(13.06.2025)Mikołaj Marczyk and Szymon Gospodarczyk (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) will begin Saturday’s leg of the ORLEN OIL 81st Rally Poland at the top of the overall standings after setting the fastest time on Friday evening’s opening stage. The two-time Polish champions edged out their rivals in a tightly contested opener on the 2.5-kilometre Mikołajki Arena super special stage.
Competition was incredibly close from the start. Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) were just 0.1 seconds behind the Polish duo, while 2023 Rally Poland winners Martins Sesks and Renars Francis (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) finished only 0.2 seconds off the lead.
Unique setting, spectacular atmosphere
The 81st edition of Rally Poland – the second-oldest rally in the world – kicked off in traditional fashion with the Mikołajki Arena stage. This purpose-built venue is unique in the ERC and WRC calendars, allowing fans to witness side-by-side action in a stadium-like setting. Crews face off in thrilling parallel duels on a dedicated 2.5 km gravel stage that’s become an icon of Polish motorsport since its debut in 2007.
The stage record still belongs to Finns Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen, who clocked a time of 1:40.8 during last year’s anniversary edition.
‘Miko’ shines again in Mikołajki
As in previous years, the starting order was reversed – meaning the fastest times were set by the crews who ran last. Marczyk and Gospodarczyk, winners of the 2022 Rally Poland, delivered a dominant performance in front of a home crowd. It marked their sixth win at this venue and their fourth Mikołajki Arena stage victory in an ERC round.
While they didn’t match their personal record of 1:44.6, finishing two seconds off that benchmark, it was still enough to top the leaderboard.
Mabellini/Lenzi came within 0.1 seconds of taking the stage win, with Sesks/Francis just 0.2 seconds back. ERC standings leaders Roope Korhonen and Anssi Viinikka (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) were fourth fastest (+0.4 s), followed by Mads Østberg and Giovanni Bernacchini (Citroën C3 Rally2, +1.2 s).
Top RSMP regular Grzegorz Grzyb (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2), co-driven by Adam Binięda, placed sixth overall – and second among Polish championship contenders – with an identical time to Jakub Brzeziński and Jakub Gerber (Citroën C3 Rally2), both finishing +1.9 seconds behind Marczyk.
Young talent leads in ERC3
Among the Rally3 crews, 18-year-old Adrian Rzeźnik (Ford Fiesta Rally3, co-driver: Kamil Kozdroń) set the pace with a superb drive, finishing 0.6 seconds ahead of Adam Sroka (Ford Fiesta Rally3, co-driver: Patryk Kielar). Tymoteusz Abramowski (Ford Fiesta Rally3, co-driver: Jakub Wróbel) completed the top three, one second off the lead. Just outside the podium was Ville Vatanen (Renault Clio Rally3, +1.2 s) – a distant relative of 1981 World Rally Champion Ari Vatanen.
In the two-wheel-drive category, Estonia’s Jaspar Vaher and Sander Pruul (Lancia Ypsilon Rally4 HF) were fastest. They also topped both the ERC4 and Junior ERC classifications.
In ERC Masters – a new 2025 category for drivers over 50 – Jos Verstappen and Renaud Jamoul set the benchmark time.
Seven stages await on Saturday
Saturday’s leg features three gravel stages, each run twice, northeast of the rally base in Mikołajki. Crews will tackle Swiętajno (16.3 km – 10:00 & 15:30), Olecko (20.0 km – 10:50 & 16:20) and Stare Juchy (13.6 km – 11:40 & 17:10) tests. The latter returns to the Rally Poland itinerary for the first time since 2019. The day will conclude with a second run of the Mikołajki Arena stage under the lights, delivering another dose of high-energy side-by-side action in front of packed grandstands.
ORLEN OIL 81. Rally Poland – classification after SS 1:
1. Marczyk/Gospodarczyk (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) 1:46.6 s
2. Mabellini/Lenzi (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +0.1 s
3. Sesks/Francis (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +0.2 s
4. Korhonen/Viinikka (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +0.4 s
5. Østberg/Bernacchini (Citroën C3 Rally2) +1.2 s
6. Grzyb/Binięda (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +1.9 s
7. Brzeziński/Gerber (Citroën C3 Rally2) +1.9 s
8. Kołtun/Pleskot (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +2.0 s
9. Armstrong/Byrne (Ford Fiesta Rally2 Mk II) +2.1 s
10. Lefebvre/Malfoy (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +2.1 s