ERC
Crugnola ahead in Roma ERC victory chase
Andrea Crugnola holds a narrow advantage in the race to win Rally di Roma Capitale, round three of the 2026 FIA European Rally Championship.
Reaching the midday service in Rome’s EUR district earlier this afternoon, Pirelli-equipped Crugnola (Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale) leads Škoda Fabia RS Rally2-driving Roberto Daprà by 5.8sec with Teemu Suninen in third place at the wheel of another Pirelli-supplied Škoda.
Crugnola, a two-time Rally di Roma Capitale winner, headed into Saturday’s opening stage 1.8sec behind Yohan Rossel, the overnight leader following his pacesetting performance through the Colosseo ACI Roma. But he moved to the head of the pack by second quickest to Suninen on SS2 and then extended his margin out front to 6.8sec with victory on SS3.
Although he lost the SS4 win to Daprà by 1.0sec, the lead is Crugnola’s heading into the afternoon loop of three stages.
Despite holding top spot, Crugnola wasn’t overly satisfied following SS4. "My feeling is not very good,” he said. “The downhill section was quite bad, talking about the rhythm. So we just need to work a bit harder and try to, let's say, find a better pace, because in some sections we are fast, some sections we are quite slow, so I'm not happy.”
Behind Suninen, Hankook-shod Nikolay Gryazin is fourth with Boštjan Avbelj in fifth having feared he’d damaged his rear-left tyre striking a rock on SS4.
Double European champion Giandomenico Basso, making his first start since the ERC season opener in April, is sixth, reporting that “I am not driving as I normally do, maybe it’s because I am not racing so often.”
Michelin-supported Arthur Pelamourgues, part of the Team France line-up in the National Match Rally contest, holds seventh on his ERC debut followed by Yoann Bonato, William Creighton Yohan Rossel and Andrea Mabellini, who said his set-up choice was “not the perfect decision”.
Pablo Sarrazin is next up with defending European champion Miko Marczyk an off-form 13th, Mille Johansson 14th and Jakub Matulka 15th.
Following service in Rome’s EUR district, Rally di Roma Capitale resumes with the 22.50-kilometre Vallecupola stage from 15:45 local time.
Go to the ERC Live Centre for updates, results and more. Watch the action live on Rally.TV.
