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*Saintéloc Junior Workforce driver begins 2020 FIA European Rally Championship campaign in trend

*Victory over Basso in Italy is Lukyanuk’s 10th in ERC and new co-driver Eremeev’s first

*Solberg makes it two ERC1 Junior wins from two starts as Tempestini impresses

*Torn takes ERC3 Junior triumph in all-new Fiesta Rally4 after thrilling fight for glory

*Hero Melegari ratings emotional ERC2 first do on comeback from hurt

*Newcomer Mabellini lands home victory in Abarth Rally Cup

*P1 Racing Fuels Podium Vow vouchers offered, prime 15 receive for the first time in ERC

International rallying returned with a bang this weekend as Russian Rocket Alexey Lukyanuk charged to victory on Rally di Roma Capitale, round in all probability the most delayed 2020 FIA European Rally Championship.

Partnered by new co-driver Dmitry Eremeev, the Saintéloc Junior Workforce ace led from delivery up to execute in his Pirelli-geared up Citroën C3 R5 to verbalize his 2nd soak up Rome and his 10th in the ERC by 16.1s.

“It’s factual parts for the championship and naturally successful in Rome is something particular,” said Lukyanuk, who hadn’t driven a rally automobile for 255 days prior to a test on Tuesday. “It’s a various escape with very laborious competition. It changed into a protracted rally, very tricky and very sizzling. It took a lot of effort to pause the pause consequence and I’m happy for the performance and ecstatic for the team. I thank our sponsors for their give a make a choice to in this laborious anguish. You by no draw question to be the winner and when it comes it’s a obedient feeling. It changed into a controlled force, somewhat calculated with inexpensive tempo. It’s very enjoyable to stare we didn’t lose our feeling and our performance at some stage in this lockdown. But with out my new co-driver this consequence don’t were that which you would possibly well perhaps possibly possibly imagine.”

Giandomenico Basso, the two-time ERC champion who won this match 12 months ago, carried out 2nd with Oliver Solberg taking third and successful the ERC1 Junior class on his Roma debut.

Zelindo Melegari claimed a richly-deserved ERC2 victory on his first delivery up since he and co-driver Corrado Bonato were hospitalised following a wreck on Barum Czech Rally Zlín 11 months ago. ERC newcomer Andrea Mabellini bagged Abarth Rally Cup honours.

Ken Torn won a frenetic battle for ERC3 and ERC3 Junior glory, as his rally-long rival Pedro Antunes crashed out of first do on the closing stage. Pep Bassas took 2nd for Rallye Workforce Spain on his first match because the winner of Spanish federation RFEDA’s Beca Júnior R2 scholarship.

ERC3 Junior champion Efrén Llarena (Rallye Workforce Spain) marked his graduation to ERC1 Junior by finishing sixth total in the aid of fourth-placed Craig Breen (Workforce MRF Tyres) and Romanian champion Simone Tempestini, who came home 1.3s in the aid of the 5-time ERC winner from Eire after a go. Grégoire Munster held seventh prior to the advancing ERC1 Junior champion Filip Mareš, who narrowed the Hyundai Junior Driver’s margin to 5.5s. Emil Lindholm and Miko Marczyk filled out the pause 10.

Leg two round-up

After successful all six stages on Saturday to execute an earnings of 34.1s, Lukyanuk changed into 2nd handiest to Basso this morning, with the two-time ERC champion going quickest on the first and 2nd stages north of rally hub Fiuggi. On the regroup in the thermal spa metropolis earlier, Basso had narrowed Lukyanuk’s total lead to 29.3s with Oliver Solberg declaring his grip on third because the pause ERC1 Junior driver.

Basso scored a brace of stage wins in the center loop to begin up the closing trio of assessments 23.9s in the aid of Lukyanuk. Despite the indisputable truth that he would take the penultimate test, Lukyanuk’s controlled performance and measured ability in ambient temperatures exceeding 30 degrees centigrade supposed the Russian changed into by no draw basically threatened.

Solberg belied his absence of Rally di Roma Capitale ride on his first pure Tarmac rally in a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 to catch third with Hyundai-powered Craig Breen taking earnings of a go for Simone Tempestini on SS13 to make a choice fourth.

Tempestini admitted he struggled to “wake up” and repeat his flying construct from Saturday this morning. Despite handiest confirming his Roma entry on Tuesday, Tempestini changed into 2.3s prior to Breen starting up the closing trio of stages, but his go caused a six-2nd lengthen and Breen carried out 1.3s in entrance. Meanwhile, Breen, on his return to ERC movement with Workforce MRF Tyres, changed into massively praiseworthy of the price of growth of the Indian firm’s pattern programme.

