It might be leading the World Rally Championship’s second-tier category right now but Škoda isn’t resting on its laurels.
New upgrades have arrived for its Fabia RS Rally2 challenger, with recent development work targeted at improving top-speed performance on fast gravel through changes to the gear ratios, dampers and aerodynamics.
“So far, we homologated only one set of ratios. But we are allowed a second set,” said Aleš Rada, technical head at Škoda Motorsport.
Škoda is continuing to bring upgrades to its class-leading Rally2 car
In total two homologation jokers have been used by Škoda this month: one was used for couplers and the other for the rear differential disconnect, which in the absence of a centre differential on Rally2 cars allows the rear axle to lock when the hydraulic handbrake is used.
Even though Oliver Solberg won last month’s high-speed Rally Sweden, he was still tasked with testing improvements to the gear ratios and aerodynamics during a development test in Scandinavia.
Those aero updates remain in testing phase: there are no immediate updates to the aerodynamics package on the Fabia RS Rally2s competing in the hands of works-supported drivers just yet, though they’ll be “gradually deployed” during the Fabia RS’ lifespan.
New dampers are among the recent upgrades to the Fabia's gravel package
Meanwhile, updated dampers were put through their paces by Erik Cais in Portugal: “The dampers for gravel show a big improvement compared to last year,” was Cais’ conclusion.
Four Škoda Fabia RS Rally2s are taking on this week’s Safari Rally Kenya: Toksport has two cars for Oliver Solberg and Gus Greensmith, while Polish duo Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Daniel Chwist are in the other pair of Fabias.
