Ingram off to a flier at Rallye Azores

Chris Ingram rounded off his FIA European Rally Championship four-wheel-drive debut with a first ERC Junior U28 class victory, following a breathtaking head-to-head with Martin Koči in the Azores.

The Andrews Heat for Hire-sponsored man had a 15.8-second advantage early on, but a puncture saw the gap disappear before Koči took a narrow lead. Chris responded brilliantly despite the setback and regained first place, with just 4.7 seconds separating the pair ahead of a delicately poised and gripping showdown.

A frustrating mistake from Koči then effectively ended matters, handing Chris the perfect start to the new season.

Speaking afterwards, the Mancunian beamed: “It’s a dream debut for me. It’s been awesome, I’m learning the car still and I work so hard to do this. I’m really proud for that.”

“But I’m gutted not to be on the overall podium. We got a puncture on Friday and had a stall on Sete Cidades, losing 20 seconds. I’m a little bit frustrated but I can’t complain because I’ve been fighting rally legends and I’ve never been in this car.”

Chris’ prominent position throughout the rally ensured he regularly featured on Eurosport’s television coverage of proceedings – with our branding receiving its fair share of airtime as a result!

Next up for Chris is the Rally Islas Canarias in May, where he will be looking to extend his points advantage and secure yet another podium finish in the Spanish region.