Having won the previous four rounds of the APRC this season, Delhi-based Gill went into the Malaysian Rally with a 42-point advantage over team-mate Fabian Kreim whose retirement yesterday due to gearbox problems effectively ended the championship battle between the two.
The 34-year old Gill, driving the MRF Skoda Fabia R5, took no chances and comfortably won the event sparing 31 minutes, 35.7 seconds to compatriot Sanjay Takale (Cusco Racing) while Kreim, who rejoined for Leg-2, finished a distant third after Michael Young who was placed second overnight crashed out.
The victory took Gill’s tally to 184 as against Kreim’s 126 for an insurmountable lead. Team MRF also clinched the APRC team championship in the wake of Gill’s clean sweep.
Results: (provisional):
1. Gaurav Gill / Glenn Macneall (Team MRF) (02hours, 48mins, 22.5secs); 2. Sanjay Takale / Noriko Takeshita (Cusco Racing) (03:19:58.2); 3. Fabian Kreim / Frank Christian (Team MRF) (05:47:45.3).
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