With the publication of the highly anticipated entry list, the Rally di Roma Capitale 2021 finally enters its hot phase: the last week of waiting before the start of the third round of the FIA ​​European Rally Championship and fifth of the Italian Rally Sparco Championship.

The event, organized by Motorsport Italia led by Max Rendina, prepares an unmissable edition in terms of numbers, quality and news between Rome, Fiuggi and Frosinate.

 

To make this event a unique event in the world will also be the record set by the Rally di Roma Capitale as R5 class cars registered, well over 40 units against over 100 registered, a trend that demonstrates not only the quantity and quality of the park starters, but also the great value of the event where the crews once again did not want to miss.

 

119 competitors will be at the start with all the protagonists of the continental and Italian scene. To defend last year's victory and the current leadership of the FIA ​​ERC will return to Rome Alexey Lukyanuk, sailed by Alexey Arnautov in the Citroen C3 of Sainteloc Racing. "The Russian Rocket" as it is nicknamed in the rally scene, already winner twice in Rome, will not have an easy life, with Andreas Mikkelsen and Ola Floene (Skoda Fabia Evo / Toksport WRT) who will have to look for to maximize their result at the first paved exit of the year and at their absolute debut in Rome. He will certainly not be watching the Orlando Team rider Miko Marczyk with Szymon Gospodarczyk on another Skoda Fabia Evo which on the eve enjoys an excellent listing at the box office.

 

The level of both championships, European and Italian, is this year very high and consequently the list of contenders is almost impossible to quote in full. Craig Breen and Paul Nagle, with the MRF Tires wheeled Hyundai i20 chasing the podium after last year's participation which would also be an important result for the project he represents with the tire manufacturer. Among the European drivers to be taken into consideration are Efren Llarena and Sara Fernandez (Skoda Fabia Evo / Rally Team Spain), Nil Solans and Marc Martí (Skoda Fabia Evo / Rally Team Spain), Yann Bonato and Benjamin Boulloud (Citroen C3 / CHL Sport), Simone Tempestini and Sergio Itu (Skoda Fabia Evo), Erik Cais and Jindriska Zakova (Ford Fiesta / Yacco ACCR), Norbert Herczig and Ramon Ferencz (Skoda Fabia Evo / Skoda Rally Team Hungaria).

 

A separate chapter for the Italian drivers, which will unite the Italian crews registered in the FIA ​​ERC together with those of the Italian Rally Sparco Championship. Fabio Andolfi and Stefano Savoia, with the Skoda Fabia fielded by M33, current leaders of the Italian series, will put all their determination in a special test for a great result in the most important race of the year for the team.

Umberto Scandola, with the Hyundai i20 of Hyundai Rally Team Italia, will be sailed for this occasion by Danilo Fappani, replacing the injured Guido d'Amore, still recovering from the accident in Latvia. The one on the roof of Simone Campedelli and Tania Canton, returning after the positive participation in Rally Poland with the Volkswagen Polo Gti of Team MRF Tires, also tricolor in ERC sauce.

 

Giandomenico Basso and Lorenzo Granai, with the Skoda Fabia Evo, have already performed well in Rome with the victory of 2019 and the second place in 2020. Debut with the Volkswagen Polo Gti for Tommaso Ciuffi and Nicolò Gonella, while Andrea Crugnola and Pietro Elia Ometto ( Hyundai i20 / Hyundai Rally Team Italia) will try to straighten a season that started uphill in light of the beautiful performance of 2018. Damiano De Tommaso and Giorgia Ascalone (Citroen C3) could also do well, as well as many other prominent drivers: Fabian Kreim and Frank Christian (Volkswagen Polo Gti / Pole Pomotion), Ole Christian Veiby-Jonas Andersson (Hyundai i20 / Printsport) and Grégoire Munster-Louis Louka (Hyundai i20).

 

Finally, again among the Italian drivers, there will also be Marco Signor and Patrick Bernardi (Volkswagen Polo Gti), Marco Pollara and Daniele Mangiarotti (Skoda Fabia), Antonio Rusce and Sauro Farnocchia (Skoda Fabia Evo), Alessio Profeta with Sergio Raccuia (Skoda Fabia), the M33 color bearers Andrea Mazzocchi and Silvia Gallotti (Skoda Fabia) and again Alberto Battistolli and Simone Scattolin (Skoda Fabia Evo) this year engaged with a complete program in the European Championship.

 

The list of entries will be completed by the Rally di Roma Capitale Cup, the great novelty of the 2021 edition which will see the single-brand trophies in the race with separate classification, first and foremost the new GR Yaris Rally Cup 2021 which in Rome will launch a project on which the interest is particularly high. The first Toyota single-make trophy in the world, the GR Yaris Rally Cup 2021 will see 11 Toyota Yaris in Rome ready to compete with crews from all backgrounds and a particularly difficult prediction, even if it were not for the very high technical level of the Capitoline rally.