Multi-tasking Cogni relishing big week

Four days after he finished runner-up in round one of the 2022 Clio Trophy by Toksport WRT, Cogni will graduate from Universita di Ingegneria Meccanica di Bergomo e Politecnico di Milano with a Degree in Mechanical Engineering.

But while his academic achievements are worthy of significant praise, so too was his performance at last weekend’s 56th Azores Rallye, which he was contesting for the first time to mark his debut in the ERC.

In challenging weather conditions, Cogni, 26, finished second to Paulo Soria in the entry-level, arrive-and-drive series for Michelin-equipped Renault Clio Rally5s. He was also fourth in the FIA ERC4 category, further underlining his potential.

“It was a really difficult rally, very difficult conditions but we finished,” said Cogni, the Italian Junior champion from 2021. “We were not so fast on the second day on purpose because we wanted to keep the car on the road in a really safe mode. In the end I am second and we are really happy.

“In some stages the road was destroyed, and because we did not have the experience in these conditions, we were trying to be clever, not to do something stupid and not push too much and it paid off. We had a little problem in the back of the car on the first Sete Cidades stage, maybe from something we hit, but it was okay in the end.”

Of his graduation and future plans, ACI Team Italia-supported Cogni said: “It has been a really busy period for me this month with my graduation and this rally. We are trying to do both things as best we can because I am trying to keep both doors open for the future, driving and engineering. Maybe I will doing something in rallying as a mechanical engineer but I don’t know yet.”

Cogni, who is co-driven by Gabriele Zanni, is the younger son of Gianni Cogni, who reports on the ERC for weekly Italian title, Autosprint.