Stříteský skips Sunday stages to prepare for back-to-back rallies

What does a driver do when a puncture wrecks his weekend but two more events loom within seven days? Dominik Stříteský found an answer at Rally di Roma Capitale: withdraw before Sunday and preserve his energy for what comes next.

Stříteský was tipped for a top 10 finish at Rally di Roma Capitale before tyre damage on stage two dropped him from fourth to 85th. Rather than push through the final stages, he decided to skip the Sunday action entirely. The strategy was clear: Rally Bohemia in the Czech championship and Rally Poland one week later demanded a fresh driver.

“We have three races in four weeks, it’s not easy but we stay fresh and have the energy for the next two races,” Stříteský said. The Orsák Rallysport driver estimated he could have finished around the top 10 at Roma Capitale without the puncture on stage two.

The withdrawal was pragmatic but not painless. Co-driver Ondřej Krajča had competed at Rally di Roma Capitale with a broken right ankle, making the decision to stop all the more sensible. A one-time ERC event winner, Stříteský knew the Rome stages well enough—the Sunday layout was similar to the previous year—to make an informed choice about what he could afford to miss.

By Saturday, Stříteský had shifted focus to Rally Bohemia, where he aimed to extend his lead in the Czech championship. The field was stacked with ERC drivers including Adam Březík, Erik Cais, Jan Kopecký, Filip Mareš and Simon Wagner. The back-to-back schedule left no room for sentiment about unfinished business in Rome.