The Schio-based team closes a weekend packed with sporting substance, from European regrets to confirmations on Italian gravel and a solid overall result in France.
In Sweden, the team collected less than the stopwatch suggested, while Rally Adriatico and Terre d’Aléria delivered important results with Constant, Hoelbling, Vellani and Venturini.
It was an intense weekend with a varied outcome for MS Munaretto, involved on three fronts across the BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia, Rally Adriatico and Rallye Terre d’Aléria. Three gravel events, three different contexts and a high-level programme that gave the Schio-based team important indications, between strong performances, unfavourable episodes and concrete results.
The Swedish outing, valid for the FIA European Rally Championship, proved particularly demanding for the Venetian team. On the fast and selective gravel roads of the BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia, the MS Munaretto crews showed pace and competitiveness, but the final result did not fully reward the work produced during the rally.
In the Junior contest, Markas Buteikis and Titas Čapkauskas, at the start with the Lancia Ypsilon Rally4 n. 52, built a rally in clear progression. After an unlucky first day, the Lithuanian driver reacted with great clarity in the second part of the event, going on to claim several special stage wins. It was an important response, highlighting his speed, concentration and ability to stay fully in the fight even in the most complex moments.
A puncture on SS5 had complicated the crew’s rally, slowing their progression just as their pace was beginning to consolidate. Buteikis, however, did not lose focus and resumed his charge up the order, turning a difficult weekend into a useful test and one rich in positive signs for the continuation of his continental season.
The outcome was even more bitter for Aatu Hakalehto and Ari Koponen, competing in the Lancia Ypsilon Rally4 n. 44. The young Finn was one of the standout performers of the weekend, delivering an authoritative drive and dominating the rally from the very first stages, holding first position until SS12. It was a solid, mature performance, built on rhythm and control, which had put the crew in a strong position to secure a result of real value.
In the decisive phase, however, a technical issue forced Hakalehto to retire, bringing to an end a rally he had led on full merit. It was a heavy retirement and one that inevitably leaves regret, but it does not erase what the Finnish driver showed on a surface as fast and demanding as the Swedish gravel roads.
In Rally2, the weekend of Benjamin Korhola and Patric Öhman, at the start with the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 n. 17, was also affected by an incident on the opening day. An off-road excursion slowed their progress and compromised their overall ambitions. The crew returned on the second day with determination, however, rediscovering rhythm and confidence before ending the rally with a strong statement: victory on the Power Stage. It was a result that confirmed the Finnish driver’s potential and his ability to react after a difficult start.
While Sweden left the team with a hard-fought and somewhat frustrating outcome, Rally Adriatico delivered solid results and a strong presence in the upper part of the standings. On the gravel roads of the Marche region, valid for the Italian Gravel Rally Championship, Louis Constant and Maxime Martini finished in seventh position overall, also claiming second place among the Under 25 crews. It was a consistent performance from the Frenchman, who showed quality of pace and composure in a technical rally where rhythm and management made the difference.
The rally of Luca Hoelbling and Mauro Grassi was also highly positive, with the crew producing a performance in constant progression aboard the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. The Verona driver built his rally stage after stage, gradually finding confidence and consistency before closing in ninth position overall. It was a valuable top ten finish, secured in a competitive field and on a surface that was anything but straightforward.
Completing the Rally Adriatico picture, Roberto Vellani and Marinella Bonaiti brought home a rally that was not without difficulties, but which they managed with experience and attention. The crew faced several obstacles over the course of the weekend, yet still reached the finish without major issues and closed just outside the top ten. It was a useful result, born from a measured drive on stages capable of testing both crews and cars.
The third front of the weekend took MS Munaretto to Corsica, for the Rallye Terre d’Aléria, where Henri-Marc Venturini and Dominique Corvi flew the flag high for the Schio-based team. At the wheel of the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 n. 10, the crew delivered a solid and concrete performance, reaching fifth position overall on demanding and selective terrain.
For Venturini, the result achieved on the Corsican gravel roads represents an important confirmation, secured in a rally where reading the surface, consistency and management all played a decisive role. It was a performance of real substance, allowing MS Munaretto to close its French weekend with a result of note.
The weekend therefore ends with mixed feelings for MS Munaretto. On one side, there is the regret of a Swedish event that delivered less than the performances deserved. On the other, there is satisfaction for the results achieved at Rally Adriatico and Terre d’Aléria. The speed shown by Buteikis, Hakalehto’s domination until retirement, Korhola’s reaction on the Power Stage, Constant’s solidity, Hoelbling’s top ten, Vellani’s management and Venturini’s fifth place overall all contribute to a sporting balance rich in substance.
Three different rallies, one common thread: the competitive presence of MS Munaretto on some of the leading gravel stages of the season. The Schio-based team therefore closes a demanding weekend with the awareness of having collected important results and, at the same time, useful indications to continue growing in the next events.
