European Rally Championship The Fiat Grande Punto driven by Basso-Dotta placed fourth after the first stage of the Polish Rally

The first stage of the Polish rally (third event in the European Championship) ended today, Saturday 10 June, after six special trials over dirt tracks. Giandomenico Basso and Mitia Dotta driving their official Fiat Grande Punto currently occupy overall fourth place, 1'00.6" behind the Polish pair Solowow-Baran (Mitsubishi). Second place is occupied by the local pair Kuzaj-Szczepaniak (Subaru) and third by the Swedes Svedlund-Nilsson (Subaru). Basso and Dotta are driving a tactical race, never pushing the Grande Punto to its limits but looking to the European Championship rankings above all, where they are currently in first place after their recent success in the Turkish Rally. The Grande Punto has revealed world class performance and considerable reliability in the fast Polish dirt track sections, the only legs of this kind in the continental series.

Although Basso and Dotta are facing these special trials in the Polish Rally for the first time and are pitted against the best local drivers, they have managed to stay in the top five places overall and even achieved the third best time in the fourth special trial, which is more than 25 kilometres long.

Tomorrow, Sunday 11 June, the second and final leg is planned with another six special trials when 145 km will be raced against the clock. Start from Mikolajki (200 km north of Warsaw) at 8 am, finish at 16.44.

"It is a difficult rally - stated Giandomenico Basso at the end of the stage – above all because we are facing the best Polish drivers who know these roads very well. They are fast dirt tracks with a few sections of asphalt and paving and we have little to compare it with. We are looking at the race with an eye to our championship ranking; tomorrow we will go the extra mile to have the satisfaction of standing on the winners’ podium”.

Turin,

10 June 2006

Polish Rally – ranking after the first stage

1. Solowow-Baran (Mitsubishi) in 1h02'45.7"

2. Kuzaj-Szczepaniak (Subaru) + 6.9"

3. Svedlund-Nilsson (Subaru) + 18.7"

4. Basso-Dotta (Fiat Grande Punto) + 1'00.6"

5. Dytko-Dytko (Mitsubishi) + 1'36.5"