On Friday, the contestants completed three special stages in two loops. They finished third in the WRC2 Challenger category.

After Friday's Rally Chile starts, Kajetan Kajetanowicz said:

“We showed a good pace, no mistakes. We did very fast special stages, a lot of jumps. (...) We finished the day in third place in the WRC2 Challenger and we are happy with that.

Saturday, the longest stretch on the schedule, measured close to 140 km of special sections. The surface was aggressive for the tires, which wore out at a very fast pace, and in addition, in the third attempt it began to rain. The afternoon loop of Saturday's stage proved even more dramatic than had been assumed before kick-off. It was raining, so it was wet and slippery, and thick fog interfered with the competition. Many experienced riders stressed that these were some of the most difficult special stages of their careers.

On Saturday's Rally Chile the Poles finished in the runner-up position in the WRC2 Challenger category, thanks to a flawless and fast ride, despite very difficult conditions.

“Saturday's second loop of Rally Chile was incredible in every way. We thought it would be dry, (...) and it was just the opposite; a very large fog, plus a wet surface. I had not seen such a thick fog for a long time, and it was necessary to race in such conditions. I think that in some places the visibility did not exceed twenty, even fifteen meters. (...) In such conditions, with almost zero visibility, we advanced to second place in the WRC2 Challenger,” said Kajetan Kajetanowicz.

Today's final stage of Rally Chile consists of two special stages covered twice (18.62 km and 8.78 km). The winners will be announced around 7 p.m.

We are rooting for Kajto and Maciej!

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ORLEN 80th Rally Poland is behind us. It was a true celebration of motorsport. And although Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Maciej Szczepaniak did not finish the stage as a result of the unfortunate situation on Saturday, they nevertheless returned to the race on Sunday, not slowing down and delighting their cheering fans with their driving.

The Poles up to the eleventh attempt were the vice-leaders of the category, being all the time in a contact fight for the lead. From the start, Kajetan strongly emphasized that he had put everything on one card and attacked from the very beginning of the rally to win in his category. The crew were runners-up in the WRC2 and WRC2 Challenger competition until Saturday's 11th attempt, during which they overpowered the car and suffered a suspension after hitting a boulder. And despite the fact that they managed to fix the car to reach the service, they had to withdraw from the stage because they exceeded the regulatory limit of delays. They returned to the tour on Sunday to save another special episode to their account.

ORLEN 80th Rally Poland returned after a seven-year break to the cycle of the World Rally Championship. This is one of the fastest rounds on the calendar, extremely exciting and attracting thousands of fans cheering on their crews. Kajetan and Maciej showed themselves from the best side and raced to the very end.

— I've shown all weekend that I love rallies. I had a very good sense, I took more risks, everything worked well. We are a non-factory team all the time, and we race against the factories. And we can do that. (...) We had drivers here from Scandinavia who cover these types of roads hellishly fast, literally on razor blades. They know where to bounce, and where you can not, where to brake later, where earlier, how to position the car before the jump. We were able to win special episodes with them and with a big advantage, so I'm happy. Thank you to the whole team (...) We are happy not only with the winning rallies, but also with the fast driving. — summed up the rally Kajetan Kajetanowicz.

ORLEN The 80th Rally of Poland started on Thursday evening at the Mikołajki Arena. Thus began the great race in the seventh round of the World Rally Championship. For the Polish crew, Kajetan and Maciej, this is the third WRC start this season.

The race in Masuria was opened by a short 2.5-kilometre super race, where the ORLEN Rally Team demonstrated a solid pace, giving them a place in the top five in the WRC2 Challenger category.

On Friday, Poles were the fastest among all Rally2 class cars on OS4 Olecko (13.2 km) and OS Wieliczki 2 (12.9 km). On the longest run of the second OS2 loop, the Stańczyki 2 (29.4 km) had second time in the WRC2 Challenger and WRC2. The good results gave them a promotion and allowed them to maintain a high, second place in the overall WRC2 classification, as well as in their WRC2 Challenger category.

“It was a good day. We had a fast pace in the special stages, we won two. I am very happy because I waited a long time to present myself in front of the Polish audience and to go here in Masuria again as quickly as before. It gives me great pleasure to see how many flags are spread out for special episodes — said Kajetan Kajetanowicz.

For Kajetanowicz, this is already the 10th official start in Rally Poland. He made his debut in 2006 behind the wheel of the Peugeot 206 XS. He won his first triumph in the Masurian special stages in 2010, driving the Subaru Impreza. A year later, he repeated the success, again standing on the top step of the podium.

The organizers of ORLEN 80th Rally Poland have prepared almost 304 km of races for the participants this season. On Thursday, the spectacular OS 1 Mikołajki Arena took place. On the second day, the crew of Kajetanowicz and Szczepaniak overcame five of the seven scheduled special stages, two were canceled for safety reasons.

