Hnninen & Markkula have reinforced their lead in the European ChampionshipThird European Championship victory for KODA Motorsport's Finnish crew this yearThree times European Champion Rossetti in a private Fabia Super 2000 finished third

 Juho Hnninen & Mikko Markkula comfortably won the Turkey Rally to reinforce their lead in the European Championship and celebrated their third European Championship victory this year.

The first gravel event of the European Championship this year has closed the first half of the series. Commenting on another excellent result he has achieved this year, Juho Hnninen says: We are very happy to have won here; Mikko and I have made use of our experience on gravel, although the track was an unknown to us and was very slippery, too, posing a risk of puncturing a tyre all the time. The air temperature was high, the route is a mix of fast and technical stretches and many jumps, but we have coped with it all right. I'd like to thank all the team members.

Taking place near Istanbul in the Asian part of Turkey, the Bosphorus Rally took place over three days. Losing 1:28.9, Turkey's Yagiz Avci in a Ford Fiesta Super 2000 made use of his perfect knowledge of the track to finish second, the reigning European Champion Luca Rossetti in a private Fabia Super 2000 came third.

The European Championship continues in Madeira over 26-28 July.