FIA European Rally Championship frontrunner Łukasz Habaj says he’s unable to compete in 2020 due to a change in circumstances after the COVID-19 crisis.
Habaj owns eSky.com which has been badly affected due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and he now can’t commit to a full championship campaign this year as a result.
He said on his change in focus for 2020: “I’ve been able to focus on my beloved sport of rallying for the last four years, trying to deliver the results that reflect my sporting ambitions and goals.”
“But the main asset in my business portfolio, eSky.com, a travel company, is in real trouble due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This is an organisation with 1000 employees, they’ve fought to keep going for 14 hours a day for the past two months and I cannot leave them alone now.”
“That’s why I have taken back the position of CEO at eSky.com and this practically makes it impossible for me to compete in the ERC.”
Habaj ended 2019 in third in the title standings after a season long battle with Alexey Lukyanuk and eventual champion Chris Ingram and the Pole also won the opening round of the 2019 season in the Azores.
He continued on his disappointment of being forced to pause his rallying career: “After what we achieved in the ERC in 2019, I was determined to come back this year to do better than third.”
“Even though rallying is deep in my heart, it’s just my hobby, while the situation we are in has had a big impact and it needs my attention. But I also know there are many people around the world being badly affected by COVID-19, so all our thoughts are with them.”
The first round of the revised 2020 FIA European Rally Championship is Rally Poland between June 26-28.
