Sanremo - IRC news before SS4

Solberg: I want to be driving on Rallye Sanremo

Petter Solberg says the only thing wrong with this year’s Rallye Sanremo is the fact he’s not competing behind the wheel.

Solberg, pictured left with event leader Giandomenico Basso, runs the Hankook Motorsports’-backed PS Engineering team in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, which is fielding an M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000 for Hungarian Frigyes Turán on the Italian asphalt event.

The Norwegian competed on Rallye Sanremo during his world title-winning season in 2003 although he failed to reach the finish. “I remember some of the stages and I must admit I would like to be driving here now,” said Solberg. “Instead I’m just here to take an overall view and relax a bit with my team. Turán is happy with the car and is doing well.”

Sanremo leader Basso admits there’s more to come

Giandomenico Basso has dealt his Intercontinental Rally Challenge rivals another blow by admitting he can go faster on Rallye Sanremo.

The Italian is 12.7s in front after winning two of the three stages run so far at the wheel of his M-Sport Ford Fiesta RRC.

He said: “It’s been a good start and I am happy. The feeling was not quite right in the second stage, it was slippery and I did not find the grip. Tonight’s stage will be difficult and very long but we can still go faster.”

Jan Kopecký, currently second overall in a ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000, said Basso’s turbocharged engine was giving the Italian the edge over his rivals, the bulk of whom are reliant on normally aspirated engines.

“I’m trying to go as fast as possible but it’s not easy,” said the Czech ace. “He has an advantage in the slippery places because he has more torque and power. If you make a small mistake [with a normally aspirated engine] it’s difficult to make up the time.”

Why Happy Bouffier is punching above his weight

Bryan Bouffier says he’s happy with the progress he’s making in Peugeot’s 208 R2 on Rallye Sanremo.

Bouffier is giving the car its competition debut on the Intercontinental Rally Challenge qualifier and is the leading R2 runner within the IRC 2WD Cup in seventh place heading to the Ronde night stage, which goes live at 21:00hrs local time.

He said: “I’m happy and everything is going well with no problems. We have a good position with some faster cars behind us.”

In the race for outright IRC 2WD Cup glory, Simone Campedelli holds a 15-second advantage over fellow Italian Rudy Michelini. Robert Consani, who tops the title standings in his Renault Mégane RS is currently eighth overall.

Hunt delayed following strong Rallye Sanremo start

Harry Hunt has explained how a deflated tyre dropped him out of the top 10 on Rallye Sanremo, his first run in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in a Peugeot 207 Super 2000.

Hunt, a regular in the IRC 2WD Cup, is stepping up to the IRC’s big league in Italy with the Belgian Kronos Racing operation. After going ninth fastest on the opening stage, Hunt was looking to make further progress when he hit trouble five kilometres into stage two.

“We got a front-right puncture but it was in a really narrow bit so we had to drive for four kilometres before we could change it,” said the 24-year-old Briton. “We lost four minutes, which wasn’t good but we’re still here.”

Hunt, who is competing alongside stand-in co-driver Dale Moscatt while his regular navigator Robbie Durant recovers from the back injury sustained when they crashed on the Mabanol Sliven Rally in Bulgaria last month, said the changeable stage surface this afternoon hadn’t helped his cause.

“It was hard to know how the car would react in the slippery places because we don’t have the experience,” said Hunt. “But the times have been okay and everything is flowing well with Dale.”

Illness forces Tempestini out of IRC Production Cup

Marco Tempestini’s bid to win the IRC Production Cup has suffered another setback after he was forced to retire from Rallye Sanremo.

Tempestini, one of the favourites for category victory in Italy, had been suffering from a high temperature and suspected food poisoning before the start. While he hoped he had recovered sufficiently to complete the 10-stage event in his Subaru Impreza R4 STI, he realised during stage two that he was too ill to continue and has pulled out.

“I tried but I could not get into the right rhythm, it was very difficult physically but also mentally,” said Tempestini. “I did the first stage, our time was okay, but during the second stage I was not feeling too good and it was dangerous to carry on driving when you are not okay.”

After three stages, Federico Gasperetti, in a Renault Mégane RS, tops the IRC Production Cup classification with Marco Cavigioli 22.7s behind in second place. Title leader Robert Consani is a strong third in his Mégane. Johan Heloïse is fourth with Max Rendina fifth and Vitaliy Pushkar of Dream Team Ukraine in sixth place.

Tempestini, meanwhile, is committed to the IRC season-closing Cyprus Rally from 2-4 November.

