| Rome, 6 July 2026 – Roberto Daprà and Luca Guglielmetti, in a Pirelli-equipped Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 prepared by Delta Rally, competing under the Pintarally colours and proudly representing ACI Team Italia on the international stage, are the winners of the 2026 Rally di Roma Capitale.The event, created by Max Rendina and organised by Motorsport Italia, concluded in Via della Conciliazione, in front of St. Peter’s Basilica, bringing to a close a record-breaking edition with 126 starters, 29 nations represented, hundreds of thousands of spectators, an unforgettable photo opportunity in Piazza di Spagna, a magical evening at the Colosseum and a rally that rewarded one of the purest talents in contemporary Italian rallying. Sealing this triumph was the Frecce Tricolori flyover above the prize-giving ceremony, a highly emotional moment that involved everyone gathered in the centre of Rome for the final act of the event, valid for both the FIA European Rally Championship and the Campionato Italiano Assoluto Rally Sparco.Also present on the podium were the President of the Lazio Regional Council Antonello Aurigemma, SARA Assicurazioni President and member of the National Board of the Automobile Club d’Italia Gen. Tullio Del Sette, Councillor Ferdinando Bonessio, President of Commission X – Sport, Wellbeing and Quality of Life of Roma Capitale, Italian Air Force Air Squadron General Antonio Conserva, and Max Rendina, creator of Rally di Roma Capitale. Also attending were Luciano Nobili, Lazio Regional Councillor, and Federico Rocca, Councillor of the Capitoline Assembly.Daprà’s victory took shape kilometre after kilometre, with the clarity of his very best days and the speed of a driver who knows exactly when to strike. The key moment came on “Piana di Rascino”, the longest special stage of the rally at 27.85 kilometres. It was there that the Trentino driver built the decisive gap, attacking with determination and turning the direct fight into an advantage to manage. Four stage wins overall, consistent pace and cool-headed control in the closing stages allowed him to arrive in Via della Conciliazione as the outright winner. For him, this is the second overall victory of his career, with a margin of 13.7 seconds over his pursuers.“To chase dreams, you always have to work hard and you also need a bit of luck,” said Daprà at the finish. “This rally had a bit of everything. We kept an incredibly high pace, yesterday was a constant back-and-forth on every stage and we were all very close. Five years ago, I began my journey in the CIAR Junior here in Rome and I never imagined I would come back as an ACI Team Italia driver and win this rally under the Frecce Tricolori.”Behind him, the battle for second place was only decided in the final metres. Teemu Suninen and Antti Haapala, FIA ERC contenders in a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, finished as runners-up after a rally of two different halves: incisive in the early part, with a stage win on Saturday morning, then under increasing pressure in the closing stages as Bostjan Avbelj launched his attack. The Slovenian, co-driven on this occasion by Elia De Guio, finished with a great late charge, winning three special stages and also taking the Power Stage. On the final test he recovered 6.3 seconds from Suninen, coming within a breath of completing the comeback after losing time in the early stages with a spin. At the finish, the gap between the two was just half a second.Before the decisive breakaway, the rally had long been shaped by the duel between Daprà and Andrea Crugnola, co-driven by Luca Beltrame in the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale. That fight was broken on SS6 “Piana di Rascino”, when the Lancia crew went off the road, ending their challenge for victory. Earlier in the morning, Andrea Nucita and Maurizio Messina had also been forced out after lighting up the rally with the fastest time on the spectacular opening stage at the foot of the Colosseum.In this context, the fourth overall position secured by Giandomenico Basso and Lorenzo Granai carries significant weight. The driver from Treviso, despite not contesting a full programme this year, rediscovered competitiveness and consistency, often staying close to the pace of the frontrunners and playing a major role in the FIA ERC balance, where he now sits second overall after this event.The top five was completed by French crew Bonato-Boulloud in a Lancia, followed by Sweden’s Johansson-Gronvall and Sarrazin-Roche in a Citroën. Eighth place had a bitter taste for Mabellini-Lenzi, ACI Team Italia representatives in a Lancia, who were never fully comfortable over the course of the weekend. Completing the top ten were Rossel-Dunand, in the official Lancia, and Marczyk-Gospodarczyk, the reigning European champions, in a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2.Simone Campedelli and Tania Canton, in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, finished third in the Italian Championship classification behind Daprà and Avbelj. In Rally3, victory went to Ireland’s Craig Rahill and Conor Smith in a Ford Fiesta, while Ville Vatanen and Joonas Ojala finished second in the same car, 14.8 seconds behind. Lucas Zielinski and Ewen Leenhardt completed the podium in third place.The strong results achieved by the Italian drivers allowed the national representation to win the first National Match Rally against France, part of a joint initiative between the Automobile Club d’Italia and the French federation FFSA.Benjamin Boulenc and Chloe Barozzi-Gauze won the Promozione category in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, while Sara Carra and Federica Mauri claimed the women’s classification. Simone Di Giovanni and Andrea Colapietro won the Trofeo Lancia round in Rally4, while Manuel Derossi and Giordano Gregori prevailed in the Rally6 Trophy classification. In the Trofeo Suzuki, Roberto Pellè and Luca Franceschini scored a double victory, winning both legs, which counted as two separate rounds for the one-make series.Max Rendina: “I am truly very emotional. I would like to thank the Vatican City State, which granted permission for the Frecce Tricolori flyover above St. Peter’s; the Italian Air Force, because it gave us the opportunity to enjoy a unique spectacle; Roma Capitale for all the locations and authorisations; the Command of the Rome Municipal Police; the Regione Lazio, which gives us its support; the Ministry for Sport and Youth; the Automobile Club d’Italia, which has trusted us for 14 years; all the staff and all the people who work on this event. We are 1,200 people during rally week and the organisational machine worked perfectly. We are very happy, we will try to keep improving and we will continue on this path.” |
Kerry Motorsport News 