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WRC - Rally Italia Sardegna - Preview

01.06.18

The seventh round of the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship takes the contenders to the Mediterranean island of Sardinia for the third of four consecutive gravel rallies. Based out of Alghero, Rally Italia Sardegna (7-10 June) presents yet another fresh challenge and runs over rugged and sun-baked tracks in the north of the island.

Italy’s round has been part of the Championship since its beginnings in 1973 and was originally a mixed surface event based in the coastal town of Sanremo before moving to Sardinia in 2004, where it has been based ever since. As the FIA World Rally Championship reaches its mid-point of the season, European summer temperatures on the island are also likely to be a factor, high in-car temperatures a challenge for the crews, with greater than normal stress on engines and transmissions too.

Going into the rally the pendulum has swung back in favour of Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville. The Belgian takes a 19-point advantage over Sébastien Ogier into this event, all too aware that the accolade of leading the Championship also brings road sweeping duties. Ott Tänak currently leads Toyota’s challenge, third in the standings, and the Estonian will be looking to bounce back after leaving Rally de Portugal with zero points. Mads Østberg again joins the Citroën squad for a third outing in the C3 WRC. Twelve crews have registered in the highly competitive FIA WRC 2 Championship and the entry is boosted by the appearance of triple FIA European Rally Champion Kajetan Kajetanowicz who will be tackling at least four rounds this year. The FIA WRC 3 Championship for two-wheel drive cars has four registrations.

Five stages will be broadcast live on television; SSS1 on Thursday evening, both runs through Coiluna-Loelle on Saturday and the two passages of Sassari-Argentiera on the final day, the second counting as the all-important points-paying Power Stage. All 20 stages will also be broadcast live on WRC All Live on the WRC+ platform.

ROUTE GRAPHICS

2018-italy-map-ss.png

THE 2018 ROUTE

Nearly 60 kilometres of this year’s route is new with another 25 kilometres run in the opposite direction. A short two-kilometre blast around the former Ittiri motocross track kicks off the action on Thursday evening before the crews head northeast for two identical loops of four stages on Friday. The Castelsardo stage is also back on the itinerary this year. Saturday is the longest day with two loops of three repeated stages, including the Monte Lerno stage and its iconic ‘Micky’s Jump’. The loops are split by a revised Ittiri stage. Sunday is unchanged from last year and covers two repeated stages around the coast north of Alghero.

RALLY DATA

Total distance:
Stage distance:
Number of stages:

1,386.38 km
313.46 km (22.61%)
20

MEDIA ACCREDITATION

The Accreditation Centre is located at Rally HQ - Lu Qualtè, Alghero. The opening hours are:

Tuesday 5 June
Wednesday 6 June
Thursday 7 June
Friday 8 June

14:00 - 20:00 hrs
08:00 - 21:00 hrs
07:00 - 21:00 hrs
06:30 - 14:00 hrs

RALLY ITALIA SARDEGNA TIMETABLE AND MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES ORGANISED BY THE FIA

Wednesday 6 June
Mandatory media safety briefing, photographers' room
Autograph sessions, Service Park

Thursday 7 June
Shakedown (P1 drivers)
Shakedown (P2 and P3 drivers)
Shakedown (non Priority drivers)
'Meet the Crews', Service Park
FIA Press Conference, Press Room
Start, Alghero

Friday 8 June
First car arrives for regroup, service and Media Zone
First car arrives for final service and Media Zone
'Meet the Crews', Service Park

Saturday 9 June
First car arrives for regroup, service and Media Zone
First car arrives for final service and Media Zone
'Meet the Crews', Service Park

Sunday 10 June
Regroup, Portotorres
Regroup, La Pedraia
First car arrives for final service and Media Zone
Prize-Giving and podium ceremony
FIA Press Conference, Press Room 


17:00 hrs
From 17:15 hrs


08:00 - 11:30 hrs
09:30 - 11:30 hrs
11:30 - 13:30 hrs
12:00 hrs
13:00 hrs
17:00 hrs


12:24 hrs
19:00 hrs
During the 45' service


12:43 hrs
20:15 hrs  
During the 45' service


10:25 hrs
11:34 hrs
13:12 hrs
14:15 hrs
15:15 hrs

FIA PRESS CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE

Thursday 7 June









Sunday 10 June

Jean-Baptiste Franceschi, FIA WRC 3 Championship
Enrico Brazzoli, FIA WRC 3 Championship
Fabio Andolfi, FIA WRC 2 Championship
Lukasz Pieniazek, FIA WRC 2 Championship
Kajetan Kajetanowicz, FIA WRC 2 Championship
Mads Østberg, Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team
Thierry Neuville, Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT
Sébastien Ogier, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team
Jari-Matti Latvala, Toyota GAZOO Racing World Rally Team

Winning FIA WRC 3 Championship crew
Winning FIA WRC 2 Championship crew
Top three crews in the overall classification
Representative of the winning competitor

MANUFACTURER ENTRIES, RALLY ITALIA SARDEGNA

M-Sport Ford WRT



Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT



Toyota GAZOO 
Racing WRT


Citroën Total Abu Dhabi
WRT 

Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia (#1)
Elfyn Evans / Daniel Barritt (#2)
Teemu Suninen / Mikko Markkula (#3)

Andreas Mikkelsen / Anders Jæger (#4)
Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul (#5)
Hayden Paddon / Sebastian Marshall (#6)

Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila (#7)
Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja (#8)
Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm (#9)

Craig Breen / Scott Martin (#11)
Mads Østberg / Torstein Eriksen (#12)

ADDITIONAL MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES 

Autograph Signing Session: On Friday and Saturday selected crews will be available for a 15 minute autograph session. This will take place in the service park during the end of day service at the teams’ service areas. 

FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP CLASSIFICATIONS

The provisional classifications for all the WRC Championships can be found on the following link:

www.fia.com/events/world-rally-championship/season-2018/standings

STAGE CHART

Shortly after the finish of the event, a downloadable stage chart showing the progressive positions of the leading crews during the rally will be available. This is copyright free for editorial purposes and available at the following link:

www.fia.com/events/world-rally-championship/season-2018/stage-chart-5