The Grande Punto Abarth S2000 driven by Giandomenico Basso and Mitia Dotta has won the Principe de Asturias Rally in Spain, the seventh round in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, in front of the Peugeot 207s of French driver Nicolas Vouilloz and Belgian Freddy Loix.
Basso had concluded the first leg in the lead, albeit with the same time as Vouilloz (for the purposes of the standings, Basso was considered first because he won the deciding first special speed trial), and on the second day he made a decisive attack on the Frenchman, winning the first three special speed trials.
“We needed that, we really needed that,” said the current Italian champion when he finished. “It has been a real battle and we won it without Nicolas Vouilloz, our main adversary, having any problems, which was even better. It is a reward for all the people who have continued to work hard to make the Grande Punto Abarth even more competitive, but it is also a stimulus to continue.”
Level with the French Peugeot driver at the start of the final leg, Basso exploited the first timed trial of the day to shake his rival off. To make him understand that he was determined to win, come what may. He only relaxed the pace slightly when he had built up a margin of almost twenty seconds. “It was not easy, managing an advantage like that never is: when it happens, you cannot attack all the way, but nor can you relax. And inevitably you cannot help but think that it would take very little to lose everything.”
Young Finnish driver Anton Alen, with Timo Alanne, achieved a good 6th, with a very positive performance on asphalt, a surface with which he still has little confidence.
A private Grande Punto Abarth S2000 also finished among the leaders: the current Spanish champion, Miguel Fuster, finished in fifth place, while his compatriot Daniel Solà, who did well on the first day, was forced to retire when he went off the road, three speed trials from the end, when he was 4th.
The Costa Smeralda Rally was run in parallel with the Principe de Asturias Rally; it was the eighth event in the Italian Championship, and Andrea Navarra and Guido D’Amore finished in 4th place (3rd among drivers contesting the Italian Championship), after a puncture. Winning the last 4 special speed trials was not enough to make up all the positions lost.
Principe de Asturias Rally standings: 1. Basso-Dotta (Grande Punto Abarth S2000) in 2 hours 34’39.0”; 2. Vouilloz-Klinger (Peugeot 207) at 12.2”; 3. Loix-Buysman (Peugeot 207) at 1’54.5”; 4. Garcia Ojeda-Barrabes (Peugeot 207) at 2’34.3”; 5. Fuster-Medina (Grande Punto Abarth S2000) at 4’05.7”; 6. Alen-Alanne (Grande Punto Abarth S2000) at 4’16.7”; 7. Vallejo-Vallejo (Peugeot 207) at 5’12.1”; 8. Hevia-Iglesias (Mitsubishi Lancer) at 6’40.6”.
IRC Drivers championship standings: 1. Nicolas Vouilloz FRA (Peugeot) 52 points; 2. Freddy Loix BEL (Peugeot) 35; 3. Giandomenico Basso ITA (Abarth) and Luca Rossetti ITA (Peugeot) 32; 5. Anton Alen FIN (Abarth) 17.
Italian Drivers Championship standings: 1. Luca Rossetti (Peugeot) 64 points; 2. Paolo Andreucci (Mitsubishi) 47; 3. Andrea Navarra (Abarth) 39; 4. Luca Cantamessa (Mitsubishi) 30.5; 5. Piero Longhi (Subaru) 25.
Turin, September 13, 2008
