Sparco is the official partner of the Rally Italia Sardegna

The Italian company, the world leader in the production of racing equipment for drivers and competition vehicles - an icon of Made in Italy in the motorsport world - will be alongside ACI Sport in the 20th edition of the Rally d’Italia in Sardinia.

07.03.2023 - Sparco will be the official partner of the Rally Italia Sardegna 2023 scheduled from June 1st to 4th on the Island of the Four Moors as the sixth round of the FIA World Rally Championship.

This partnership was essential in the celebratory edition of the 20th anniversary, as both the Rally Italia Sardegna and Sparco have represented the essence and excellence of Made in Italy that revolves around the world of rallying over the years. These two success stories have often crossed their own paths on the Sardinian special stages. The Turin-based company will be the official supplier of all teamwear for the personnel and staff involved in the organization of the race, as well as the official retailer of Rally Italia Sardegna merchandising - Italian round of FIA WRC - on sale during the rally inside the Olbia Service Park.

The collaboration between Rally Italia Sardegna and Sparco is part of the important partnership of the brand from Piedmont with ACI Sport that in recent years has led to a significant exposure of the brand as the title sponsor of the main Italian rally and track championships as well as on all stages of the world championships organized and sponsored by the Federation on Italian territory. This collaboration retraces the long history of the Italian company that, for over 46 years, has dressed drivers, crews, and teams in every category of the motorsport world, with a particular predilection for the car manufacturers present on the WRC stage, which, without exception, have had Sparco as a technical partner, most recently the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team (for 2023).

"Strengthening the partnership between Sparco and Rally Italia Sardegna - the President of the Automobile Club d’Italia Angelo Sticchi Damiani commented - is a great pride that unites two Italian excellences and is part of ACI Sport's intense collaboration with Sparco, which in recent years has become the title partner of our main rally and track championships, starting with the Sparco Italian Rally Championship, which has also taken its name. Bringing together these two Made in Italy sporting excellence on the occasion of the celebrations for the first twenty years of Rally Italia Sardegna will further enhance the Italian round of the World Rally Championship that we protect, promote, and support with great commitment together with the Regione Sardegna."
"We are proud to be part of the 20th edition of Rally Italia Sardegna," Niccolò Bellazzini, Sparco Brand Manager, commented. "It is a truly important moment for the history of Italian rallying and for Italian sport in general. Two decades of challenges on Sardinia's gravel have always seen us at the forefront of the fight for victory, making us particularly proud to represent Italy in the only Italian round in WRC calendar alongside the Italian Federation and the teams of which we are technical partners. We continue a journey that began last year and that will provide even greater visibility to our brand, especially in a very important year for this event”.

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"RIS Heroes": the social format that tells the story of the Rally Italia Sardegna

10 videos will showcase the most vibrant emotions of the event's first twenty years through the voices of the ten winners. The first episode, which features the historic 2004 edition and Petter Solberg's victory, was released online yesterday.

02.03.2023 - The first episode of the "RIS Heroes" format has been online since yesterday on the social media channels of Rally Italia Sardegna (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) and on website rallyitaliasardegna.com. It is a mini-series of 10 short emotional videos, which will tell the first twenty years of the Italian Rally on the Island of Four Moors through the voice, memories and anecdotes of its ten winners.

"RIS Heroes" is one of the many initiatives that will be taking place as part of the celebrations for the 20th anniversary of the Rally Italia Sardegna, the event organized by the Automobile Club d’Italia with the support of the Regione Sardegna. The 20th edition of the event will be held from June 1st to 4th in Olbia, as the sixth round of the 2023 FIA World Rally Championship.

The first video naturally focuses on the historic 2004 edition of the rally, when the Italian round of the World Rally Championship landed in Sardinia. Petter Solberg and Phil Mills, driving the Subaru Impreza S10 WRC 04, claimed their fifth victory of the season and their third in a row, reigniting Solberg's pursuit of Sébastien Loeb for his second consecutive championship after winning it in 2003.

The emotional story is told by "RIS Heroes" in a mix of action and memories, just over a minute long, featuring footage of the World Rally Cars racing on the Sardinian gravel and the voice of Petter Solberg remembering his triumph. "The car was fantastic," the Norwegian driver said, "we should have been champions that year" he jokes while reliving his liberating scream at the end of the SS19 Monti di Deu/2.

