manufacturers’ title on Sunday thanks to top rally driver Esapekka Lappi (FIN).
“This is the biggest triumph of my career and I hope it’s not the last too. We won’t be celebrating until we have also won the manufacturers’ championship title, and we all have our fingers crossed. But I would nevertheless like to already thank the entire ŠKODA MRF team, without whom we could never have achieved this success,” said a delighted Gill.
Gill’s performance means that ŠKODA have successfully defended their title, as Chris Atkinson (AUS) won the APRC manufacturers’ and drivers’ championships for ŠKODA in 2012. Gill settled the competition for the championship title early by scoring successes in the APRC races held in New Caledonia and Japan in his very fast Fabia S2000.
Gill and his co-driver Glenn Macneall (NZ) are in second place overall ahead of the final day of the final rally in the current APRC season, which is taking place in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang, and are second only to their outstanding teammate Lappi of Finland.
Recent evidence of the dominance of the ŠKODA MRF team in the APRC came with Lappi winning the races in New Zealand and Australia. And now he wants to win the final race too: “Being in the lead is great, but we still need to keep our wits about us when we tackle the tricky course conditions up in the mountains. After all, our main objective is now to win the manufacturers’ championship for ŠKODA in the APRC.” The schedule for the final day of the rally comprises another six stages over a distance of 124.48 km.
ŠKODA’s global successes in rallying are indicative of the brand’s class: in addition to the European champions* Jan Kopecký/Pavel Dresler (CZ/CZ), this year the brand has already also produced national rally champions with Raimund Baumschlager in Austria, Umberto Scandola in Italy, Dimitar Iliev in Bulgaria and Marouf Abu Samra in Jordan. Gustavo Saba of Paraguay likewise triumphed in a ŠKODA, in South America’s CODASUR championship.*
* Subject to official confirmation by the FIA