ERC3 Junior champion Efrén Llarena starred on his step up to ERC1 Junior, finishing sixth after adapting the handling of his Rallye Workforce Spain C3 R5 more to his liking by tweaking the spring and anti-roll bar settings. Hyundai Junior Driver Grégoire Munster took seventh on his 2nd day outing in an i20 R5 with ERC1 Junior champion Filip Mareš struggling with aid to eighth after a difficult rally, which started with a roll in Friday practice. Young weapons Emil Lindholm and ORLEN Workforce’s Polish champion Miko Marczyk impressed as they rounded out the pause 10.

Extra drivers rewarded in ERC 2020

With parts awarded to the pause 15 categorised finishers from this season, more drivers than ever prior to scored ERC parts on Rally di Roma Capitale. By finishing in positions 11-15, Alessandro Re, Antonio Rusce, Dominik Dinkel, Albert von Thurn und Taxis and Marijan Griebel all scored.

COVID-19 protocol takes centre stage on world rallying’s restart

With myriad strict measures in do per the COVID-19 pandemic, Rally di Roma Capitale is the first FIA world-stage match to bustle since lockdown restrictions eased in certain worldwide locations. Drivers and groups fill united in their praise of the vast steps taken by organiser Motorsport Italia to construct a commended and stable atmosphere for opponents and volunteer officers alike in partnership with the FIA, ERC promoter Eurosport Events and Italian federation ACI Sport.

Solberg clinches ERC1 Junior victory on Roma debut

Oliver Solberg, son of 2003 World Rally champion Petter Solberg, made it two ERC1 Junior wins from two starts, overcoming the handicap of shedding his glasses prior to stage two. ERC3 Junior champion Efrén Llarena adopted Simone Tempestini home in third with Grégoire Munste, Emil Lindholm, Miko Marczyk, Dominik Dinkel (Brose Motorsport) and Albert Battistolli next. Erik Cais (Yacco ACCR Workforce) restarted after his stage one wreck to do ninth on his step up from ERC3 Junior in a Ford Fiesta MkII. Callum Devine retired his Motorsport Eire Rally Academy Hyundai with engine failure after the execute of SS3.

Laborious time for Kreim

A solid fifth overnight on his return to ERC1 Junior movement, three-time German champion Fabian Kreim’s debut in a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 ended on Sunday’s first stage when he crashed real into a wall. “It changed into my mistake,” he said. “I did a mistake on my pacenotes and fill written left-entry-flat and 40-metre hairpin-left. And for this I changed into positively too instant and crashed real into a wall and broken the entrance-staunch wheel.”

Crugnola snappily on restart

For the 2nd Rally di Roma Capitale running it changed into a case of what would possibly well perhaps possibly need been for Andrea Crugnola. After a puncture robbed him of victory 12 months ago, a wreck on stage one wrecked his hopes of first do. He restarted on day two, scored six stage bests and 5 ERC bonus parts for successful leg two. There changed into no restart for Adrien Fourmaux, alternatively, the Frenchman having rolled his M-Sport Ford World Rally Workforce entry on SS2.

Melegari savours his “ultimate day” in ERC2 on hurt comeback

Zelindo Melegari described successful ERC2 on his comeback from hurt as a “ultimate day”. Melegari hadn’t competed since a wreck on Barum Czech Rally Zlín final August left him and co-driver Corrado Bonato with serious injuries. But he confirmed no lasting impacts to take prior to ERC newcomer and Abarth Rally Cup winner Andrea Mabellini and Porsche 997 GT3 driver Petr Nešetříl.

“I’m very ecstatic for this consequence after 365 days away from rally,” said Italian Melegari. “It changed into the first rally with the brand new automobile on Tarmac, a ultimate day. I changed into ecstatic also to fight with the young drivers in the Abarth Rally Cup. It’s a factual consequence for continuing the season.”

Roberto Gobbin drove his Abarth 124 rally to fourth with Latvia-essentially based fully Dmitry Feofanov fifth, hitting aid from a roll at some stage in attempting out on Tuesday on his 2nd delivery up on Tarmac. Poland’s Igor Widłak retired prior to SS7 with a sensor failure.

Abarth Rally Cup contender Dariusz Poloński changed into aid in movement for leg two after a turbo recount compelled him out on Saturday morning. After going fastest in the one-execute series and in ERC2 on SS7 and SS8, more turbo complications struck on SS9, forcing the Pole to retire for a 2nd day running.

Ford Fiesta Rally4 driver Torn takes ERC3 and ERC3 Junior double in dramatic finale

Ken Torn scored a memorable ERC3 and ERC3 Junior victory double in his Estonian Autosport Junior Workforce-entered Ford Fiesta Rally4 following a thrilling battle with Pedro Antunes.

