From Joona-Temonen’s number 1 to the return of Rahill-Smith, alongside Johansson-Grönvall and Kauppinen-Vaaleri: the Veneto-based team faces a double challenge between the European Championship and the Italian Championship, with Araldo and Boero lining up in Piedmont.
MS Munaretto is ready to take the stage at the Croatia Rally 2025, a round of the FIA European Rally Championship, scheduled from 3 to 5 October with headquarters between Zagreb and Zaprešić. The Italian team will field four crews, set to tackle 172.36 competitive kilometres across 10 asphalt special stages, for an overall route of 589.89 km including liaisons.
Leading the line-up will be Lauri Joona, co-driven by Kristian Temonen, at the wheel of the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 number 1: an iconic number in rallying, symbolising the prestige and international recognition of the Finnish driver. The crew returns to the continental stage after a strong performance at the Rally Finland, where they secured sixth overall in WRC2.
Also in a Škoda will be Mille Johansson, paired with Johan Grönvall, taking on Croatia with car number 6. For the young Swedish talent there has been no rest: only the previous weekend he was competing at the Rally della Carnia, and now returns with renewed determination.
Craig Rahill and Conor Smith, fresh from victory in the Junior classification at the Barum Rally, will be at the start in the Lancia Ypsilon Rally4 number 42, aiming to once again showcase their competitiveness.
Completing the squad is Tuukka Kauppinen, back in the Lancia Ypsilon Rally4 after finishing in the top five among the two-wheel drive cars at the Rally di Cassino. For this occasion he will be co-driven by Samu Vaaleri, with the pair targeting another strong result in class. They will run with number 45 on the doors.
The Croatia Rally schedule opens with the ceremonial start on Friday evening in Zagreb, before the action begins on Saturday with six stages divided between morning and afternoon loops. Sunday will feature four further tests, concluding with the Power Stage Zagorska Sela – Kumrovec (14.24 km), ahead of the finish and prize-giving ceremony in the Croatian capital.
It will not be only Croatia for MS Munaretto: during the same weekend, the Veneto team will also be in action in Italy at the Rally di Santo Stefano Belbo, valid for the Italian Rally Championship. Jacopo Araldo, co-driven by Lorena Boero, will return to the wheel of the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 number 5 after their outing at the Rally Città di Torino. The Piedmontese event will take place on Sunday 5 October 2025, featuring six special stages (three different ones, each run twice) for a total of 65 competitive kilometres. The start is set for 8:00 am, with the finish and prize-giving ceremony scheduled in the centre of Santo Stefano Belbo at 16:00.
Saturday will instead be dedicated to scrutineering and shakedown, with a two-kilometre section designed on the opening part of one of the competitive stages.
MS Munaretto therefore lines up on two fronts, European and Italian, with a strong and motivated squad, ready to reaffirm its competitiveness both in the ERC and the CIR.
