The Rally d’Italia-Sardegna is the third round of the Junior Rally Championship, which is currently led by Suzuki driver P-G Andersson. His team mate, Urmo Aava, is second in the points table – having just missed out on victory on the last round in Portugal. Both drivers took part in the Rally d’Italia’s ceremonial start this evening in Porto Cervo, having completed the rally’s shakedown test earlier in the day. Porto Cervo, a world-renowned millionaire’s playground, is usually famous for its glamorous hotels and designer boutiques – but this evening the rally cars took centre stage.

Every competing crew crossed the start ramp in front of thousands of spectators, in a photogenic location on the harbourside. Anticipation is high, but the real action only starts at 0943 tomorrow as the cars tackle the first of 18 gravel special stages. With twisty and technical mountain roads combined with stages that are 50% new compare! d to last year, the rough and rocky Rally d’Italia is set to push drivers and teams to the limit.

News from P-G
“We had a good shakedown test today, although it was not particularly representative of the stages we will encounter on the rally. For me, the most important thing about this event will be to get through Friday without any problems. The roads are quite rough with some big rocks, and so it will be very easy to pick up a puncture. Once those stages are over, I think the job on Saturday and Sunday will be reasonable straightforward. I’ve got a bit of a championship lead, so I can definitely afford to be a bit tactical. But that doesn’t mean I’ll be going slowly!”

News from Urmo
“I’m hoping for a bit more luck than I’ve had on recent rallies, and maybe I need to change my driving style slightly to be more careful in places. The big risk on this rally is punctures, as that is where you lose the most time, so it’s worth driving around the biggest rocks. At the same time, I’m still behind in the championship so I have to push a bit. I know that the Suzuki Swift is one of the best cars out there, but I just have to make sure I am not taking any stupid risks on these tough stages. ”

News from Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima, team principal
“Every year, the rough surfaces of Sardinia cause several punctures and push the cars to the maximum. P-G has so far won two events this year by choosing a good compromise between speed and safety. His aim on this event should be to repeat this tactic exactly as before, in order to put him into the forefront of the fight for victory. I also wish Urmo and all the other Suzuki drivers the best of luck on what is sure to be an extremely tough event.