Alberto Battistolli and Simone Scattolin, on Skoda Fabia Rs Rally2, were the fastest in the Qualifying Stage of the 21st Rally dei Nuraghi e del Vermentino held this morning in the Berchidda area. By virtue of the best time, the Movisport crew was able to choose their position in the starting order of the first special stage, the “Erula-Tula 1” which started at 2.13 pm. Battistolli started eighth, followed by Tommaso Ciuffi (navigated by Pietro Cigni on Skoda Fabia Rs Rally2) leader of the Italian Rally Terra Championship, the fifth round of which takes place today and tomorrow between Gallura and Monte Acuto. The third fastest time in qualifying was set by the Austrian crew Wagner-Winter (Skoda Fabia Rs Rally2), which boasts several podiums in the European Championship and presences in the World Championship which then started in ninth position. Finn Jaakko Lavio, navigated by Haapala on a Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo, finished fourth in the morning and started sixth in Tula. Rounding out the top five in qualifying was the German crew Müller-Hirsch (Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo), making their debut at the Rally dei Nuraghi e del Vermentino with the tenth slot in the starting order.
The first driver to complete the Tula stage was Roncoroni, with Brusadelli on Skoda Fabia rally2 evo, followed by Bizzarri-Lanera (Citroën C3 rally2), Manfrinato-Zanella (Skoda Fabia RS rally2) and the local crew formed by Fabrizio Marrone and Francesco Fresu (Skoda Fabia rally2 evo), who had arrived 12th in the Qualifying Stage. Oldrati-Ciucci (Skoda Fabia RS rally2) were the fifth to start, Tiramani-Grimaldi (Skoda Fabia rally2 evo) the eleventh, Pucci Grossi-Cardinali (Skoda Fabia rally2 evo) twelfth, Tonso-Bernacchini (Toyota Yaris GR rally2) the thirteenth ahead of Mattia Scandola, navigated by Gonella on Skoda Fabia rally2 evo. The fifteenth car at the start was that of Nicola Tali, navigated by Capolongo on Skoda Fabia RS rally2. The driver from Arzachena, 11th overall and first of the Sardinians in qualifying. At the start of the Rally dei Nuraghi e del Vermentino there are 67 modern cars, followed by the 15 of the Vermentino Historicu (valid for the Italian Historic Terra Rally Championship) and the 17 of the Baja Vermentino-Terre di Gallura (valid for the Italian Cross Country Ssv Championship).
"A race that we are competing for the third time, it will be challenging but we aim to have fun, because the Sardinian dirt roads are among the most beautiful and particular that we have. We hope to do well, because we are here for the Championship, I'm not lying when I say that we want to get good results, but we have fierce opponents and we will see if we will come out of it with our heads held high", commented Alberto Battistolli. Driver Nicola Tali is less satisfied: "I thought I would do better and having made a mistake in qualifying worries me. The car was perfect but I was never able to read the test and this does not make me start too calmly in the first special, but the race is long so I have to concentrate and not make mistakes".
After the ceremonial start scheduled in Piazza del Popolo, in Berchidda, the first day of the 21st Rally dei Nuraghi e del Vermentino got into full swing with the Erula-Tula special to be repeated twice, with the first car starting at 14.13 and 16.43: 11.34 timed kilometers created in the maze of roads at the top of the Sa Turrina Manna Wind Farm that allows for a wide variety of route combinations, so much so that it is unprecedented even though a special of the Rally Italia Sardegna, the Italian date of the WRC World Championship, is held in the same place. Between one passage and another, regrouping in the center of Tula, while after the “Erula-Tula 2” the cars will return to Berchidda for regrouping and service park.
Tomorrow, the competing crews will compete with the double passages on the special stages “Alà dei Sardi-Buddusò” (6.90km, at 9.57am and 1.42pm), which will touch the spectacular Monte Lerno on a slightly shortened route compared to the 2023 test, and the “Pattada-Oschiri” (20.08km, 10.28am and 2.13pm), which will also include the old “Filigosu”. Between the two passages, a regrouping at the Berchidda sports field is scheduled at 11.20am.
