Wed 29 Nov 2023

Exciting changes for Monza-bound ERC stars

A Rally2 debut for ERC4 champion Roberto Daprà and a first Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 run for Andrea Mabellini are among the FIA European Rally Championship highlights in store on this weekend’s ACI Rally Monza.

The Italian championship season finale runs from 1 - 2 December over a route of 78.94 timed kilometres with the inclusion of ERC stars Daprà and Mabellini particularly noteworthy.  


As well as battling Norbert Maior to the FIA Junior ERC Championship crown, Daprà (pictured above and below) clinched the ERC4 title on the Rally Hungary decider last month.   


He will step up from Rally4 to Rally2 level in a Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo entered by Meteco Corse and co-driven by Luca Guglielmetti, who partnered him to ERC title glory in 2023.



Mabellini (pictured below), meanwhile, took four ERC stage wins in 2023 as well as being voted the ERC’s Most Improved Driver by fans of the championship. With Virginia Lenzi co-driving, Mabellini switches to a latest-specification Fabia for the Tarmac-based event.  


Andrea Crugnola, the winner of the ERC-counting Rally di Roma Capitale in July and this season’s Italian champion, is the ACI Rally Monza top seed.   Rachele Somaschini, an ERC regular this year, is also on ACI Rally Monza duty, as is Daprà’s 2023 ACI Team Italia team-mate Mattia Zanin.   


The Junior ERC driver, who impressed during his rookie season in the championship, took a class win on Rally Città di Scandicci earlier this month driving a R1T-specification Toyota Yaris.  


He will use the same car in Monza when his class rivals include Roope Korhonen, the 2023 FIA WRC3 champion.

Finland
Starts: Wednesday, July 31, 2024 at 4:00:00 PM
Italy
Starts: Friday, July 26, 2024 at 8:30:00 AM
Hungary
Starts: Saturday, July 27, 2024 at 9:30:00 AM