Sanremo (IM), Wednesday, September 27th, 2023 – The melody of the Sparco Italian Rally Championship returns to resonate on the Ligurian Riviera for the 70th Rallye Sanremo. The legendary roads in the province of Imperia, which have been the stage for world rallies for decades, will once again host a round of the top Italian series, reaching the final stage of the season with the seventh and penultimate round of the calendar. On Friday, September 29th, and Saturday, September 30th, the 82 teams entered in the event organized by the Automobile Club Ponente Ligure, including 21 in the top Rally 2 category, will compete in various classes, but above all, for the Italian titles still up for grabs. The Sanremo will be the decisive event for the Italian Rally Promotion Championship, a series exclusively held on asphalt that will conclude with a challenge offering a maximum score coefficient. It will also be crucial, though not conclusive, for the Italian Rally Junior Championship, a youth series that will wrap up in December alongside the main championship on the dirt tracks of Monza.

THE PROGRAM | The route of the Rallye Sanremo includes 13 special stages covering 104.97 kilometres in total, with the start on Friday afternoon at 14:51 and the finish on Saturday evening at 19:11, both in Corso Imperatrice, in front of the Sanremo Casino. After the preparation shakedown scheduled for Friday morning from 8:00 to 12:30 in San Romolo, the only special stage of the first day will be the short Power Stage "Vigne di Bajardo" (2.27 km), which will award 3, 2, 1 points to the top three finishers in the CIAR Sparco, CIRP and CIAR Junior, and it will be broadcast live on TV starting from 15:55 on RAI Sport (channel 58 DT, raiplay.it) and ACI Sport TV (channel 228 Sky, channel 52 tivùsat, acisport.it, Facebook pages @ACISportTV and @CIRally).

The second day will consist of three sessions, interspersed with two returns to the service park in Sanremo at the old station. During these sessions, five different timed sections will be tackled. The stage "Langan" (14.62 km – SS2 8:21, SS6 12:38, SS10 16:55) will be the longest and open each of the three loops. The shortest stage will be "Apricale" (5.09 km – SS3 9:20), which will be completed only once, in the first loop, and will then be replaced by "Semoigo" (7.36 km – SS7 13:37, SS11 17:54). The two stages "Bignone" (7.49 km – SS4 9:40, SS8 13:57, SS12 18:14) and "Coldirodi" (5.46 km – SS5 9:59, SS9 14:16, SS13 18:33) will conclude each loop. The headquarters and the press room will be hosted at the Grand Hotel Londra

BASSO VS ANDOLFI, A PLACE FOR TWO |The championship race in the Overall category has already been decided for two rounds, with the title awarded for the second consecutive year to Crugnola-Ometto, who are also present in Sanremo but competing in the two-wheel-drive class. Therefore, the focus in Sanremo will primarily be on the two teams vying for the runner-up position, namely Basso-Granai and Andolfi-Gonella, who are separated by just 1 point in the overall standings of the CIAR Sparco. While awaiting the final verdict at the last rally in Monza, which carries a 1.5 coefficient, the Treviso-based Giandomenico Basso will start for the first time this season with the number 1, partnered with Lorenzo Granai, once again driving the Skoda Fabia RS prepared by Delta Rally. The driver from Cavaso del Tomba boasts 18 appearances and 3 victories in Sanremo ('08, '12, '13), but hasn't stood on the podium since the 2019 edition and aims to redeem last year's retirement. On the other hand, the Savona native Fabio Andolfi, always alongside Nicolò Gonella in the Skoda Evo version prepared by MS Munaretto, has had a strong track record in Sanremo in recent editions, winning the last one and achieving a third-place finish in the one prior, his first year in the Absolute category. Both Basso, with three podium finishes, and Andolfi, with four podium finishes, will be hunting for their first victory of the season.

A THREE-WAY CHALLENGE FOR THE PROMOTION TITLE | It will be a three-way battle for the Italian Promotion Rally Championship, which will conclude on the Ligurian asphalt. The standings currently have Luca Bottarelli leading with Marco Pollicino as his co-driver in the Skoda prepared by DP Autosport. They are the frontrunners with 87 points, thanks to three victories. However, Bottarelli has a history of challenges in Sanremo, with three retirements in his last three appearances. He is the only one among the three contenders who has a chance to win the title with a second-place finish. The other two, Avbelj-Andrejka and Ferrarotti-Bizzocchi, must necessarily win this final round while keeping an eye on Bottarelli-Pollicino's placement.

