ERC
Junior ERC round-up: Positivity in the city
A breakthrough winner, the emergence of two rookies and plenty of positive performances were among the highlights when Rally di Roma Capitale hosted the FIA Junior ERC Championship last weekend.
Here’s a reminder of some of what happened during round two of the Hankook-supported category.
Home talents impress: First-time category winner Davide Pesavento wasn’t the only homegrown talent to impress on Rally di Roma Capitale. Francesco Dei Ceci fought his way up to second place for Lancia Corse HF only to retire with suspension damage on SS8. Tommaso Sandrin continued his strong scoring run in fourth position, while newcomer Francesco Paccagnella finished seventh. Sebastian Dallapiccola unfortunately retired when he rolled on SS6 while running inside the top 10.
Tom Heindrichs
© ERC
Speed pleases Heindrichs: While an enforced tyre change on SS6 ruled out back-to-back podiums for Tom Heindrichs, the Belgian could take heart from his tally of four stage wins. “We didn’t give up and tried to get as many points as possible,” Heindrichs said after finishing fifth. “The puncture didn’t help us but it’s part of the game
Filip Šipoš
© ERC
Šipoš out of luck on debut: Slovak driver Filip Šipoš missed out on a podium finish due to driveshaft failure forcing his retirement on the final day. “It was super-hard, the pace of the guys in front is crazy but we are learning and, step by step, seeing the areas where we can improve,” he said. “It’s the best opportunity we could have to learn and that’s why we are here.”
Kyle McBride
© ERC
McBride’s podium potential untapped: After running within the top three, Kyle McBride was on course to finish fifth on his second Junior ERC start when his promising showing came to an end on SS9 after the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver clipped a barrier with two stages remaining. “It's obviously not the way we wanted the weekend to finish, but there are so many positives to take away," said McBride. "Up until that point we were showing good pace, setting encouraging stage times and, most importantly, learning with every kilometre.”
Marcel Neulinger
© ERC
Neulinger sticks to his plan: Austrian stuck to his gameplan on Rally di Roma Capitale by finishing sixth among the Junior ERC contenders. “In the beginning I was a bit cautious but it was getting better and better. I didn’t want to risk anything, I was here to learn completely different stages to what we have in Austria. It was a big learning curve over the weekend. The target was to finish.”
There’s more Tarmac in store for the FIA Junior ERC Championship contenders when the 2026 title chase resumes on 82nd Rally Poland from 24 - 26 July.
