Start and first special stage for the Italian race of the FIA World Rally Championship. Behind the Yaris of the French driver, both Hyundai i20 Coupé of Neuville e Tänak. Tomorrow, Friday 4^th, five time trials all inside Autodromo Nazionale Monza. Live on RAI Sport at 12.30 and 3 pm, and highlights in the evening.

Monza, Thursday December 3rd 2020 – ACI Rally Monza, seventh and final round of FIA World Rally Championship, has begun and immediately proved to be an hard and demanding race. The morning was the time for the shakedown inside Autodromo Nazionale Monza, where also the first special stage “The Monza Legacy” has taken place and was broadcast live on RAI Sport and WRC+.

Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia on Toyota Yaris WRC have scored the best time and now lead the race organised by Automobile Club D’Italia. The Hyundai i20 Coupè WRC crews follow them, the Belgian Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul with a 5 tenths gap and the Estonian Ott Tänak and Martin Jarveoja with 2 seconds more than Ogier.

The fourth time on the first 4.33 km of the race has been scored by the leader of the championship Elfyn Evans; the British driver on Toyota Yaris WRC was slowed down by the pitfalls along the road. Evans was followed by his teammate, the very young Finn Kalle Rovanpera, on a Toyota Yaris WRC as well.

The tension was high from the start also among the WRC2 contenders; the best time in the stage was achieved by the young Frenchman Adrien Formaux, navigated by the Belgian Renaud Jamoul, on Ford Fiesta MkII, just one tenth of second before the Norwegian Mads Østberg on Citroen C3. In third position we find the Czech Jan Kopecky, and with one tenth the Swedish leader Pontus Tidemand on Skoda Fabia.

Jari Huttunen, with his co-driver Mikko Lukka on Hyundai NG i20, has taken the lead on WRC3, the RC2 managed by private teams. The Swedish driver is in a tight battle for the championship together with the Bolivian leader Marquito Bulacia, who has scored the sixth time of the first stage on his Skoda Fabia. The second best performance has the name of Andreas Mikkelsen on Citroen C3, followed by Oliver Solberg on Skoda Fabia; the two sons of former drivers are separated by nine tenths.

 

The battle among the very young FIA Junior WRC drivers was immediately on fire, all of them racing on Ford Fiesta Rally4 by M-Sport. The Finns Sami Pajari and Marko Salminen have done their best and have reached the first position of the stage, in front of the Swedes Tom Kristensson and Joakim Sjoberg. Right after we find Martins Sesks, the Latvian navigated by Renars Francis and leader of the standing, and the ACI Team Italia representative Fabio Andolfi.

First race day as well for the final round of Campionato Italiano Rally Junior, which is ending tomorrow the world-class experience for the young crews, to whom the Federation has offered the chance to be visible worldwide. Among the Ford Fiesta managed by Motorsport Italia and with Pirelli tyres a relevant performance in the first stage was achieved by Andrea Mazzocchi and Silvia Gallotti. The second placement went temporarily to the driver from Varese Riccardo Pederzani and his co-driver Giulia Paganoni, followed by the driver from Piacenza Giorgio Cogni and Gabriele Zanni.

Tomorrow DAY 2, Friday December 4th, five scheduled special stages are taking place on three different stretches inside Autodromo Nazionale Monza. The day is starting at 7.25 am. The SS “Junior” (13.4 km) is mainly on tarmac, alternating slow sections with fast ones, on track and internal roads, interrupted by 2.4 km on gravel. The SS “Roggia” (16.22 km), whose both passes are being live broadcast, is the longest among those inside the circuit and is enriched also in this case by 3 km on gravel, providing a continuous change in ground and grip. Then is SS “Grand Prix” (10.31 km) taking place; this is the only stage at the circuit completely on tarmac and is being repeated once per leg, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.