The Schio-based team heads to the opening round of the Italian championship with four Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 cars, combining proven strength, noteworthy debuts and a Promozione battle that could already begin to take shape.
MS Munaretto is ready to open its 2026 Campionato Italiano Assoluto Rally Sparco campaign by fielding four Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 cars at Rally Il Ciocco e Valle del Serchio, in a setting that immediately brings technical depth, ambition and the first major championship clashes into play.
Car number 5 will be entrusted to Bostjan Avbelj and Damijan Andrejka, who arrive with a previous result on these roads that is far from insignificant. The Slovenian driver lines up after claiming third place at Il Ciocco in the 2025 edition, a result that naturally adds further expectation around his presence. This time the significance is even greater, because his full 2026 CIAR programme will begin here, with a broad seasonal horizon and clearly defined ambitions. Their Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 will run on Pirelli tyres.
Car number 10 will be driven by Lauri Joona and Antti Linnaketo, a pairing that stands out as one of the most technically intriguing within the MS Munaretto line-up. For the Finnish driver, this will mark his seasonal debut on Italian asphalt, the first step in a programme that will see him take on a surface widely known for being both demanding and selective, where sensitivity and precision often make the difference. It is a debut worth watching closely, because Joona’s talent and the technical package at his disposal could immediately make him a highly interesting benchmark. In this case too, the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 will be fitted with Pirelli tyres.
Car number 12 will carry Benjamin Korhola and Kristian Temonen, a pairing arriving in Tuscany with an already very clear statement behind them. The young Finn opened his season by winning on his debut in the CIRT at Foligno just a few weeks ago, a result that immediately confirmed his potential. Now, with the move to Il Ciocco, another phase begins, the climb towards an important target such as the Promozione title, in a contest that could come alive straight away. Korhola, too, will compete on Pirelli tyres.
Completing MS Munaretto’s four-car effort will be Andrea Nucita and Rudy Pollet in car number 14, a crew bringing experience, stature and unquestionable rallying value. The Sicilian driver also starts the season with a precise objective, to work his way into the fight for the Promozione Championship, bringing with him speed, knowledge of the series and race-reading ability that could prove decisive over the course of the year. On his Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, unlike the other three crews fielded by the team, Hankook tyres will be used.
Rally Il Ciocco e Valle del Serchio, the opening round of the 2026 CIAR Sparco, will start from Lucca and finish in Castelnuovo Garfagnana, covering a total route of 508.64 kilometres, of which 142.60 will be run against the clock. It is a proper opening test straight away, on roads that have traditionally been able to select, shape and often already weigh heavily on the balance of the championship.
MS Munaretto therefore heads into the opening round of the season with a line-up that is broad, but above all credible, made up of four crews with different profiles, levels of experience and perspectives, yet united by the same determination, to make their mark from the very first special stages of the year.
