Sanremo, Saturday, April 10th 2021 – A short but important appetizer for what is ahead, the power stage, awarded points valid for the Sparco Italian Rally Championship. The challenging Sunday will name the winner of the 68th Rallye Sanremo. The “Sanremo” 2021 has a full entry list proving that it is again one of the most interesting rallies on the international scene as 141 crews from 13 different countries decided to take part in it.
The result of the short power stage has been affected by the rain that fell when the first cars were about to start their test. This ended up in kind of two different stages: the first run in the first fifteen minutes that was completely dry and the second with all the others struggling their way through in the rain that was falling more and more abundant.
The best time was posted by the Irish driver Craig Breen and Paul Nagle, Hyundai i20 R5, that won the Rallye Sanremo 2019. The official driver of the Korean make secured, therefore, three points for the Italian championship. The second place went to the reigning champs Andrea Crugnola and Pietro Ometto Hyundai i20 R5, which ended less than 1s shy of the leaders and secured two points. The third place went to Tommaso Ciuffi and Nicolò Gonella, in the first Skoda at the flag. The young driver of ACI Team Italia earned therefore one point valid for the championship. Rudy Michelini and Michele Perna, Skoda Fabia Evo R5, run a good test and proceeded Damiano De Tommaso and Massimo Bizzocchi in the Citroen C3 and Simone Campedelli, that placed his VW Polo R5 shared with Tania Canton in sixth place.
The gaps in top ten were short and Giandomenico Basso and Lorenzo Granai, Skoda Fabia R5, proceeded the Czech pairing Mares-Bucha in the Skoda Fabia R5, Fabio Andolfi and Stefano Savoia, also in a R5, and Giacomo Scattolon and Giovanni Bernacchini, in the VW Polo R5. Among the most awaited protagonists of the Sparco CIR Stefano Albertini and Danilo Fappani, Skoda Fabia Evo R5, ended 15th at more than 5s from the best time. Oliver Solberg, the son of the great Petter, was also slowed down by the rain in his Hyundai i20. Among the Junior drivers, the best time was posted by the Ford Fiesta Rally4 of Davide Porta. He was followed by Emanuele Rosso, but both drivers started on the dry, while all the others were challenged by the rain. In the 2WD CIR, Christopher Lucchesi Jr was the fastest in the Peugeot 208 Rally4. The best time among the Suzuki Rally Cup drivers was posted by Andrea Scalzotto, Suzuki Swift R1 Sport, who was followed by the Swift 1.0 Boosterjet of Manuel Stella. Here the conditions of the surface made again the difference among the Suzukis. The third time went to Simone Goldoni in the Suzuki Swift Sport Hybrid. The challenge will now continue with the tests “San Bartolomeo”, “Colle d’Oggia”, “Vignai” and “Cesio-Carpasio” as the chequered flag will flag in the city of the flowers at 18.40.
CRZ | RALLY DELLE PALME | The second round of the Rally Cup 2nd Zone one crew out of the entered 79 shone: that made by Ivan Ferrarotti and Fabio Grimaldi, Skoda Fabia R5, that come from CIR. The Italian driver won all the sixth stages in Vignai, Ghimbegna and Perinaldo, both in the first dry loop and in the wet. Behind Ferrarotti-Grimaldi, home heroes Elio Cortese and Domenico Verbicara, Skoda Fabia R5, ended at +1’21″4. The third place went to a new entry of CRZ, Paolo Porro and Paolo Cargnelutti, that are at their first experience in the Cup in the Czech R5 after competing for a long time in CIWRC.
HISTORIC 36th SANREMO | The first round of the season of the Italian Historic Cars Championship and FIA European Historic Championship saw Lucio Da Zanche dominating with a perfect day securing the fourth win at Sanremo and winning 10 tests out of the scheduled 14. The multiple Italian and European Champion dominated the opening rally since leg one on Friday in the group B Porsche 911 run by team Pentacar and fitting Pirelli tyres with co-driver Daniele De Luis. The second place went to Matteo Musti and Claudio Biglieri in the 911 Rsr. that were the first of the 2nd Group. The podium was rounded off by Matteo Luise and Fabrizio Handel in the Subaru Legacy that ended at +1'42.8.
RALLYE SANREMO OVERALL CLASSIFICATION AFTER SS1 “BAJARDO”: 1. Breen-Nagle (Hyundai i20 R5) in 1’24.811; 2.Crugnola-Ometto (Hyundai i20 R5) +0.994; 3.Ciuffi-Gonella (Skoda Fabia R5) +1.815; 4.Michelini-Perna (Skoda Fabia R5) +2.219; 5.De Tommaso-Bizzocchi (Citroen C3 R5) +2.294; 6. Campedelli-Canton (Volkswagen Polo R5) +2.328; 7. Basso-Granai (Skoda Fabia R5) +2.824.