On Saturday (June 29), the crews will complete seven stages, three of which will be covered twice. This will be the longest stage of the rally at 124.1 km.

On Sunday (30 June), after four special stages, the competition in ORLEN's 80th Rally of Poland will end. We should know the unofficial winners of the rally around 15.00.

The Poles fought until the end for a place on the podium in their category, but in the end they took fourth place. They were less than 4 seconds away from third place.

The crew started the rally with difficulty, failing to hit the car's settings on the first, Friday, stage. On Saturday, they had to catch up to catch up with competitors. They went very well, advancing by as much as eight positions. During Sunday's final stage, they fought to the very end, finishing fourth in the WRC2 Challenger. The podium was only 3.9 seconds away.

In the first stage of the Rally Sardinia on Friday, riders had two special stages to complete twice, including the longest Osilo-Tergu section in the rally, which is more than 25 km. Kajetan and Maciej increased the pace after a difficult start, finishing eleventh in the WRC2 Challenger classification at the end of the day.

On the second day, the Poles climbed in the standings from section to section and after the first loop they took fifth place in the WRC2 Challenger. At the end of the day, they caught the perfect driving rhythm, getting third, fourth and second times respectively on the second loop in the WRC2 Challenger. In total, they moved up eight positions that day. In the last special stage, they took fourth place, despite a punctured tire. Before the final stage, they became the second vice-leaders of the category.

After the final stage consisting of two special stages, which were overcome twice: OS 13 and 15 Cala Flumini (12.55 km) and OS 14 and 16 Sassari-Argentier (7.10 km), the Poles finished fourth in the WRC2 Challenger.

Rally Sardinia is behind us. There was a lot going on, we were once down, once up. In the end we were less than 4 seconds off the podium, so it's a bit of a shame. (...) I think we should be happy — out of about 40 crews that started in this rally, we are in fourth place in the WRC2 Challenger. It's OK,” Kajetan Kajetanowicz, WRC2 Challenger world champion, said after the race.

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The exciting 21st Rally of Sardinia awaits us, in which from today, Friday, the competition in the sixth round of the World Rally Championship will take place.

Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Maciej Szczepaniak are already after the tests, during which they were preparing for their second start of the season. After the successful Safari Rally, in which the Poles won in the WRC2 Challenger category, it is time for another start. Rally Sardinia, which they know perfectly well, because it is their sixth joint start on the Italian island. The Polish crew has good memories of Sardinia, where they stood on the podium three times. A year ago, Kajetanowicz and Szczepaniak won the WRC2 Challenger there and finished third in WRC2.

Test drives allowed the crew to get used to the very rocky and extremely treacherous oases in the vicinity of the city of Alghero. It was also an opportunity to prepare and check the settings in their rally Škoda Fabia RS Rally2.

This year, a record number of WRC2 crews entered the rally, as as many as 40, and 36 (together with Kajto) score points in the Challenger, which is no small competition for the Poles.

— This rally is well known to me. There is a fantastic atmosphere here, and the special episodes are very difficult. It is not easy to manage the tires, but we are ready to fight with the whole ORLEN Rally Team. We will be competing against a record number of competitors, but we feel prepared. We have a big heart to fight. Keep your fingers crossed — said Kajetan Kajetanowicz, WRC2 Challenger World Rally Champion.

This year's Rally Sardinia adopted an unusual, compact form for the World Rally Championship. Rally competitions in Italy generally fall within 48 hours. However, the entire competition is spread over the next few days. Starts at the oeses on Friday afternoon. Crews have two special stages to complete that day, which they will pass twice. To start, the longest in the entire rally is OS Osilo-Tergu (25.65 km), followed by OS Sedini — Castelsardo (13.26 km).

On Saturday, the riders will face four different stages, divided into four separate loops: OS Tempio Pausania (12.03 km), OS Tula (22.61 km), OS Monte Lerno — Monti di Ala (25.31 km) with the famous hop Mickey's Jump, OS Coiluna — Loelle (14.53 km). In total, on this day, the crews will overcome almost 150 km of oases!

The rally will end on Sunday, which will be divided into two loops, two sections in each loop: the Cala Flumini OS (12.55 km), the Sassari-Argentiera (7.10 km), the service will be followed by a re-run of the same stages and the end of the rally.

We keep our fingers crossed for getting to the finish line as quickly and smoothly as possible!

Cheer with us Kajto!

For the third time in a row, the Poles took the top step of the podium in the Safari Rally, winning the WRC2 Challenger. The current world champions in this category once again showed how great they are on the route of the most difficult and legendary African round.

