The World Rally Championship ended in the best possible way at the Autodromo Nazionale of Monza that staged an exciting rally that gave credit to the project devised by Automobile Club d’Italia and FIA.

Monza, December 6^th, 2020 – A great sporting event but also a great show and an extraordinary international showcase for rallying. It could not be a party due to the undergoing dramatic world pandemic, but the ACI Rally Monza 2020 has been the great conclusion of the highest world rally series. This perfect event organized by Automobile Club d’Italia, Autodromo Nazionale of Monza and Sias met the appreciation of everyone, from drivers and teams to international sporting authorities. This event has been extraordinary because it has been decisive for the title fights in the most important titles: WRC, WRC2, WRC3 and Junior WRC.

Seven world titles, seven amazing wins that legitimately place him among the greatest drivers of all times: he is Sebastien Ogier. After the titles won with Volkswagen and Ford, the almost 37 years old driver from Gap claimed one with the Toyota Yaris Wrc, shared with Julien Ingrassia, who is also at the seventh world title. He reached this round seven points shy of his teammate Elfyn Evans. His only chance was to win the rally hoping in some problems to his rival. The Frenchman took an authoritative win at the end of a rally that due to the rain, snow and ice has been tough on every driver and caught a lot of drivers out. Among these was Elfyn Evans, who lost the control of the car in a snow patch ending out of the road.

ACI Rally Monza also crowned the Manufacturers’ World Champion, the title that deservedly went to Hyundai. The decisive points were brought to the Korean make by the former world champion Ott Tanak and Martin Jarveoja, and by Dani Sordo with Carlos Del Barrio. The two pairings led their Hyundai i20 Coupé Wrc, fielded by Hyundai Shell Mobis Wrt under the leadership of Andrea Adamo, respectively to the second and third place in this event. The fourth and fifth place went then to Esapekka Lappi with Janne Ferm in the Fiesta of Ford M-Sport and Kalle Rovampera with Jonne Haltunen in the Yaris WRC of Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT.

ACI Rally Monza crowned Mads Ostberg and Torstein Eriksen in the Citroen C3 of Team PH Sport, as the FIA WRC 2 Champions. The 33 years old Norwegian took the lead in SS9 on Saturday and kept it all the way to the finish posting the best time in SS7, 9, 15 and 16. Pontus Tidemand and co-driver Patrik Barth, ended the rally and the championship in second place. The 30 years old from Sweden of Toksport WRT won 3 tests, but the mandatory discards penalized him in the final standings. The Czech Jan Copecky and Jan Hlousek were also on the podium in their Skoda Fabia. The young French Adrien Formaux and Renaud Jamoul, Ford Fiesta MKii, topped the charts in six tests but a contact with the wall in the SS10 vanished their efforts.

Jari Huttunen is the new FIA WRC 3 Champion. The 26 years old Finn and co-driver Mikko Lukka, Hyundai NG i20, won two tests and the 3^rd position in this rally was enough to clinch the title. The Norwegian Andreas Mikkelsen and Anders Jaeger dominated the rally in their Skoda Fabia, setting the fastest time in 7 stages. They took the win with skills and strategy. The second place went to the 19 years old Swede Oliver Solberg in the Skoda Fabia with Aaron Johnston, but they have always been in the fight for the top.

The FIA Junior WRC went Tom Kristensson’s ways. The Swede driver, class 1991, with Joakim Sjoberg at the notes, dominated the ACI Rally Monza taking the title among all the youngsters behind the wheel of the M-Sport Ford Fiesta. Kristensson’s victorious run eased off in day two when the Finn Sami Pajari went off and was 4^th at the end and when Latvia’s Martins Sesks did the same. The second place in the race went to Peru’s Fabrizio Zaldivar, who was followed by the Brit Ruairi Bell.

Alessandro Perico and Mauro Turati were the first of the Italians and ended 19^th overall in their Skoda Fabia. Umberto Scandola, Hyundai NG i20, brought Italy back on top of a world stage winning SS11 on Saturday, but the Italian retired in the closing day due to a technical problem.

OVERALL TOP10 ACI RALLY MONZA: 1. Ogier-Ingrassia (Toyota Yaris WRC) in 2h15’51”; 2 Tanak-Jarveoja (Hyundai i20 Coupè WRC) +13”9; 3 Sordo-Del Barrio (Hyundai i20 Coupè WRC) +15”3; 4 Lappi-Ferm (Ford Fiesta WRC) +45”7; 5 Rovanpera-Halttunen (Toyota Yaris WRC) +1’11”1; 6 Mikkelsen-Jaeger (Skoda Fabia Evo Rally2) +3’56”2; 7 Solberg-Johnston (Skoda Fabia Evo) +4’12”1; 8. Huttunen . Lukka (Hyundai NG i20) a 5’15”4; 9 Ostberg – Eriksen (Citroen C3) a 5’27”4; 10 Tidemand – Barth (Skoda Fabia) +05’53”.

WRC2: 1. Ostberg-Eriksen (Citroen C3) in 2h21’18”4; 2 Tidemand-Barth (Skoda Fabia Evo) +25”6; 3 Kopecky-Hlousek (Skoda Fabia Evo) +1’23”4; 4 Fourmaux-Jamoul (Ford Fiesta MKII) +29’20”4.

WRC3: 1 Mikkelsen-Jaeger (Skoda Fabia Evo) 2h19’47”2; 2 Solberg-Johnston (Skoda Fabia Evo) +15”9; 3 Huttunen-Lukka (Hyundai i20 NG Rally2) +1’19”2”; 4 Lindholm-Korhonen (Skoda Fabia Evo) +1’57”8. 5 Kajetanowicz-Szczepaniak (Skoda Fabia Evo) +3’38”3; Bulacia-Der Ohannesian (Citroen C3) a 4’51”6.

FIA Junior WRC: 1 Kristensson-Sjoberg in 2h35’21”4; 2 Zaldivar-Penate +11’21”2; 3 Bell-Garrod +11’49”1; 3 Pajari-Salminen +44’46”6, (All on Ford Fiesta R4).