Rhys Yates wants a first win to build on BRC lead

The Chesterfield driver has been in superb form and although yet to secure a first victory, leads the championship as it moves towards its halfway stage having taken a podium finish in Scotland despite suffering a pop-off valve on the first two stages that starved his Ford Fiesta Rally2 of power at vital moments.

Yates told Rally Insight: “I was happy with my performance and I salvaged what I could from the frustrating pop-off valve to start the day.

“I think we could’ve been more in the fight with Osian [Pryce] for second without the issue but I don’t feel like I had the pace to win the event.

“They’re quick stages and it [the pop-off valve] went off nine times in two stages which doesn’t sound that much but minimum it’s half a second and probably longer as it did it at the start of a straight, and you can’t afford to lose that time.

“In stage two it went off less because I was driving the car differently, so you’re not driving the car to the full potential, you’re revving the car more so it doesn’t go off. You’re thinking about the pop-off valve more than your driving and then that combination of things makes your time drop off.

“It is what it is, it was damage limitation. Points make prizes, I do want to be winning events, I don’t want to be picking third but sometimes, like me going into the last two stages with Keith [Cronin] and Keith picked it up a bit, ahead of the last stage I thought ‘I’m having these three extra points I can gain, I’m having this podium.’

“I felt like it was full attack on that last stage and we did end up pipping him.”

Yates is now keen to claim that first win having come close this season, in particular the first rally at Oulton Park.

He said: “Of course I want to win an event but at the same time I think we should’ve won Oulton, we were robbed and that still stings me now. I just hope those eight points [lost] there don’t cost me the championship which it could do, if it does it does.

“I haven’t won an event yet, but at the same time I’m consistently driving well now, setting good stage times against experienced guys.”

Trackrod Rally Yorkshire is up next for the BRC at the end of September.