In-form Yates heads for rally in Belgium

The Chesterfield ace took seventh place overall in the Antibes Cote d’Azur Rally in the south of France, sampling stages famously used in the Monte Carlo Rally.

Now he takes to the wheel of his Brettex Skoda Fabia R5 for Rally van Wervik, which should prove ideal preparation for the second round of the Prestone MSA British Rally Championship, which is also to be held on the asphalt roads of Belgium, at Ypres.

“We will be going into this event with renewed confidence after the Antibes result,” said Yates. “But it’s easy to get complacent, so we really need to use this as another rally to gain experience.

“There is an impressive entry, so it is about getting the right set-up for the car and getting myself dialled into the roads before we head to Ypres, which is where it really matters.

“I have competed in Belgium before, but there is no substitute for experience as the roads there are notorious for catching out even the best drivers in the world. We will do our own thing and get all the data we need.”

In the opening round of the British Rally Championship, Yates took second overall, which was a career-best result.