Seasoned rally driver Sanjay Takale will make his World Rally Championship-3 debut next week, at the Neste Rally Finland after he got the biggest breakthrough of his career with the Latvia-based Baltic Motorsports Promotion providing him with the all-important WRC registered car.
Sanjay Takale addressing the media in a meet and greet ahead of his debut at the World Rally Championship at Neste Rally, Finland from 26th-29th July 2018.
Baltic Motorsport confirmed Pune-based Takale as their driver for the Finland leg of the World Rally Championship in the WRC3 category.
Takale will drive a Ford Fiesta R2 in Rally Finland, which takes place on July 26-29 and is considered the fastest on the WRC calendar. The championship course would be 500 km and the drivers will have to brave 70-degree temperature for 8 to 9 hrs.
Takale will team up with British co-driver Darren Garrod and his car will be maintained by Latvia-based Baltic Motorsport Promotion.
Takale, who had announced his intentions to foray into one of the three WRC categories earlier this year has taken part in several European rallies in the run-up to his debut.
“It’s a great joy and I have been working hard for last 8 years in rallying and planning to reach WRC one day,” Takale said.
“Finland had been my favourite rally and I am lucky to get the same rally as a debut. I think this is the most technical high-speed rally in WRC, having participated in more than 100 rallies with 40+ podium finishes I would like to put my experience to good use in Finland” he further added
WRC3 is a support series of the World Rally Championship with R2 front-wheel-drive cars.
In the lead up to the Finland Rally, Takale competed in Rally Tallinn in Estonia, which is a candidate venue for the WRC next year, and Rally Latvia with decent finishes.
Takale will be joined in Rally Finland by countryman and MRF driver Gaurav Gill, who will be competing in the WRC2 class in an R5-spec Ford Fiesta.