"RIS Heroes" will offer fans nine more videos, each distributed in the coming months until the twentieth edition of the Rally Italia Sardegna. In each episode, one of the winners will remember their victories through images and voices. The lineup of champions will include Sébastien Loeb, Marcus Grönholm, Jari-Matti Latvala, Juho Hanninen, Mikko Hirvonen, Sébastien Ogier, Thierry Neuville, Ott Tänak and Dani Sordo, all names destined to remain in the history of the event for their signatures in the Hall of Fame of the Rally Italia Sardegna."

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The famous Kitzbühel downhill on the Terranova special stage is back to the 2023 itinerary

Another magical location of the Rally Italia Sardegna is back, after nine years, in the legendary route of the 20th edition.

23.02.2023 - Not only the 50-kilometer Monte Lerno and the return of Tantariles. The first leg of Rally Italia Sardegna 2023 - Friday, 2 June - is destined to enter the annals also for the Terranova stage that will return to offer the historic Kitzbühel downhill. Another great surprise in the itinerary of the event organized by Automobile Club d’Italia with the support of the Regione Sardegna.

This section is reminiscent in its shape of the steep downhill ski slope Streif, a famous slope of the Ski World Cup from which it takes its name, and has undoubtedly been one of the most appreciated passages since the Rally Italia moved to the Island of the Four Moors.

The Kitzbühel downhill, unlike other sections such as Monte Lerno, has not always been run since the Terranova stage has been proposed in several versions over the years, and the Rally Italia Sardegna has not included it in the route since 2014. The stage in its 2023 design starts not far from the SS389 between Monti and Alà dei Sardi and arrives at the descent after a false flat section. The downhill section begins after a left turn near some scenic rocks where fans usually gather, coloring this passage like a small arena. The descent is dizzying on a terrain that combines gravel and stones and therefore is very technical.

"This is a stage of great charm," Race Director Lucio de Mori commented, "which was originally designed together with the then head of the Forest Site and his men. The path tracing work has almost always been shared with the personnel of the State Forests and Forest Site, who, given their great experience of the territory, have also proposed ideas that have often found implementation in the design of the stages. Moreover, it has always been customary to name the stages with the names of the Sites or the Forests, and Terranova is a perfect example."

The special stage will be included in the route for the twelfth time, one of the most long-lasting in the history of the Rally Italia Sardegna. In the first period, it was run continuously from 2005 to 2014, with the only exception of the 2009 edition. In 2014, it was divided into two sections - the North and the South - for a total of 32.4 km, which remains the longest version. It returned to the route in 2021 and will also confirm its tradition this year, taking place in the first part of the rally, as it has happened most of the time.

Currently, Sébastien Loeb holds five victories in this stage, and his record certainly cannot be equaled soon, as the current WRC drivers do not come close to it. Three victories have been claimed by Jari-Matti Latvala and Marcus Grönholm, two for Juho Hanninen, Sébastien Ogier, and Ott Tänak, one for Dani Sordo, Jan Kopecký, Petter Solberg, Mikko Hirvonen, Thierry Neuville, and Elfyn Evans.

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The FIA Technical Report awards Rally Italia Sardegna

This result validates the organizational efforts of the Automobile Club d'Italia. The Italian round of the WRC has been awarded as the best from a technical point of view, on par with the Secto Rally Finland.

17.02.2023 - As we approach the 20th edition of the event, scheduled for next June 1st to 4th, the Rally Italia Sardegna has received an important acknowledgement with the reception of the FIA Technical Report for the 2022 edition.

The document, which analyzes every aspect of the organization and management of the event from a technical and logistic point of view, has awarded the Italian round of the FIA World Rally Championship the highest score among the 2022 rounds, on par with the Secto Rally Finland.

This is a very important recognition for the great effort that ACI dedicates every year to shine in this crucial area and maintain a first-rate standard at the highest international level. The report, based on data collected during the race weekend by FIA technicians, evaluates every detail related to inspections, tyre and weight verifications, park fermé, technical zones, and other aspects related to logistics, management and organization.

A score is attributed to each section, which ultimately gives the overall evaluation of the event, a result that confirmed the Rally Italia Sardegna at the top of the ideal ranking. The fact that this document has been confirmed over the past few days only spurs the team to once again devote maximum commitment and dedication to the 20th edition.

The General Manager Rally of Italia Sardegna Antonio Turitto commented: "This is a really important acknowledgement for the Rally Italia Sardegna which rewards, first of all, the great work of the Italian Technical Commission group coordinated by Marco Pacini".

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Grimaldi Lines carries you to Rally Italia Sardegna 2023

The partnership with the shipping company offers discounted rates for competitors, teams, and spectators also for next June's edition.

