DIVERSOS - RALLY MONZA TO FORM 2020 FIA

Sexta, 09 Outubro 2020 22:54 | Actualizado em Quinta, 08 Fevereiro 2024 20:58

Rally Monza to form 2020 FIA World Rally Championship finale

·       ACI Rally Monza joins 2020 FIA WRC calendar in season-closing slot

·       Italian asphalt encounter to take place on 4 - 6 December

·       Monza’s iconic race circuit set to decide destiny of world titles  

Italy’s ACI Rally Monza will host the final round of the FIA World Rally Championship after being added to the calendar today (Friday).  

The asphalt event will take place on 4 - 6 December and will be based at the famous Autodromo Nazionale de Monza race circuit near Milan, in the north of the country.

The itinerary will adopt the FIA WRC’s short format schedule, featuring about 220km of special stages, with the majority of the first and last day action at the circuit.

Saturday’s middle leg speed tests will comprise demanding closed public roads in the Lombardy region close to Monza.

The rally has been held since 1978 and will be the second Italian counter of an FIA WRC season severely affected by Covid-19. This weekend’s Rally Italia Sardegna forms the sixth round of the eight-event series. 

Traditionally an end-of-season celebration event contested by both rally and track racing experts, the Monza Rally has been won on seven occasions by MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi.

WRC stars to taste success there include Dani Sordo in 2010 and 2013, nine-time world champion Sébastien Loeb in 2011 and Robert Kubica in 2014.

WRC Promoter managing director Jona Siebel said the rally would provide an exciting challenge for competitors.

“As the final round of the championship, there’s a strong chance both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ WRC titles could go right down to the wire on Monza’s roads. 

“The WRC prides itself on rewarding rallying’s best all-round driver across multiple terrains and varied conditions. This type of rally is rare in our championship but will provide a thrilling finale to an unpredictable year,” he added.

FIA Rally Director Yves Matton said confirming an eighth round for the series in such complex times was a reward for the efforts and hard work of all involved to ensure valuable titles for the 2020 championship.

“In the current situation, we’re developing new approaches and ACI Rally Monza Italia is a great illustration of this. It’s the marriage of an iconic circuit event and more traditional rally stages in the nearby countryside.

“This new concept could eventually help bring the WRC to countries or regions where new formats are required.”

“It has required a great deal of flexibility from ACI and its President Angelo Sticchi Damiani to bring this new event to the calendar at such a late stage and I would like to thank them for their great commitment and professionalism,” he added.

Angelo Sticchi Damiani, Automobile Club d’Italia president, said the club had accepted with great dedication towards the FIA, and in the interests of international motorsport, to organise the final round.

“For Automobile Club d’Italia it will be another commitment during a season where we were the protagonists in all the major sports events.

“Our discussions with WRC Promoter have also led to it being considered as a contingency event for 2021.

“The event in the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, the ‘Temple of Speed’, will be great for the series. It will be an incredible show and a unique experience for car and tyre manufacturers, teams, drivers and all the other protagonists of a high-quality WRC event,” he added.

About WRC Promoter GmbH

WRC Promoter GmbH is responsible for all commercial aspects of the FIA World Rally Championship, including TV production and the marketing of global media and sponsorship rights. The Promoter also has responsibility to increase the field of participants and to propose the venues that form the FIA WRC calendar.

The World Rally Championship is the FIA’s premium rally series. WRC showcases authentic motorsport, high performance cars and the world’s best drivers competing in dramatic surroundings ranging from the ice and snow of Scandinavia to the blistering heat of Mexico. Established in its current format in 1973, WRC participants battle for the drivers’ and manufacturers’ world titles at 13 rallies spanning 15 countries and six continents. Additional championship information can be found at www.wrc.com.

Next rally: Rally Italia Sardegna, 8 - 11 October 2020.