ERC aspirant Ares has a taste for podiums

The Spaniard’s third place on Rally Comunidad de Madrid last month meant he finished on the podium on all 10 rounds of his national championship this season at the wheel of a Hyundai i20 R5.

It was a particularly special podium for Ares and and co-driver José Pintor, who had already secured their domestic title.

A poor tyre compound choice for the opening day left the pair struggling for pace, a problem that was compounded by a 20-second penalty for arriving late to start stage four. With the additional time taken into account the duo languished in P12 before they began their comeback with the fastest time on the very next stage.

On the final day of the rally – and of the season – Ares and Pintor showed the speed that has made them almost unbeatable in the second half of the year, winning sixth out of eight stages to take third overall.