The crew of Bostjan Avbelj and Damijan Andrejka, making their debut in Sanremo, also driving another Skoda from MS Munaretto, is currently in second place in the championship, trailing by 8 points. They have secured two victories at the Targa Florio and in Rome. Ivan Ferrarotti, partnered with Sanmarinese co-driver Massimo Bizzocchi in the PA Racing Skoda, is third with 75.5 points. However, unlike the other two rivals, he will have to "discard" one of the results already achieved.

Nevertheless, other participants in the series could still play a role in deciding the Promotion title, and they won't lack motivation. Reggiano driver Antonio Rusce, navigated by Martina Musiari in a Skoda, will start in the priority group and has consistently scored points in every round. Piacenza's Andrea Mazzocchi, co-driven by Silvia Gallotti in an FPF Sport Citroen C3, enters the final round as fourth overall after an excellent third-place finish in the last 1000 Miglia. Brescia's Alberto Dall'Era will make his Sanremo debut, guided by Luca Beltrame in another C3 prepared by PA Racing. Liberato Sulpizio, fresh from a good performance in Brescia, returns to race in Liguria after two seasons, still partnered with Alessio Angeli in a Hyundai i20 Rally2 prepared by Friulmotor. Completing the top group is Milan's Rachele Somaschini, alongside Arianna Faustini in a C3, making her fourth appearance in Sanremo.

9 JUNIORS ON THE ASPHALT | The passage along the Riviera will be crucial in launching the final sprint of the Italian Junior Rally Championship, which will feature 9 teams from ACI Team Italia in their penultimate round of the season. All the teams will be driving Renault Clio Rally5 cars prepared by Motorsport Italia and equipped with Pirelli tyres. After two days of activities in the third Academy Junior meeting, held in the Domodossola area alongside ACI Sport Federal School instructors Lorenzo Granai, Piero Longhi, and Simone Scattolin, the participants in the junior series will have the opportunity to put into practice what they have learned during the tests.

Leading the championship with 77 points, thanks to three wins in four races and two power stage victories, is Davide Pesavento from Vicenza, who has been a standout performer so far, partnered with Marco Frigo. The recent victory in Brescia has revived Pesavento's title aspirations, and he will need to aim for maximum points to present himself in the best possible shape for the final challenge on the Monza dirt. The championship scenario will remain open until the end, with the top seven teams still in contention for the title. Sanremo will undoubtedly be a selection process for the title contenders, among whom the Varese-based driver Riccardo Pederzani wants to bounce back after a challenging 1000 Miglia. He arrives in Sanremo with Edoardo Brovelli after an extraordinary stint in the CIR Asphalt in Como, where he finished sixth driving a VW Polo Rally2 last weekend. On the other hand, the Ossolan driver Igor Iani, with Nicola Puliani as co-driver, aims to extend his streak of good results, having stood on the podium in Brescia but still in search of his first win of the season. Caserta's Francesco Dei Ceci, one of the younger drivers in the group, continues to show consistent improvement and will once again be navigated by Nicolò Lazzarini. Nisseno driver Salvatore Scannella, with Francesco Galipò as co-driver, needs to regain the form he displayed at times in the first part of the season after a complicated outing in the previous round, which ended with two collisions.

Pordenone's Matteo Doretto, one of the most consistent drivers in the group with three top-five finishes in the first four races, will be partnered with Andrea Budoia. Trentino's Geronimo Nerobutto, alongside his sister Francesca, has also been consistently scoring points this year. The young Treviso driver Marco Zanin, co-driven by Massimo Moriconi, has been improving since the Rally di Roma, and in Brescia, he fought for a podium finish until the end. The growth path continues for another 18-year-old driver in the ACI Team Italia lineup, Niko La Notte from Arezzo, who continues his participation with Gabriel Morales after breaking the jinx by reaching his first goal of the season in Brescia.