In addition, they also stood on the podium of the overall WRC2 classification and took a high 10th place in the overall classification.

Consistent tactics, proper preparation and a calm head are the basic factors thanks to which Poles win in a unique Safari rally, where sometimes the competition for the best time recedes into the background. Kajetanowicz's experience allowed him to avoid problems and at the finish to enjoy the most important success, namely winning the WRC2 Challenger. Kajetan and Maciej Szczepaniak won 12 of the 19 special stages, entering the finish line with an advantage of more than 5 minutes.

“We won the Safari Rally once again in WRC2 Challenger, and in WRC2 we are also on the podium. I'm very happy. It was an amazing start to the season for us, we worked with the whole ORLEN Rally Team for a few months to get here. Thank you to my sponsors, Maciek, the whole team, RaceSeven. Thank you to my family and my wife who give me a lot of support. We are entering the season with a good attitude, we started with the most difficult round of the world championship,” said Kajetan Kajetanowicz, current world champion in the WRC2 Challenger category after the race.

The Safari Rally was the third round of this year's World Rally Championship cycle, after Monte Carlo and Sweden. The next item on the WRC2 calendar will be the asphalt Rally Croatia, which will take place from 18 to 21 April, followed by gravel in Portugal (9-12 May), then in Sardinia (30 May-2 June). At the end of June, a big celebration is planned in our country, returning to the WRC ORLEN 80th Rally of Poland (27-30 June). In the second half of the year, the teams will compete in Latvia, Finland, Greece, Chile, Central Europe (combined round in Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic), and at the end of November the season will end in Japan. WRC2 crews can score in up to 7 selected rallies.

Congratulations to Kajetan and the whole team!

Cheer with us Kajto!

For the third time, Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Maciej Szczepaniak are at the start of this extraordinary rally. This year's Safari Rally will start today, i.e. Thursday 28 March, from SS Kasarani (4.84 km, start at 12.05 Polish time), preceded by Wednesday's test section (Loldia, 5.4 km, 8.01). Three double-crossing trials are scheduled for Friday, including the longest aisle Kedong, measuring as much as 31.5 km. Saturday and Sunday are three oases where crews will appear twice. The competition will end on Sunday at the Power Stage of Hell's Gate. The Polish crew will use the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. A total of 29 crews will take part in the competition, 14 of which will use Rally2 class cars.

Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Maciej Szczepaniak won the best time in the WRC2 Challenger category yesterday on the 5.5-kilometer Loldia test stage, which preceded the start of the Safari Rally.

The test episode (shakedown) was just a taste of what awaits us in the coming days. The extremely difficult and unpredictable 3rd round of the WRC is a rally for survival, here what counts above all is the right strategy and the so-called cool head on the nearly 370 km route of the oases laid out in the roadways of Kenya.

“The Safari Rally (...) is the longest rally in the championship calendar, very unpredictable. Incredibly difficult sections, lots of animals, holes, huge stones, of which there are many more than in previous years. (...) I think the biggest rival in this rally may be ambition. I'm fighting myself because I know I can be faster in some places, and yet I shouldn't, if I want to think about the finish of the rally,” says Kajetan Kajetanowicz, current WRC2 Challenger world champion.

Fingers crossed for today's start and the next few days!

Cheer with us Kajto!

Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Maciej Szczepaniak will compete in the full WRC2 cycle, so they will run the maximum possible number of seven rounds selected from the world championship calendar.

The Polish crew will start the fight with the Safari Rally, which has earned the title of one of the most difficult in the world. The African round is the third consecutive rally of this year's World Rally Championship season. After Monte Carlo and Sweden, the WRC moves beyond the European continent, where the legendary Safari Rally will take place. This year, the rally will have 355.92 km of tracks and will be held on March 28-31.

Kajetanowicz and Szczepaniak finished on the top of the podium twice, winning with a big advantage over their rivals. After the Safari Rally, there will be ten more rounds, including three asphalt ones — the Rally of Croatia, Japan and the Rally Central Europe, which made its debut in the WRC calendar last year. His unusual formula with the delineation of sections on the territory of three different countries was of great interest.

Polish fans will not have to travel far this year to watch the rally competition at the world level, because the 80th ORLEN Rally of Poland will be played in Masuria. The most prestigious event in Poland, the second oldest rally in the world after Monte Carlo, is a treat for all motorsport fans. Kajetanowicz won this competition three times, the last time in 2013, winning his fourth Polish title and opening the way to international success. The rally champion does not hide his interest in participating in the jubilee edition of Rally Poland.

