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Rally Italia Sardegna: Italian Škoda Fabia RS Crew Achieves First WRC2 Victory Amidst Competitor Challenges
The final leg of Rally Italia Sardegna witnessed a thrilling turn of events in the WRC2 category. Roberto Daprà and Luca Guglielmetti from Delta Rally Team clinched their first WRC2 victory after leaders Emil Lindholm and Reeta Hämäläinen retired. The Italian duo secured their win with a narrow lead of 5.8 seconds, marking a significant achievement in the FIA World Rally Championship's sixth round.
Initially, Emil Lindholm and Reeta Hämäläinen dominated the WRC2 category. They led from the first stage, setting four fastest times on Friday. Despite an intercom issue on Saturday, they maintained their lead by switching to a backup system. Lindholm humorously noted, "Reeta has a strong voice, but not strong enough for the in-car noise on a gravel stage."
However, disaster struck during stage 14 when their Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 overshot a corner and got stuck in bushes. This mishap ended their run despite minor car damage. Consequently, Lauri Joona and Samu Vaaleri took the lead but soon faced punctures along with Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Maciej Szczepaniak.
With only two stages left, Roberto Daprà and Luca Guglielmetti emerged as unexpected leaders. They were closely followed by Kajetanowicz/Szczepaniak and Martin Prokop/Michal Ernst. In the final power stage, despite spinning their Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, Daprà posted a faster time than his rivals.
Daprà expressed pride in his team's accomplishment: "I am really proud of myself and for all of my team that we won our first rally here - it's amazing." Their victory also secured them first place in the WRC2 Challenger classification.
WRC2 Podium Finishers
Martin Prokop and Michal Ernst completed the podium in third place after recovering from radiator damage earlier in the rally. Meanwhile, Lauri Joona and Samu Vaaleri finished sixth overall. Other notable finishes included Estonian crew Robert Virves/Jakko Viilo in seventh place and Italians Giovanni Trentin/Pietro Elia Ometto in ninth.
Upcoming Challenges
The next challenge for WRC2 crews is Acropolis Rally Greece from 26th to 29th June 2025. Known for its tough terrain, it promises another test of endurance for competitors following Sardinia’s demanding gravel stages.
The official results for Rally Italia Sardegna saw Roberto Daprà/Luca Guglielmetti finishing with a time of 3:46:39.8 hours. Kajetan Kajetanowicz/Maciej Szczepaniak came second, trailing by just 5.8 seconds, while Martin Prokop/Michal Ernst were third with a gap of 10.9 seconds.
Current Standings
The current standings after six rallies show Yohan Rossel leading with 67 points, followed by Oliver Solberg at 60 points. Roberto Daprà holds third place with 49 points after his recent victory.
The Škoda brand continues to make strides under its Next Level Strategy aiming to be among Europe's top five best-selling brands by decade's end. With new models and expansion into growth markets like India and North Africa, Škoda remains committed to innovation within the Volkswagen Group.
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