Battistolli, voted by FIA European Rally Championship fans as the Most Improved Driver of 2022, heroically completed Saturday’s action despite being in considerable pain from his injured shoulder.
He explained what happened: “I had a dislocation in the first loop of the stages because I have a sist on the [right] shoulder that was caused by a trauma, probably [from my crash on] Barum [Czech Rally Zlín last season] and it effects the ligaments. Basically it got inflamed and when I’m consistently driving and applying force it worsened and got dislocated, once in the first loop and another time in the second loop.”
Of his decision to retire from the ERC season opener, the 25-year-old ACI Team Italia driver said: “We were not fighting for anything and I was not driving to my full potential and I was in pain driving so this was the safest situation. In this race with these deep ruts in the stages it was very difficult for me to keep my hands on the steering [wheel] so I think I’ve made the right choice. I had a lot of pain because I have never in my life had my co-driver Simone [Scattolin] driving for me but yesterday he has driven for all the liaison sections.”
Battistolli is now focusing on being fully fit for the second round of the ERC season, Rally Islas Canarias from 4 - 6 May.
“I am waiting for some specialist to tell me if I have to get surgery for my sist and I hopefully will so I should be back in no time,” Battistolli said. “It is very frustrating but it was more frustrating yesterday not being able to do my best and that it was affecting my performance so no hard feelings today.”
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