“We start the season with the Safari Rally, where we have won for the last two years. However, I return to Africa with great humility, because this is not a walk in the forest, but a wildly unpredictable rally. I plan to start in a total of seven rounds. Last season we had just as many chances, which we put to good use by winning the WRC2 Challenger World Champion title. Although I assured that this success will not change me, in retrospect I think it happened differently - I have a double motivation to fight. In maintaining a high level, I am helped by partners who will support my starts this season: title partner ORLEN S.A., technical partner Delphi, Pirelli, ORLEN Oil, ATC CARGO S.A. and SJS S.A. I very much appreciate that my cooperation is long and lasting, based on a mutual understanding of the needs and challenges associated with practicing motorsport. there are car rallies — said Kajetan Kajetanowicz.

The ORLEN Rally Team will start in new colours for the 2024 season in the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. Kajetanowicz once again opted for extraordinary minimalism, which last year definitely distinguished him among international rivals.

The ORLEN Rally Team has been on the WRC2 podium for the last five years in a row and finished the 2023 season on the first step, claiming the WRC2 Challenger World Rally Champion title.

We are delighted to be able to support the rally champion again and thank you for your trust!

We are already keeping our fingers crossed for all starts! Cheer with us Kajto!

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Chinese New Year

Every year, Chinese holidays determine the behavior of all participants in the transport market. The ongoing Chinese Lunar New Year falls this year from February 9 to 15 as a statutory holiday, but traditional ceremonies continue until February 24. With the beginning of January, we observed a significant accumulation of shipments and a greater number of orders. And by the end of January, almost 80% of factories in China were already closed. The situation required compensating for tasks that were usually completed in 3-4 weeks, up to 1 week.

Attacks in the Red Sea

Apart from the cyclical increase in demand for container freight from the Far East, one of the factors that significantly affected the functioning of the supply chain was the terrorist attacks in the Red Sea region faced by shipowners. Huti attacks on merchant ships caused multiple increases in sea freight prices in the relationship from China to Europe. At the end of November, the rates for transporting a 40-foot container to Gdansk were under $1,000. At the time of the biggest cargo pile-up before CNY, rate levels from major Chinese ports were up to six times higher. Shipowners in a sudden crisis situation raised their prices overnight, and sometimes by the hour. They introduced emergency fuel surcharges or freight supplements, related to the need to change the ship's route and carry out deliveries through the Cape of Good Nadzien. It was hard to predict what the next day would bring.

The conflict in the Red Sea, which has lasted for more than 60 days, does not allow us to think about a quick return to normality in maritime transport. There is no improvement in security, and all the major shipowners are directing their ships on a route around the Cape of Good Hope, opting for a longer and more expensive voyage around Africa to avoid terrorist threats. Sailings to Europe have been extended by an average of 14—20 days, and the connection network is constantly changing to better adapt to the prevailing situation. Shipowner Maersk announced that deliveries by alternative route will continue until at least the second half of this year. There were also difficulties with the availability of empty containers in China, India and Europe (for export). The situation is reminiscent of the time of the pandemic, when problems with the global shortage of containers were common. Currently, the owners of ONE, Hyundai and Maersk are experiencing this in particular. MSC, COSCO and Evergreen have invested in the production of new containers over the last three years, so they do not have major problems with the availability of equipment at the ports of loading.

Alternative transport solutions

Faced with the problems described, broadcasters are looking for an alternative in transport and opt for rail and air solutions, which were particularly popular in January. Although these are still more expensive types of transport, they are more reliable from the point of view of timely delivery. During CNY, there were also slight delays on the railway, but not longer than 4—7 days. This was due, for example, to the earthquake in Kazakhstan last month, the renovation of the railway network, the large supply of trains before CNY, or local weather conditions (snowstorms, strong wind).

Forecasts for maritime transport

The lengthening of maritime transit in imports and exports causes significant delays in cargo deliveries, leading to production problems for companies and, consequently, possibly to an increase in retail prices of various goods and materials. The crisis in the Red Sea may persist for a long time, which will have long-term consequences for the entire world trade and economy. Not only the transport market, but also markets in other sectors, do not expect a rapid normalization of the situation in the Red Sea, as there are still fears of an escalation of conflict in the region. An example of a company that bypasses the Suez Canal trail is Shell. Experts warn that it could lead to an increase in the retail price of oil and, consequently, to an increase in inflation.

In the coming weeks, we should expect a slight stabilization of sea freight prices, which is a typical situation in the post-CNY period. However, shipowners who want to maintain relatively high levels of revenue are trying to respond to declines in demand on an ongoing basis. They then announce the so-called. blank sailingAs the Ocean Alliance announced blank sailing on the Far East—Northern Europe line in weeks 12, 15 and 17.

Our entire team is constantly monitoring the dynamically changing situation. We are looking for new solutions that will best secure our customers' supply chains. Therefore, we encourage everyone to verify the current situation and, if necessary, consult with commercial and operational supervisors.

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