ERC
ERC ace Mabellini: “It’s the end of our dream”
Andrea Mabellini has spoken following the crash that put him out of Croatia Rally – and the FIA European Rally Championship title fight – earlier today.
Mabellini, 26, started the season finale as one of the three contenders for the coveted crown alongside co-driver Virigina Lenzi, but will go no further on the event following his SS4 exit.
Explaining what went wrong, Mabellini, who drives a Pirelli-equipped Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 for The Racing Factory, said: “We made this corner over the crest and we lost a little bit the back of the car and I was not expecting this. We touched a small piece of grass that make us spin. The next thing there was a rock waiting for us that take off the front part of the car, and especially broke the radiator and the engine started to leak oil also. It was not possible to continue and it’s the end of our dream.
Co-driver Lenzi and Mabellini had high hopes
© ERC
“In the sports part I need to be happy with what we have done all during the year but from the other part I am crazy, sorry and sad with myself and everybody who is involved with this programme because it’s hard, it’s hard because everybody was expecting a different final after all the bad luck we have this year.
“For sure I can be proud for what I have done this year but I miss the final result and that’s the only thing people will remember. It’s part of the game, we can do nothing, if it happens to somebody else we would probably not be in this situation.”
With Mabellini out, the chase for the 2025 ERC title is between Jon Armstrong and Miko Marczyk, currently first and sixth in the overall Croatia Rally classification.
Mabellini flew in the early stages of Croatia Rally
© ERC
“It’s going to be tough for Jon [to win the title] but he shows again he’s doing the best job he can being first,” Mabellini continued. “Tomorrow will be crazy-difficult with the rain and I don’t know how it’s going to be to drive in this condition for them. But I hope the best luck for both because they had a great season too. Maybe Jon arrived a little bit too late during the season, but he showed he’s so fast. Miko doesn’t have all the time the same speed as us, but he never made a mistake. They both deserve [the title] but we were also deserving it.”
