Basso admits to lower start order preference

Four-time Intercontinental Rally Challenge event winner Giandomenico Basso says that running first on the road will be a handicap for him during the opening loop of the Targa Florio-Rally Internazionale Di Sicilia.

The Sicilian stages are well-known for being slippery and bumpy, and while it is normally an advantage to run first on an asphalt rally – because cars lower down the order tend to drag mud and gravel onto the road – this time Basso would rather be further back than his number one seeding.

“Because the roads are so slippery, when you run further back you can benefit from the rubber that has been laid down by the cars in front, particularly under braking,” he said. “It can make a big difference when you have a comparatively grippy surface, with fresh rubber, rather than just slippery asphalt.”