We are here at the last round of the 2023 Kroon Oil Belgian Rally Championship and it is a two way fight between Maxime Potty and Cedric Cherain for the title.
The two are separated by a handful of points and after 13 rounds, but it is Potty who is in the driving seat. He only needs to finish sixth, no matter what Cherain does.
After the first couple of loops of stages of what has been a very slippery Spa Rally, Potty lies in fourth. Cherain is battling at the head of the field but he is also battling outgoing champion, Stephane Lefebvre for the lead.
We have seen wet snow, rain and sun. With plenty of autumn leaves on the ground, the conditions are tricky and anything could still happen.
Maxime Potty’s run
If we look at Maxine Potty, he had a very strong start to the season. He was just missing the win in the first round of Haspengouw, yet but then took a string of great results, including wins in South Belgium, Wallonie and Sezoens to really put himself in the driving seat. However, going through the mid season, he had a few mechanical issues. And this run of bad luck really hurt his Championship bid.
But Potty, had a strong enough opening in the Series to overcome two retirements in the last two rounds. He is, no doubt, looking for the form that took him to a podium in Ypres earlier this year, his last solid result.
After the Saturday running, he is looking strong after the first day of the Belgian Rally Championship.
Cedric Cherain’s Story
Cedric Cherain has battled back his way back into this Championship. He was always one looking for money, never having quite enough in the past for a title tilt. After her strong but difficult start to the season he’s momentum throughout the second half of the year has been fantastic.
And we know he is an expert on the slippery Wallonian roads last year in fact, in the Condroz Rally he was battling at the front in a two wheel drive Porsche.
This year, he has taken the glory in the TAC and Bertrix rallies and was second last time out in East Belgium to keep his hopes alive, No doubt, he needs some help to take the Title this year and he is giving it at all. And with these conditions, nothing is guaranteed until the last stage.
By Sam Tickell for www.racerviews.com
Sam is the Editor of RacerViews and a sports researcher at University Münster in Germany. He has worked in motorsport for more than 15 years and has been published extensively in academic, news and trade publications.
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