03.02.2023 - On the occasion of the Rally Italia Sardegna 2023, the sixth round of the FIA World Rally Championship scheduled from 1st to 4th June, ACI Sport confirms the agreement with Grimaldi Lines that will provide discounted rates for competitors, teams and spectators.

The confirmation of this partnership, which for years has united the Italian round of the FIA Rally World Championship with Grimaldi Lines, will provide a 30% discount (fixed fees excluded) in the days of the event for the sea journey to and from Sardinia on the company's ships on the routes Livorno-Olbia, Civitavecchia-Olbia, Civitavecchia-Porto Torres.

The offer will vary slightly for competitors and teams who will be able to take advantage of the discounts on the Genoa-Porto Torres route, with additional benefits also for carts and trailers. The booking code to be indicated at the time of purchasing the routes, for all, is RIS2023. Bookings can be made from 1st February to 28th May for departures between 22nd May and 18th June.

Spectators' bookings can be made online at www.grimaldi-lines.com, via the call center at 081496444 or via e-mail to info@grimladi.napoli.it. Travel tickets can also be purchased at the Grimaldi Tours sales points in Naples, Rome, Palermo, Cagliari and at the harbor ticket offices in Civitavecchia, Livorno, Olbia, and Porto Torres. Anyway, the RIS2023 Convention code must be indicated to benefit from the discounted rates.

Competitors and teams must instead book the routes by referring to the specific contacts indicated on www.rallyitaliasardegna.com/grimaldi-lines which also reports the details of the costs and supplements available. The discounts will be applied to the staff as well as the vehicles and trailers.

"Sardinia is the focus of our programming and the heart of our offer. The sea connections network allows us to reach any location in the north and south of the Island, traveling comfortably on modern ships and greeted by experienced and professional crews," said Francesca Marino, Passenger Department Manager of Grimaldi Lines. "We aim to increase our presence in this territory, enhancing its unique characteristics and supporting impactful events and initiatives such as the Rally Italia Sardegna 2023."

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The Rally Italia Sardegna unveils a special logo for the 20th Edition

The sixth round of the FIA World Rally Championship 2023 celebrates the first twenty editions of the rally on the Island of the Four Moors with an exclusive logo that will characterize the communication and marketing of the event scheduled for next June.

13.01.2023 – Automobile Club d’Italia and ACI Sport unveil the special logo for the Rally Italia Sardegna 2023, the sixth round of the FIA World Rally Championship 2023 scheduled from 1st to 4th June in Olbia.

It is a revisitation in a celebratory key of the first twenty editions of the Italian rally world championship in Sardinia. A story that began in 2004 with passion and a spirit of innovation, an adventure that has allowed the continuation of the tradition of rallying on Italian soil in a unique context like that of Sardinia, in some ways unexplored and fascinating.

The logo breaks the mold with tradition and stands out for a strong personality that combines all the main elements of this event. It is an essential, beautiful and modern logo that effectively highlights the importance of the moment.

This novelty officially opens the path of approaching the event scheduled for next June. An event that in addition to the purely sports part of the FIA World Rally Championship will also be enriched with several collateral initiatives that will soon be revealed.

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At Rally Italia Sardegna with RIS Experience to be part of all the excitement of the 20th anniversary

The online sales for tickets opened today with the exclusive offer dedicated to spectators. There are three levels of packages: Gold, Platinum, Black, and a long series of benefits to get out of the box and experience an unforgettable and privileged weekend.

23.12.2022 - The RIS Experience packages for Rally Italia Sardegna 2023 are on sale from today at www.rallyitalisardegna.com. Also, for the 20th-anniversary edition, Automobile Club d'Italia and ACI Sport have confirmed the exclusive offer dedicated to spectators, structuring it on three levels with a long series of services, experiences, and benefits that will allow spectators to follow the Italian round of the FIA World Rally Championship from a prestigious perspective.

Gold RIS Experience will be the starting offer. With this package, it will be possible to access the Experience Areas in special stages for all four days from Thursday to Sunday. The Experience Areas will be exclusive to RIS Experience holders, allowing them to enjoy the spectacle of the special stages from highly spectacular vantage points.

Platinum RIS Experience is the intermediate offer that adds a series of additional benefits to the Gold package. Apart from always allowing access to the Experience Areas for four days, it gives access to the VIP Lounge set up in Olbia, guarantees a place in the grandstand during the final podium ceremony, and will give the Platinum package holders the opportunity to go up on the arrival stage for a souvenir photo to be taken by the official photo crew of Rally Italia Sardegna.

