Croatia Rally 2025 opened with a demanding 6.12 km Qualifying Stage on slippery asphalt near Zagreb, setting the tone for the decisive FIA European Rally Championship finale.
Championship leader Miko Marczyk was fastest in his Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 with a time of 3m55.9s, securing first road position for Saturday. His closest rival, Andrea Mabellini, struggled after running wide in the opening corner and finished only eighth.
Mads Østberg, celebrating his 300th career start, was second, just 0.8s behind Marczyk, with Polish champion Jakub Matulka third. The top five was completed by Robert Virves and Jon Armstrong.
After qualifying, Martin Vlček was confirmed as the first-ever Master ERC Champion. Crews now turn their focus to tonight’s Ceremonial Start (18:30) at INA headquarters in Zagreb, preceded by the Meet the Crews session (17:50).
