ERC
Italian aces pack huge ERC4 entry
Thirty crews are set to challenge for FIA ERC4 Championship success when Rally di Capitale hosts round three of the season from 3 - 5 July.
In addition to the 16 FIA Junior ERC crews, a further 14 entrants will be in contention for ERC4 points on the Italian asphalt event.
Among the ERC4 drivers are several homegrown contenders, including provisional ERC4 leader Tommaso Sandrin, Lancia Corse HF duo Francesco Dei Ceci and Davide Pesavento, ACI Team Italia-supported Sebastian Dallapiccola and Valentino Ledda, newcomer Francesco Paccagnella and championship regular Ludwig Zigliani.
Tommaso Sandrin
© ERC
Nicolò Ardizzone, second overall and the top Junior in the Trofeo Lancia after two rounds, starts Rally di Roma Capitale fresh from claiming RC4 category honours on last weekend’s Rally Internazionale del Casentino.
Edoardo De Antoni, the overall Trofeo Lancia points leader, third-placed Moreno Cambiaghi and Simone Di Giovanni, currently fifth in the one-make series, are also eligible for ERC4 points on their home round as are Christian Cadadei, Emanuele Fiore, Roberto Gobbin, Gianmarco Lazzarato, Augusto Stepetti and Asia Vidori.
Lancia-powered Vidori, who is making her ERC debut on Rally di Roma Capitale, said: “I think the level in the ERC is very high, and competing against drivers from a championship that is so well-rounded in every respect could be a huge source of motivation for me. The goal of the race is to cover as many kilometres as possible in order to build up my experience and gain an increasingly better feel for the car – one I am just beginning to get to know and understand.”
The level in the ERC is very high and a huge source of motivation for me
Timo Schulz
© ERC
Other Hankook-supplied Junior ERC4 drivers chasing ERC points on Rally di Roma Capitale are rookie Filip Šipoš, the winner of the FIA European Rally Trophy in 2025, and provisional points leader Timo Schulz. The German is part of the ADAC Opel Rally Junior Team line-up that also includes Tom Heindrichs and Claire Schönborn.
Fellow rising stars Markas Buteikis, Colin Dünker, Aatu Hakalehto, Kyle McBride, Marcel Neulinger, Karl Peder Nordstrand and Reis Suliman will also be in action along with Rally di Roma Capitale regular and wheelchair user Ciprian Lupu, whose Renault Clio Rally5 is fitted with special hand controls.
Aatu Hakalehto
© ERC
Alexandre Villiod, who will represent the French team in the National Match Rally contest, completes the ERC4 entry for Equipe de France Espoir FFSA.
How to watch?
Fans across the globe can experience the excitement and drama of the ERC with every stage of every rally broadcast Rally.TV platform. In addition, the ERC is broadcast in a number of countries around the world and fans are advised to check local listings for details.
Rally di Roma Capitale 2026: the key numbers
Stages: 11
Competitive distance: 197.02 kilometres
Total distance: 1084.76 kilometres
Ludwig Zigliani
© ERC