Breen: fastest times not the priority on IRC return

Craig Breen says chasing fastest stage times on Rallye Sanremo is of no interest to him on his first appearance in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in four months.

Breen hasn’t tackled a round of the IRC since the accident that claimed the life of his co-driver Gareth Roberts on Targa Florio-Rally Internazionale Di Sicilia back in June.

The Saintéloc Racing Peugeot 207 Super 2000 driver said: “I’m not looking at my times, it’s just an achievement to be here after three tough stages. It’s been a very difficult week and it’s all too close to home being back in this car but everything is going okay on what is my first time here.”

Breen’s team manager Vincent Ducher admitted his driver’s return to Italy was always going to be tough on the 22-year-old Irishman. “It’s his first time back in Italy after the accident so we are just expecting him to reach the finish and fight for a good place, nothing more,” said Ducher.

Meanwhile, Saintéloc’s plans to run Florian Gonon in a second 207 S2000 in Sanremo were scrapped to enable the Swiss to focus on the final round of his national championship later this month when he will drive a Saintéloc Peugeot. Gonon claimed IRC Production Cup honours in Sanremo last season.

Kubica joins the stars on Rallye Sanremo

It’s not just the stars of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge who are taking centre stage on Rallye Sanremo, which began with the first of 10 stages this afternoon.

Formula One race winner Robert Kubica has been spending time in the event’s permanent service park overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, while Petter Solberg, the 2003 world rally champion, is in town overseeing his eponymous team, which is fielding an M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000 for Frigyes Turán.

After three stages, Turán is ninth overall and eagerly anticipating tonight’s 44-kilometre Ronde night stage. “I am happy so far,” said the Hungarian. “I am not sure what to expect tonight but I think it can be tricky if it is raining.”

Dejected Scandola reveals Sanremo disappointment

Umberto Scandola has revealed his bitter disappointment following his exit from Rallye Sanremo this afternoon.

Scandola started the asphalt event as one of the favourites for top honours in his ŠKODA Italia Motorsport Fabia Super 2000. As well as chasing success in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, Scandola needed to beat Paolo Andreucci to stand any chance of winning the national title for the first time.

However, the 27-year-old was in trouble five kilometres into the opening 13.06-kilometre Coldirodi test when he slid wide on a fast left-hand bend.

“It was a fast corner, very narrow and I hit the rail with the right rear,” said Scandola. “We finished the stage and changed the tyre but we had only wet tyres as spares. We pushed in the next stage but the handling was not good and when we braked for a left corner the rear of the car got out of line and we hit again the back of the car. It was not possible to continue after this.”

Scandola’s exit all but assures Andreucci of the Italian title for a seventh time. “I’m not very happy for this retirement,” said Scandola. “We had to push, we had to win but this is rallying and this can happen.”

Italian champion elect Andreucci to play it safe

Paolo Andreucci says he has no plans to try to close the gap to Rallye Sanremo leader Giandomenico Basso on tonight’s 44-kilometre Ronde test.

As well as chasing success in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, Andreucci is aiming to clinch the Italian championship, which is running in tandem with the main IRC event.

With title rival Umberto Scandola retiring at the end of stage two following a troubled start to the asphalt event, Andreucci reckons one point will be enough for a seventh national title and his fourth consecutive crown in a Peugeot 207 Super 2000.

“We have no problems and now we go slowly because if I arrive at the finish I will be champion after the problems of Scandola,” said the Peugeot Italia legend, the winner in Sanremo in 2010.

Scandola damaged his ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000 when he went off the road on the opening stage, losing 40s. He was then forced to retire after he ran out of spare tyres following a double puncture on stage two.

Hanninen reveals tricky start to Rallye Sanremo

Juho Hänninen has described the opening three stages of Rallye Sanremo as “very tricky” and admitted that he feared his deficit to event leader Giandomenico Basso would be even higher.

Finn Hänninen, who won the 2010 Intercontinental Rally Challenge with the factory ŠKODA Motorsport team, is fourth overall 14.4s behind Basso. He had slipped to fifth behind Alessandro Perico after two stages but moved ahead when intercom issues slowed the Italian on stage three.

“I was expecting the gap to be even more because it was not easy out there with half damp, half dry, fog and the grip changing a lot,” said Hänninen. “To close the gap now will mean taking more risks and here you can lose the game very easily if you take too many risks so I will just try to find a good rhythm and see what we can do. But there is still a long way to go [to the finish].”