There is bad luck and then there is Liam Doran‘s 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship campaign so far. Several reliability issues have prevented Doran from even finishing races and on Sunday in Finland, a dramatic tyre failure cost him a place in the semi-finals.
Having gambled to go on slick tyres in Q1, Doran was leading his heat in Q2 until his front right wheel fell off the car on the main straight.
Speaking to Neil Cole just after the race he said: “I don’t know what to say. Obviously I cut the corner but other drivers have been cutting the corner and I didn’t expect the wheel to fall off. I was fighting hard, I knew I had to get back to the front to get the time, there was good conditions, track was evolving and I just had to set the laptimes. It was quite an aggressive but I don’t think too aggressive a move to take the lead of the race.“
“I should be at home and let someone else to drive to be honest. I haven’t given up yet but its not going to be long.“
Despite winning his Q3 heat and setting the fifth fastest time in the session, it was not enough to get Doran into the knockout stages of the second event at Kouvola.
He added: “Happy with that clean last run today. I think it showed that the car and I have the pace to perform, we just haven’t been able to put it fully together yet and perform as a pair. We changed the car’s set up throughout the day and you could definitely feel the difference in the last qualifier.”
Doran will be hoping his luck turns around at the next event, a double-header at the World RX of Latvia on 19-20 September.
