Shock Split for Championship-Winning Partnership
Yağız Avcı, who has five Turkish Rally Championship titles to his name, has parted ways with co-driver Bahadır Gücenmez, with whom he won four of those titles and also took the 2012 Eastern European Rally Championship and the 2017 European Rally Trophy.
The most intriguing aspect of the split is that Gücenmez announced the decision, taken on his own, to the driver he had shared seven years with via social media. Posting a photo of the pair embracing on a personal Instagram account, Gücenmez made the following statement: "For as long as I can remember I have acted on my emotions and I will continue to do so! I don't know whether that is a good or a bad thing, it's just who I am. I wanted to announce here my decision, again an emotional one, to part ways with the friend I have been racing with since 2010. In our very best and very worst times we experienced countless successes and countless disappointments. I wish a future in which everything will be wonderful for both of us. Thanks for everything @yagizavci"
Avcı, who learned of the decision through the Instagram post, merely commented beneath the photo: "I wish you had told me too". Reviewing the 2017 season on a personal website, the Red Bull driver said that 2017 had been highly instructive in every respect, pointing out that, more than in sporting terms, it was perhaps the season in which the driver had gained the most life experience to date. Underlining that the crew had also experienced a bit of everything from a sporting point of view, Avcı said they had collected many wonderful memories alongside a number of unfortunate moments.
"However unlucky the Turkish Rally Championship was for us, we once again found out that 'every cloud has a silver lining'. By winning Rally Bulgaria and Rally Troia, which also count towards the Balkan Rally Trophy, we earned the right to go to the rally in Portugal for the European Rally Trophy final, and it was a good opportunity to end a poor season with a higher achievement than we had targeted.
We reached this goal, which also kept our motivation very high, by finishing Rally Casinos do Algarve in Portugal in first place, and we won the FIA European Rally Trophy! Winning the same trophy exactly 20 years after my father Nejat Avcı was also a tremendous memory and story for us.
Throughout all these ups and downs, I once again thank everyone who stood by us and supported us wholeheartedly. See you in the new season, with love…" It is being said that Avcı, who made this statement, has held talks with a surprise name for the co-driver's seat, with the matter set to become clear very soon, while Bahadır Gücenmez is reportedly set to continue his career in off-road and baja racing.
