A mixed day’s rallying for Perez

Perez, 21, and co-driver Gary McElhinney, came up against set-up issues that put them back on the event in their M Sport Ford Fiesta R5 rally car.

The Banchory-based rally – held in Aberdeen – was demanding and offered some of the finest rally stages in Scotland with this year’s event marking the first time Britain’s premier rally championship had headed to the area for almost 30 years.

A thrilling mix of high speed and flowing gravel tests for Perez and McElhinney in Durris, Fetteresso and Drumtochty Forest were an unknown quantity to add to their car issues.

They got through the opening six-mile test in Durris in 6 mins 21 secs but had hoped to be faster finishing in 27th place.

Perez, in his usual style, knew the pressure was on and pushed on taking the Fiesta into 15th spot by the end of special stage two at Fetteresso Forest.

The set up was not right and they fell back again by the end of SS3.

Some tweaks to the car at service before the pair tackled the last lap of three stages in reverse order saw some improvements and decent times.They finished the gruelling rally in 17th place putting every bit of effort into the event they could.

Perez commented “It was a tough one for us in Scotland with set up issues from the onset.

"We managed to get some of them sorted for the last loop and set a few decent times”.

He added: “It was not the easiest weekend but was a great rally. I am looking forward to more seat time in the car and getting out on the Yorkshire Trackrod Rally at the end of September”.

Perez and McElhinney leave Scotland in 10th place overall in their first season in the Championship.

Round four of the BRC (the Yorkshire Trackrod Rally) takes place in the classic forest

stages of Yorkshire on 24th-25th September.