Twenty-three top-flight Rally2 cars feature in a high-quality 75-car entry for the championship’s sixth round, which takes place on technical asphalt roads around Fiuggi in central Italy.
Basso - winner of the FIA European Rally Championship in 2006 and 2009 - has also won Rally di Roma Capitale twice in his career, including last year when he steered a Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo to glory by 35.8sec from fellow Italian Andrea Crugnola.
That rivalry is set to be renewed next week, with Basso fielding a Hyundai i20 N Rally2 this time while Crugnola switches to a Citroën C3 Rally2.
Championship leader Efrén Llarena tops the list in another Škoda. Joining him in the Team MRF Tyres squad are Tet Rally Liepāja winner Mārtiņš Sesks as well as Norbert Herczig - a podium finisher last year - plus Javier Pardo and Simone Campedelli.
Hyundai man Nil Solans - second in the points - will bid to reduce his 46 point deficit to the leader, with other frontrunners including Ken Torn, Yoann Bonato, Simone Tempestini, Filip Mareš and Alberto Battistolli also entered.
More local stars include Citroën C3 Rally2 pilot Rachele Somaschini along with Fabio Andolfi and Damiano De Tomasso in a pair of Fabia cars. Alberto Monarri and Joan Vinyes have also registered in ERC Open with their Suzuki Swifts.
A combined total of 12 cars make up the Junior ERC and ERC4 field, with entrants including Óscar Palomo and Toni Herranen. Robert Virves is back for more ERC3 action following his Poland victory and Paulo Soria tops the Clio Trophy by Toksport WRT runners.
Finland
Italy
Hungary