Verona, Saturday October 14th 2017 - The final verdict for the 2017 championship has not come out yet from the first day of the 35th Rally Due Valli, race organized by Automobile Club Verona, but some answers started to arrive anyway. Paolo Andreucci, Anna Andreussi and their Peugeot 208 T16 R5, have displayed a great shape, setting the pace and winning day one getting closer to the title in the process. Moreover, Umberto Scandola and his Skoda Fabia R5, took P3 a result that forced them to leave their title ambitions at the end of a troubled session due to several setup problems. The only one that can still challenge Andreucci for the title is Simone Campedelli, despite he has to hope in very favourable conditions to him and unfavourable to Andreucci. Campedelli has been close to Andreucci for a long time but he was eventually slowed down by a puncture that relegated him to P4. This obviously, makes his title hopes thinner. Luca Rossetti confirmed to be the champion that everybody knew he is, as shown by a uprising rally that took him up to P2, very close to the winner.

Peugeot had an extremely positive day today, as the make secured its tenth Italian Rally Constructors Championship.

Marco Pollara and Giuseppe Princiotto run a strong rally in their prize entry on the Peugeot 208 T16 R5, closing day one in sixth absolute place.

 

The other Italian title still up for grabs is the Italian R1 Championship where Emanuele Rosso and Andrea Ferrari on Renault slipped in to take the day win, while the Suzuki Swift R1B and the Renault Twingo R1A were busy fighting for the title. Rosso managed to recover after a wrong tyre choice leading the rivals of the Twingo R1 Top Trophy and those of the Italian R1. In the Suzuki Rally Trophy, the quickest of the day have been Lorenzo Coppe and Giacomo Poloni, that led Stefano Strabello and Stefano Martinelli.
Gianandrea Pisani also run a solid race wearing Aci Team Italia’s colors as he had the chance to test the Toyota GT86 CS-R ending eighteenth in the absolute classification of Day 1.
Day two will take place tomorrow Sunday October 15th. CIR crews will have to go through eight stages, four to be repeated twice, namely: “Marcemigo”, “Tregnago”, “San Mauro di Saline” and “San Francesco”, for a total of 88,58 km competitive. Finish line in Piazza Brà where the new Italian Rally Champion will be celebrated starting from 17:30.

XXXV RALLY DUE VALLI DAY 1 CLASSIFICATION: 1. Andreucci-Andreussi (Peugeot 208 T16 R5) in 49:13.9; 2.Rossetti-Chiarcossi (Skoda Fabia R5) at 2.9; 3.Scandola- D’Amore (Skoda Fabia R5) at 41.4; 4. Campedelli-Ometto (Ford Fiesta R5) at 1’04.0; 5.Chentre-D’Herin (Hyundai i20 R5) at 2’16.0; 6.Pollara-Princiotto (Peugeot 208 T16 R5) at 2’39.1 ;7. Gecchele-Peruzzi (Skoda Fabia R5) at 3’55.3; 8.Andolfi-Ungaro (Abarth 124 Rally) at 4’05.8; 9.Nucita-Vozzo (Abarth 124 Rally) at 4’14.5; 10.Maestrini-Leopoldo (Skoda Fabia R5) at 4’16.2.

CIR Absolute classification: Andreucci 95,75; Campedelli 82; Scandola 78,5; Rusce 24,50.

CIR Constructors: Peugeot 128,5; Skoda 87.

CIR R1 Classification: Martinelli 84; Rosso 68; Strabello 65; Coppe 58,50; Paris 56,5; Scalzotto 40; Bravi 41.

In the picture: Andreucci (Peugeot 208 T16 R5); Scandola (Skoda Fabia R5) Campedelli (Ford Fiesta R5) the three big names of CIR 2017.