Veiby, Gill lead MRF’s charge

Johor Bahru (Malaysia), Aug. 13: India’s Gaurav Gill made up a deficit of over two minutes to finish second as Team MRF delivered another 1-2 result with Norwegian Ole Christian Veiby comfortably winning the International Rally of Johor, the third round of FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship.

Gill, the 35-year old Delhi-based defending champion, came up with one of his finest drives ever in the Race Torqueprepared Skoda Fabia R5, winning all the six Special Stages on Sunday that left the connoisseurs awe-struck as he roared past overnight second-placed Finnish ace Jari Ketomaa.

Veiby meanwhile held on to a huge Leg-1 lead to win by over four minutes, also in a Skoda Fabia R5.

The 21-year old Veiby, thus scored back-to-back win following his win in the second round in Australia after Gill had taken the season-opener in New Zealand a month earlier. The win also put helped Veiby to consolidate his championship lead over Gill.

Gill made up the twominute, 16-second deficit to Ketomaa over a distance and went on to beat the World Rally Championship driver by 18.8 seconds, but finished 04:41.7 adrift of Veiby.

Gill made 26 seconds on Ketomaa in the day’s first Stage (11.98Kms), 31 in each of the next two (12.21Kms and 13.93Kms) on the first loop. After service, Gill made a further 69 seconds in the second loop of the same Stages to emerge second.