The Polish driver carried three-and-a-half minute lead into the second day of racing and ended it with a 7m 07.4s advantage over his nearest rival Frenchman Robert Consani.
But the LOTOS Rally Team driver never put a wheel out of place and strolled to the win. Kajetanowicz, in his Ford Fiesta R5, bagged the 7,000 Euro prize for the victory and tops the ERC Ice Master classification as he heads to round two in Latvia next month.
“It’s the best weekend ever, it’s fantastic, amazing and thank you to my whole team and my sponsors,” Kajetanowicz beamed.
Consani, in his Peugeot 207 S2000, finished a career-high second place and collected a 6,000 Euro reward for his efforts. Alexey Lukyanuk grabbed third place after a stunning comeback from a disastrous start to the rally.
The Belarus driver lost over five minutes on his rivals in the opening stage when his Ford Fiesta R5’s engine overheated, forcing him to stop so it could cool down.
Lukyanuk dropped to 23rd but stormed back through the field with phenomenal stage times and denied the rally winner a clean sweep by setting the fastest final stage. The Belarus driver was awarded the coveted Colin McRae ERC Flat Out Trophy for his efforts as well as the 5,000 Euro prize fund.
The European Rally Championship recommences on the 6th February with the Rally Liepaja in Latvia for round two.