 

2WD NEW FACES AND AN EXCEPTIONAL CRUGNOLA | There are also several profiles to keep an eye on in the CIAR 2WD category, all competing with Peugeot 208 Rally4 cars. It will certainly be interesting to see how Italian champions Andrea Crugnola and Pietro Elia Ometto approach the junior category. After winning the Absolute title with three races to spare, they will participate in the 2WD category for an ad-hoc appearance. The situation is different for the other teams who will aim to score points and achieve results to improve their standings, even though the 2WD title has already been awarded to the absent Pisani. However, the battle for the second position is still on the line, with a head-to-head expected between Fabio Farina from Trentino with Daniel Pozzi, who comes after a retirement but starts with a 5.5-point advantage, and Moreno Cambiaghi from Valtellina with Giulia Paganoni, both still without wins this year. In the last challenge, young driver Gabriel Di Pietro from Ossola once again showcased his skills by securing his first victory, and he will attempt to repeat it with Andrea Dresti by his side. Ahead of him in fifth place in the overall standings is Corsican driver Cedric Cardi, who aims to continue his positive streak from the last three races. This will be his second appearance with Enzo Mahinc as the co-driver. Rounding out the group are the two gentlemen of the Two-Wheel Drive category, Genoese driver Emanuele Fiore, who will have a special weekend on familiar roads with Andrea Casalini, and Brescia's Graziano Nember with Luca Catalano.

 

GR YARIS RALLY CUP AT THE PENULTIMATE ACT | A new stop in the Italian championship and a new challenge for the GR Yaris Rally Cup, the fifth one for the trophy sponsored by Toyota Italy, which will bring together 10 teams competing in R1T 4x4 class cars. The Japanese contingent has often provided surprises, as in the first four rounds of the trophy, three different teams have claimed victory. The only one to achieve back-to-back wins is Simone Di Giovanni from Rome, who is currently tied at the top of the special standings with Jacopo Facco from Veneto, the most consistent driver in the group. However, there is also a promise of fierce competition from the likes of Sicilian driver Salvatore Lo Cascio, who is third in the standings, along with the defending cup holder from Pistoia, Thomas Paperini, and Davide Nicelli from Pavia, following his impressive debut in the Toyota cars at the 1000 Miglia.

 

GIORDANO AIMING FOR THE DOUBLE WIN IN R1 AND SUZUKI | A total of 13 teams, half of them under the age of 25, will be participating in the penultimate round of the Suzuki Rally Cup. The 16th edition of the trophy, created and promoted by the Hamamatsu-based company, is coming to a close, and the cup is once again getting closer to the hands of Matteo Giordano and Manuela Siragusa. The leading driver among the Swifts, both in the Sport Hybrid and Racing Start versions, from Cuneo, only needs a fifth-place finish to secure victory in the trophy. However, Sanremo could also be crucial for the assignment of the title in the Italian R1 Championship, as Giordano, with a race win, could also celebrate the national title. He will be challenged in both cases by his teammates, particularly two drivers from Trentino, the experienced Roberto Pellé and the young Sebastian Dallapiccola.

 

CIAR SPARCO CLASSIFICATION: 1. Crugnola 159pt*; 2. Basso 62pt; 3. Andolfi 61pt; 4. De Tommaso, Avbelj 42pt; 6. Bottarelli 37;

CIR PROMOTION CLASSIFICATION: 1. Bottarelli 87pt; 2. Avbelj 79pt; 3. Ferrarotti 75,5pt; 4. Mazzocchi 48pt; 5. Scattolon 40pt;

CIAR 2WD CLASSIFICATION: 1. Pisani 97pt*; 2. Farina 61pt; 3. Cambiaghi 51,5pt; 4. Lucchesi 33pt; 5. Cardi 30,5pt;

CIAR JUNIOR CLASSIFICATION: 1. Pesavento 77pt; 2. Pederzani 58pt; 3. Iani 54pt; 4. Dei Ceci 46pt; 5. Scannella 44,5pt

*already Italian Champion

SPARCO ITALIAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2023: March 10 -11 | Rally Il Ciocco e Valle del Serchio; April 14 -15 | #RA Rally Regione Piemonte; May 5-6 | Targa Florio Rally (coeff. 1,5); June 16-17 | San Marino Rally (coeff. 1,5); July 28-30 | Rally di Roma Capitale (coeff. 1,5); September 8-9 | Rally 1000 Miglia; September 29-30 | Rallye Sanremo; December 1-3 | Rally di Monza (coeff. 1,5)

 

 

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