Briton Yates up for ERC adventure

A frontrunner in the British championship, Yates has registered for ERC Junior Under 28 – the category for young stars in R5 cars – and is contemplating at least one more appearance in the series this season – July’s Rally di Roma Capitale – in a ŠKODA Fabia R5.

“Throughout my rallying career and even when I was contesting the British Moto X championship, I have always wanted to be as progressive as possible and learn as I go, so I really wanted to take everything one step at a time,” said the 25-year-old, who placed fourth in his domestic standings last season.

“We did things the right way by starting in a Suzuki Swift, then an R2 Fiesta before moving up to four-wheel drive. Now I feel the time is right to chase down a title and I think the British championship could be in reach this year. But I want to try some ERC rounds too as the R5 competition is mega on those events so it will give us a great benchmark to measure against during the year. If the Azores goes well, we will have to see about contesting a few more than just Rome.”

The Azores Airlines Rallye takes place from 22-24 March. As well as counting for overall European championship points, the event is the first of six events that count towards ERC Junior Under 28.