The 25-year-old has been out of action since he withdrew from the Fafe ERC season opener in March with a shoulder injury partway through the rally, which required surgery and led to a two-month recuperation period.
Fri 26 May 2023
Battistolli’s back! ERC’s Alberto returns to action in Italy
Alberto Battistolli will move a step closer to his FIA European Rally Championship return when he contests the 39th Rally della Marca this weekend (26 - 27 May).
He will use the Valdobbiadene-based event to not only check his fitness but to also sample his all-new Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, which is being run by Delta Rally and co-driven by Simone Scattolin.
“I’m happy to come back after this long stop and I’m glad to compete in Rally della Marca,” Battisolli said. “It will be the best way to feel my shoulder and how I’m going to recover from it. I’ll pay attention to my physical conditions, looking forward to the rest of my season.
“I’ll drive the new Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, the car that I’ll drive in the remaining races of the FIA European Rally Championship. It will be a way to become familiar with the car. I’ll try to understand its characteristics in order to improve for the rest of the season.’
The Tarmac-based event takes place close to Treviso in the Prosecco wine-making region and is organised by a team led by double European champion Giandomenico Basso, Battistolli’s coach and mentor.
Battistolli finished fifth on Rally della Marca in 2021 and took two stage wins on his way to second place last season when former ERC regular Corrado Fontana claimed victory in a Hyundai i20 World Rally Car.
Double European champion Renato Travaglia is a five-time winner of the event, Battistolli’s father ‘Lucky’ finished second in 1992, while ex-Formula One world champion Kimi Räikkönen used the rally to make his Tarmac debut in 2009.
Photos: Rally della Marca
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