ROBERTO DAPRÀ RALLY DI ROMA CAPITALE QUALIFYING: DAPRÀ TOPS QUALIFYING STAGE IN ROME

ACI TEAM ITALIA DRIVER LEADS ERC AND CIAR STARS AFTER FASTEST TIME IN FRASCATI

Roberto Daprà and co-driver Luca Guglielmetti made the strongest start to Rally di Roma Capitale by setting the fastest time in the event's Qualifying Stage, placing themselves ahead of both FIA European Rally Championship and Italian Rally Championship contenders.

Driving a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 for ACI Team Italia, Daprà completed the 6.0-kilometre Frascati qualifying test in 3:37.642, securing first position before crews selected their road order for the opening leg.

Teemu Suninen and Antti Haapala finished second in another Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, just 0.496 seconds behind the benchmark time, while French pairing Pablo Sarrazin and Yannick Roche placed third aboard their Citroën C3 Rally2.

Italian championship leader Andrea Crugnola and co-driver Luca Beltrame were the fastest Lancia crew, setting the fourth quickest time in the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale.

The qualifying session, together with free practice and the shakedown, provided crews with valuable information about grip levels and stage evolution ahead of the opening competitive stages.

"The qualifying stage provided crews with important information about the road surface and conditions they are expected to face during the rally."

Among the other leading CIAR Sparco competitors, Bostjan Avbelj and Elia De Guio finished sixth, while reigning Rally di Roma Capitale winners Giandomenico Basso and Lorenzo Granai were eighth. Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi completed the top nine.

Toyota crew Simone Campedelli and Tania Canton lost time after a near off-road moment during the stage and finished 22nd.

Attention now turns to the ceremonial opener, the 1.3-kilometre SPS Colosseo ACI – Roma, which will take place in the Colle Oppio area beneath the Colosseum.

"The opening qualifying stage established the first competitive benchmark before the rally moves into the streets of Rome for the spectacular opening stage."

Key Points

• Roberto Daprà and Luca Guglielmetti set the fastest time in the Rally di Roma Capitale Qualifying Stage.

• The ACI Team Italia crew completed the 6.0 km test in 3:37.642.

• Teemu Suninen finished second, just 0.496 seconds behind.

• Pablo Sarrazin secured third place in a Citroën C3 Rally2.

• Andrea Crugnola was the fastest Lancia driver in fourth.

• Bostjan Avbelj, Giandomenico Basso and Andrea Mabellini finished inside the top nine.

• Simone Campedelli lost time after a near off-road moment and ended the session 22nd.

• The rally officially begins with the SPS Colosseo ACI – Roma stage in central Rome.

Position	Driver / Co-driver	Car	Time
1	Roberto Daprà / Luca Guglielmetti	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2	3:37.642
2	Teemu Suninen / Antti Haapala	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2	+0.496
3	Pablo Sarrazin / Yannick Roche	Citroën C3 Rally2	+1.069
4	Andrea Crugnola / Luca Beltrame	Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale	+1.135
5	Mikołaj Marczyk / Szymon Gospodarczyk	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2	+1.275
6	Bostjan Avbelj / Elia De Guio	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2	+1.694
7	Tristan Charpentier / Florian Barral	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2	+1.853
8	Giandomenico Basso / Lorenzo Granai	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2	+1.910
9	Andrea Mabellini / Virginia Lenzi	Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale	+1.911
10	Yohan Rossel / Arnaud Dunand	Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale	+1.948