Utilizing a Peugeot 208 Rally4 on Pirelli tyres, Antunes snatched the lead from Torn with two stages final handiest to wreck out on the closing bustle.

That left Torn to catch the soak up his Pirelli-geared up automobile as Pep Bassas inherited 2nd do for Rallye Workforce Spain, with Amaury Molle struggling with to the execute in a sparkling third as technical points struck the Belgian’s older-specification 208 in the closing stages.

Italian Junior champion Marco Pollara carried out fourth with Nikolai Landa and Rachele Somaschini fifth and sixth respectively. Pedro Almeida and Dennis Rådström restarted after retiring on Saturday and came home in seventh and eighth.

A brake recount caused Adam Westlund to wreck out of fifth do on SS11. An electrical recount stopped William Creighton on SS10, whereas Miika Hokkanen went off the boulevard on SS3 when a damaged steerage rod failed. Sergio Cuesta retired with engine failure on SS6.

Vogel victorious

Adrienn Vogel claimed a sparkling fifth do in ERC3, following home fellow Hungarian drivers Martin László and his father Zoltán. She also carried out because the leading lady driver.

P1 Racing Fuels Podium Vow begins

The P1 Racing Fuels Podium Vow, bustle for the first time at some stage in the 2019 ERC season finale in Hungary, will reward the pause three finishes on every ERC1 and ERC2 round with gas vouchers that can even be exchanged for P1 XR5 escape gas at subsequent events, helping opponents to extra crop the price of competing. All over both categories, successful drivers will in all probability be entitled to 150 litres of gas, whereas 2nd and third placed drivers will receive 100L and 50L of the product respectively.

LEG ONE REPORT: Click right here for leg one document

DAY TWO NEWSFEED AVAILABLE BY EMAILING: Paula_Dequidt@discovery.com

TOP 15 POSITIONS (after 15 stages, 197.80 kilometres)

1 Alexey Lukyanuk (RUS)/Alexey Arnautov (RUS) Citroën C3 R5 1h58m57.0s

2 Giandomenico Basso (ITA)/Lorenzo Granai (ITA) Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 +16.1s

3 Oliver Solberg (SWE)/Aaron Johnston (IRL) Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 +1m03.2s

4 Craig Breen (IRL)/Paul Nagle (IRL) Hyundai i20 R5 +1m57.0s

5 Simone Tempestini (ROU)/Sergiu Itu (ROU) Škoda Fabia R5 +1m58.3s

6 Efrén Llarena (ESP)/Sara Fernández (ESP) Citroën C3 R5 +2m15.9s

7 Grégoire Munster (LUX)/Louis Louka (BEL) Hyundai i20 R5 +2m20.5s

8 Filip Mareš (CZE)/Radovan Bucha (CZE) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +2m26.0s

9 Emil Lindholm (FIN)/Mikael Korhonen (FIN) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +2m54.0s

10 Miko Marczk (POL)/Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +3m25.1s

11 Alessandro Re (ITA)/Paolo Zanini (ITA) Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 +3m25.8s

12 Antonio Rusce (ITA)/Sauro Farnocchia (ITA) Citroën C3 R5 +4m10.2s

13 Dominik Dinkel (DEU)/Ursula Mayrhofer (AUT) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +4m47.1s

14 Albert von Thurn und Taxis (DEU)/Bernhard Ettel (AUT) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +4m54.4s

15 Marijan Griebel (DEU)/Pirmin Winklhofer (DEU) Citroën C3 R5 +6m24.1s

FIA ERC2: Zelindo Melegari (ITA)/Corrado Bonato (ITA) Subaru Impreza STI

FIA ERC3:  Ken Torn (EST)/Kauri Pannas (EST) Ford Fiesta Rally4

FIA ERC1 Junior:  Oliver Solberg (SWE)/Aaron Johnston (IRL) Volkswagen Polo GTI R5

FIA ERC3 Junior:  Ken Torn (EST)/Kauri Pannas (EST) Ford Fiesta Rally4

Abarth Rally Cup:  Andrea Mabellini (ITA)/Nicola Enviornment (ITA) Abarth 124 rally

Click right here for plump provisional outcomes, stage classifications, retirements and other records or apply this hyperlink: https://www.fiaerc.com/are residing-timing/.

RALLY LEADERS

SS1-SS15: Lukyanuk/Eremeev

STAGE WINNERS

Please consult with attached PDF for crucial parts of stage winners

KEY STATISTICS:

ERC rally wins in 2020: Lukyanuk and Crugnola 6; Basso 3

ERC stage wins in 2020: Suárez 1

CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS: Click right here the provisional positions after 1/6.


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