Hubert Laskowski is back in the fray!
21 June 2023
Once again, Hubert Laskowski demonstrated that he is among the world’s leading rally drivers of his generation. At the Rally Liepāja, a European Championship round, the 17-year-old demonstrated his remarkable skills.
The event organisers had prepared ten unique sections for this year’s event, amounting to a formidable total of 183.89 km. Competitors ran the event’s longest section, the over 27.5km-long Tukums, right at the start of the competition. Saturday’s schedule includes the Talsi (8.50 km), Ivande (26.02 km), Snepele (14.63 km), and a super section on the streets of Liepāja, covering just over 2.5 km. Sunday comprised two repeated sections, with the loop formed by the Liepieni (19.59 km) and Krogzemji (18.95 km) segments.
Co-driver Michał Kuśnierz was with Hubert, who made an impressive start to the event, recording his best time in the class on the first test. Unfortunately, a car breakdown hindered him from striving for every second, but despite this, his losses were small enough that he ended the day in second place. What’s more, after rectifying the fault, Hubert was back among the stage victors. On the second day, the Fiesty Rally 3 driver shared a win with Jon Armstrong, who was the only driver to finish ahead of him in the class.
“The Liepāja Rally was an incredibly demanding event, but I am thrilled with our result,” Hubert stated. “I know we didn’t make a single error and our plan worked flawlessly. It was a huge surprise for me to win the first special stage without taking any additional risks. We maintained a comfortable pace. It’s a shame about the breakdown. I believe we could have had an exciting duel with Jon, as the second day demonstrated. Congratulations to all participants. It was an honour to compete in such a strong class!”, Hubert concluded.
This event was also a double round of the Latvian championship. In this category, Hubert left his competitors trailing in his wake. With a series of segment victories, he defeated his most formidable rival by nearly two minutes on the first day. The gap extended to over two and a half minutes on the second day. The points he earned in his first start of the season allowed him to leap directly into third place in the seasonal standings.
Michał Kuśnierz reported, “Hubert and I had been looking forward to the Liepāja Rally for a long time. It was our first event together this season. We are familiar with this rally, but this year’s edition was entirely new. The organisers, with their sights set on the world championships, have thus planned new special stages. I’m elated that Hubert has once again demonstrated his exceptional talent. He maintained a steady pace and proved he can compete with the fastest. The vehicle breakdown put a spanner in his plans. A massive thanks to Car Speed Racing service and the Polish branch of M-Sport for their assistance. Thanks to the repairs, we returned to the race with a functioning vehicle. On the second day, we were fastest in two out of the four special stages. Hubert drove another excellent rally. The notes we prepared provided him with total comfort and confidence. I am extremely optimistic about our future. It all hinges on whether we are granted another start, but rest assured, we will definitely put on a good show.
