Drivers face marathon day in Sardinia
Italy’s round features daunting 200km leg
Endurance to the fore in Sardinia
Drivers will face what is believed to be the longest single day’s competition in the modern day WRC at Rally Italia Sardegna (11 - 14 June).
Saturday’s second leg on the Mediterranean island will feature 212.58km of action during a marathon day of more than 16 hours.
When the route was announced in February, 202km were scheduled - the longest competitive distance since 2012 when Rally New Zealand and Rally Argentina featured opening days in excess of 200km.
Organisers have since added extra distance and it is now believed to be the longest leg since the WRC’s final visit to the endurance Safari Rally in Kenya in 2002.
The route has been devised by Tiziano Siviero, who co-drove Miki Biasion to the world title in 1988 and 1989.
“This is certainly going to be the longest leg of the world championship and is also part of the longest rally so far in terms of length of stages,” said Siviero.
It features five morning stages that are repeated in the afternoon. Siviero has replaced the opening test at Mores race circuit with a 1.44km stage at Ittiri Arena, closer to the rally base in Alghero. It also includes the famous stomach-churning Micky’s Jump in Monte Lerno [pictured].
The rally, the sixth round of the season, contains 24 stages with 402.88km of action in a route of 1565.70km.