The Black RIS Experience, on the other hand, is the most complete offer provided by the RIS Experience packages and promises a memorable weekend. In addition to all the benefits acknowledged to the Gold and Platinum packages, Black pass holders will have access to the teams' work areas during the service parks and will also attend the exclusive gala dinner for the first twenty years of the event together with leading figures from the world of motorsport. With the Black RIS Experience, you will also have access to dedicated parking spaces near the special stages which, for Gold and Platinum, must be purchased as an additional service.

All packages will also include a gift bag of Rally Italia Sardegna with branded gadgets and the possibility to access the VIP Paddock area when the service parks are not running. Attendees under 14s will have free access to the benefits of the packages as long as they are accompanied by the holder of the corresponding package.

Purchases can only be made online, and entry tickets can be collected at the Automobile Club d'Italia info point set up at the Olbia rally village during the race week, with times to be communicated in the coming months. No shipping or other collection methods will be activated.

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Twenty years of Rally Italia Sardegna, the 2023 edition is gearing up to be memorable

The FIA World Rally Championship will return to Sardinia for the 20th edition of the Italian appointment organized by the Automobile Club d'Italia from 1 to 4 June. The validity for the WRC Junior has also been confirmed.

20.12.2022 - Season 2023 has not yet begun but Rally Italia Sardegna is already looking to the new season that will mark the first twenty years of the event organized by the Automobile Club d'Italia and valid as the Italian appointment of the World Rally Championship.

The Italian round will be the sixth of the WRC 2023 calendar and will take place on the classic date of early June from 1 to 4 with a base in Olbia, as a result of the alternation with Alghero which hosted the assistance park and the headquarters last year.

The edition of the first twenty years promises surprises and innovations not only related to the race track, which will combine tradition, amarcord and innovation, but also to the collateral initiatives that will be organized in support of this unique event that promises to surprise visitors and enthusiasts.

The history of Rally Italia Sardegna began in October 2004 when the rally valid for the international top series crossed the Mediterranean for the first time to land on the Island of the Four Moors, thus sanctioning the return of the Italian gravel that has contributed so much over the years to enhance the prestige of the Rally d'Italia. Since then, the history has been of great champions who have challenged each other on the island roads: from Solberg to Loeb, from Grönholm to Latvala up to Ogier and Tänak capable of exciting enthusiasts with their feats until they wrote their own name in the Hall of Fame. The same magic is ready to repeat itself to write other wonderful pages of sport and passion.

President of Automobile Club d’Italia Angelo Sticchi Damiani: “An important anniversary is ahead in the history of the Rally of Italy in Sardinia, which has continued the long epic of the Italian appointment of the world rally championship born in the early 70s. A history made of exciting feats, of great drivers and of extraordinary vehicles that, passing through Sardinia, has had a clamorous boost, both from a sporting point of view and a media point of view.

This has also been thanks to the essential economic commitment of the Automobile Club d'Italia and to the splendid synergy created with the whole territory, particularly with the Regione Sardegna but with all the areas crossed or starting and arrival points of the rally.We must therefore be proud of the work done and celebrate the twenty years of this event that I consider the most beautiful race in the world, both for its gravel roads and for the beauty of the hinterland of Sardinia that we ourselves have contributed to enhancing in these years”.

FIA Rally Director Andrew Wheatley:

“Rally Sardegna has grown with the FIA World Rally Championship since Rally d'Italia moved from Sanremo to the Sardinian Island. It is a classic event on the WRC calendar and one that is much awaited by the fans and competitors alike for its stunning and demanding gravel stages and the exquisite Dolce Vita flair at the Service Park.

The Automobile Club d'Italia (ACI), under the presidency of Angelo Sticchi Damiani, has been a long-time partner of the FIA and knows what it takes to put on top-class events in several motor sport disciplines at World Championship level. We are glad to count on their commitment and professionalism this year again to celebrate twenty years of the Sardinian rally, which will also be a round of the FIA Junior WRC championship."

WRC Director of Events Simon Larkin: “Rally Italia Sardegna has developed a habit of creating some of the closest and most exciting finishes on the WRC calendar, therefore it is an event that is always highly anticipated by our fans. We have an excellent long-term relationship with ACI, exemplified in 2020 and 2021 when we hosted two events in Italy in each year and we are happy to be able to celebrate this wonderful anniversary together.”

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