Barga (LU), Friday, March 12th , 2021 – The Sparco Italian Rally 2021 Championship has officially started. The 44th Rally Il Ciocco e Valle del Serchio kicked-off the highest Italian series with the first test on the much-awaited Super Special Stage “Il Ciocco” that has awarded the first points live on TV.
The fastest of all on the 2km in Tuscany was Thierry Neuville, with Martijn Wydaeghe, that completed their run in 1'55.410s. The Belgian Hyundai Motorsport official driver – who is transparent for the classification – ended 2.72s clear of Paolo Andreucci and Francesco Pinelli, Skoda Fabia R5, that, according to the regulations, steal points from the drivers entered in the championship instead. The first drivers to collect some points are Craig Breen and Stefano Albertini, which respectively ended third and fourth. The Irish Hyundai official driver for WRC and Paul Nagle completed their test in the i20 R5 at +2.77s and secured two points. Albertini-Fappani, Fabia R5 Evo, ended +2.97s’ from the top as the best of the Asphalt trophy drivers and scored one point. The reigning champion Andrea Crugnola and Pietro Ometto, were fifth at the debut in the i20 R5 of Hyundai Rally Team Italia. Giacomo Scattolon in the Volkswagen Polo R5 and ACI Team Italia’s Tommaso Ciuffi on the Fabia R5 posted the same time. Alessio Profeta on Fabia and Luca Bottarelli at the debut on Ford Fiesta R5 completed a good test ending respectively eighth and ninth. The provisional top ten was rounded off by the Czech driver Erik Cais, Ford Fiesta R2.
Among the much-awaited drivers, Giandomenico Basso slipped down to P16 as his Skoda Fabia R5 stalled at the start and this relegated him at + 5.82s’ from the top.
In the CIR 2WD Andrea Nucita’s Peugeot 208 Rally4 – at the debut – led two other French cars driven by Christopher Lucchesi Jr and Ilario Bondioni.
The partial verdicts gave a first taste of the spectacle that will get more intense tomorrow. All to be followed is the live coverage on ACI Sport TV (the TV channel of the federation available on SKY 228), on the official channels @CIRally, @ACISportTV and on RAI Sport’s web channel. The Live coverage will continue also for the three tests “Massa-Sassorosso”, “Careggine” and “Molazzana” that will be repeated three times for CIR, while the CRZ will go through the two closing loops. The finish of the rally will be at 18.00.
SUPER SPECIAL STAGE CLASSIFICATION: 1. Neuville - Wydaeghe (Hyundai I20 R5) in 1'55.410 ;2. Andreucci-Pinelli (Skoda Fabia R5)+2.720; 3. Breen- Nagle (Hyundai I20 R5) +2.776; 4. Albertini-Fappani (Skoda Fabia Evo) +2.973; 5. Crugnola-Ometto (Hyundai I20 R5) +3.709; 6. Scattolon- Bernacchini (Volkswagen Polo R5) +3.809; 7. Ciuffi- Gonella (Skoda Fabia R5) +3.809; 8. Profeta- Raccuia (Skoda Fabia R5) +4.208; 9. Bottarelli- Pasini (Ford Fiesta R5) +4.225; 10. Cais-Zakova (Ford Fiesta R2) + 4.226
SPARCO CIR CLASSIFICATION AFTER SS1: Breen (Hyundai I20 R5) 2 pt; Albertini (Skoda Fabia Evo) 1 pt
CIR ASPHALT CLASSIFICATION AFTER SS1: Albertini (Skoda Fabia R5 EVO) 3 pt; Scattolon (VW Polo R5) 2 pt; Ciuffi (Skoda Fabia R5) 1 pt.
The calendar of the SPARCO RALLY ITALIAN 2021 CHAMPIONSHIP: RALLY DEL CIOCCO E VALLE DEL SERCHIO | March 12-13; RALLYE SANREMO | April 10-11; RALLY TARGA FLORIO | May 8-9; SAN MARINO RALLY - coeff. 1,5 | June 26-27; RALLY DI ROMA CAPITALE - coeff. 1,5 | July 24-26; RALLY 1000 MIGLIA | September 4-5; RALLY 2VALLI | October 9-10; LIBURNA TERRA - coeff. 1,5 | November 6-7
[In the pictures: the Hyundais of Neuville and Breen and the Skoda Fabia R5 of Andreucci]
Updates at www.acisport.it/CIR
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram - @CIRally
YOUTUBE - ACI SPORT
PRESS OFFICE – ACI SPORT
Bartolini Luca +39 3357553762 bartolini@acisport.it
Iacobini Chiara +39 338 6771956 iacobini@acisportspa.it
De Bonis Daniele +39 339 7573991 debonis@acisportspa.it
