Vinyes Finishes Eighth at Rally Tierra de León After Punctures and Dust in Citroën C3 Rally2
Andorran driver Joan Vinyes secured eighth place with Jordi Mercader in their Citroën C3 Rallycar, navigating severe dust and poor visibility that necessitated multiple stops.
Key Points
- Joan Vinyes and Jordi Mercader finished eighth overall in Citroën C3 Rally2 at Rally Tierra de León.
- Second-fastest in qualifying; held third after first two stages.
- Dust from car ahead on stage 3 limited visibility; double puncture on stage 5 cost crucial time.
- Heavy dust forced three stops due to near-zero visibility.
Andorran rally driver Joan Vinyes and co-driver Jordi Mercader finished eighth overall at the Rally Tierra de León, the second round of the Spanish Rally Championship, in their Citroën C3 Rally2 entered by R-Technology.
The result fell short of the team's ambitions after a promising start in the Kingdom of León region. They posted the second-fastest time in the qualifying stage and held third place through the first two special stages. Problems began on the third stage, when a car ahead rejoined the track after a puncture and shrouded them in dust, severely limiting visibility. Although they regained pace on the fourth stage, a double puncture on the fifth proved decisive, costing time that could not be recovered.
Vinyes noted that the heavy dust throughout the event forced them to lift off the throttle and stop on three occasions when sightlines dropped to just a few metres. Despite the setbacks, he took a positive view of the performance.
The rally took place amid broken terrain and persistent dust issues, as reported from Andorra la Vella on 8 June 2026.
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