Romagna–Lamonato secure ninth place in WRC2, immediately followed by Frisiero–Fappani, tenth in WRC2 and third in the WRC Masters Cup.
An early end, however, for Korhola–Temonen, forced to stop on SS3 after a promising start to the rally.
MS Munaretto brings Rally Italia Sardegna to a close with two Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 cars inside the WRC2 top ten. At the end of a long and demanding event, one which once again put both crews and machinery to the test, the Schio-based squad leaves the World Championship round with Simone Romagna and Dino Lamonato in ninth place and Fabio Frisiero and Danilo Fappani in tenth, the latter also claiming the third step of the podium in the WRC Masters Cup. It was a more frustrating weekend, meanwhile, for Benjamin Korhola and Kristian Temonen, whose rally came to an early halt on the third special stage.
At the wheel of the No. 36 Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, Benjamin Korhola and Kristian Temonen saw their weekend take an unfortunate turn on SS3, when an off-road excursion forced the Finnish crew to bring their day to an early end. The incident came during the opening phase of the rally, just as Korhola was beginning to build his rhythm on Sardinia’s demanding stages, denying him the opportunity to fully show the potential he had already demonstrated on several occasions throughout the season.
The MS Munaretto service crew nevertheless continued working on the car, getting the Fabia RS Rally2 ready to tackle the second leg. Despite the team’s efforts and the possibility of returning to the rally, Korhola elected not to restart on Saturday morning, bringing his Rally Italia Sardegna to a definitive close. There was inevitably some disappointment at seeing the event end so early, particularly given the pace the Finn had already shown on gravel in previous outings and the expectations with which the crew had arrived in Sardinia.
It was a very different story for Simone Romagna and Dino Lamonato, competing in the No. 42 Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. The Italian crew built their result patiently, steadily increasing their pace after SS2 and gaining confidence with every stage. Without taking unnecessary risks, Romagna began to reduce the gap to the crews ahead, remaining consistently within reach of the WRC2 top ten and turning the second half of the rally into a steady progression.
Finishing immediately behind them were Fabio Frisiero and Danilo Fappani, aboard the No. 48 Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. For Frisiero, making his first competitive appearance of the season, Rally Italia Sardegna represented a demanding challenge from the outset. The Italian driver, however, worked his way into the weekend gradually, adapting to the level of a World Championship event and allowing his pace to grow as the kilometres went by.
The turning point came after SS7. From then on, Frisiero and Fappani found greater consistency, progressively increasing their pace and never looking back in their climb towards the WRC2 top ten. It was a performance built stage by stage, avoiding mistakes and making full use of every kilometre to increase their confidence with the Fabia RS Rally2. Their efforts were rewarded with tenth place in WRC2, immediately behind team-mates Romagna–Lamonato, together with an excellent third place in the WRC Masters Cup.
