Rally d'Italia
Sardegna

The Italian round takes place in the mediterranean island of Sardinia with stages made up of fine and sandy gravel conditions. The opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the Parc Ferme will take place in the luxury resort of Porto Cervo while the operative offices will be in the Olbia. The headquarters now moves to the Hotel Melia's, whereas the service park will be in a large area of the Porto Cocciani's dock in Cala Saccaia.

Sardinia is the second-largest Mediterranean island, and the third-largest region of Italy, consisting of mostly hilly terrain, surrounded by plains and beaches. Cagliari is the island's capital, but the rally is based in the prestigious tourist area on the north-western coast. Given the early summer slot on the calendar, the weather can be expected to be warm and sultry on the dusty roads.

The stages themselves are surprising fast, given their tight, narrow nature. This can provide a real challenge for the drivers as they need to balance the desire to push with the need to avoid the obstacles that are just a few feet away from the ideal line. As a hot gravel rally, running order can also be crucial as the leading drivers on the stage lose time sweeping the loose top layer of dust off the road leaving the grippier, harder surface for the following cars.

Recent Winners

2007 Marcus Gronholm (Ford Focus RS)
2006 Sebastien Loeb (Citroen Xsara)
2005 Sebastien Loeb (Citroen Xsara)
2004 Petter Solberg (Subaru Impreza)