The Gurtam Toyota Gazoo Racing Baltics crew woke up on Sunday morning holding a comfortable lead. By the afternoon, they were locked in a battle just to salvage their championship hopes.
Just 50 kilometers from the finish of Sunday's opening special stage, the suspension on Vanagas’s Toyota Hilux snapped.
The unpredictable mountain tracks of Northern Greece claimed the car with no warning. It fulfilled a prophetic warning Vanagas gave just 24 hours earlier: "Even ten meters can change everything."
Speaking directly from the stage, Vanagas remained characteristically calm but realistic about the damage.
"We started hearing strange noises," Vanagas explained. "We thought we could push through, but it was impossible. You cannot reach the finish line on three wheels. Externally, the Hilux is undamaged - it is just missing a wheel."
The culprit was later confirmed as a broken brake disc hub.
The breakdown stands in stark contrast to Saturday’s masterclass. Vanagas and co-driver Aisvydas Paliukėnas utterly dominated the field, tackling a brutal 163-kilometer track twice.
With surgical precision, the duo clocked the fastest times in both sessions to head into the overnight halt as the undisputed rally leaders.
While overall victory has evaporated, the weekend is not a total loss. The team has shifted instantly to tactical damage control.
Every single point is critical for the FIA European Baja Cup, especially after the team failed to finish the previous round in Spain.
Vanagas puts the plan straightforward: “First, recover the stricken Hilux from the mountains. Second, completely rebuild the suspension at the service park. And finally, officially park the vehicle in Parc Fermé."
This maneuver will incur a massive time penalty, but it ensures a theoretical finish. Crucially, it allows the team to keep the heavy points earned from winning both of Saturday’s stages.
Source: Gurtam Toyota Gazoo Racing Baltics
Photo: MCH
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