Andrea Crugnola clinched victory in his home rally in Rome, just like last year. The Citroen driver secured the top spot in a dominant fashion, finishing 22.3 seconds ahead of his compatriot Simone Campedelli.
“An incredible feeling. It was difficult to control the situation because I also had to think about the Italian championship. We got big points there. Big thanks to my co-driver and the whole team,” Crugnola expressed his gratitude.
“I had problems with the helmet radio at the beginning of the previous stage. Luckily, I almost knew the stage by heart because it was a familiar special stage. After that, my co-driver and I did some MacGyver tricks and got things working. We are really happy with this result,” said Campedelli, who achieved his third podium finish in the ERC.
Spanish driver Efren Llarena finished third in the race. The 2022 ERC champion, driving a Skoda, was last on the ERC podium in the Canary Islands in May last year.
“This is a big relief. These have been long days. I can’t really say much. Big thanks to the people who have supported me. It’s not always easy, but we’ve come back from it,” Llarena summarised.
Romanian Simone Tempestini and Frenchman Mathieu Franceschi shared the next position. Hyundai driver Hayden Paddon, who still leads the ERC standings, finished sixth in the rally, 38.2 seconds behind the leader. Paddon compensates for the disadvantages of his car with his driving skills.
“This was a great weekend for us. Our pace was at a great level with the new car. It’s important to know that we can fight for top positions in the future. We are at the finish, and all parts are in the garage, so we have to be satisfied,” said Tempestini, who competed with a new Skoda RS Fabia Rally2 car.
“A bit of a frustrating weekend. However, we gave it our all. Everyone in the team has worked hard, I can’t thank them enough. I’m sure we’ll come back stronger,” Paddon commented.
Paddon continues to lead the ERC standings. However, Franceschi is only seven points behind, with three rounds remaining. Tempestini moved up to third place, overtaking Mads Østberg, who retired due to an off-road incident on Sunday morning.
The ERC continues with the Barum Rally in the Czech Republic in mid-August, followed by rounds in Wales and Poland.
Final results of ERC Rome:
| POS. | Driver | Team | Time |
| 1. | Andrea Crugnola | Citroen | 1:53:10.9 |
| 2. | Simone Campedelli | Skoda | +22.3 |
| 3. | Efren Llarena | Skoda | +27.9 |
| 4. | Simone Tempestini | Skoda | +32.1 |
| 4. | Mathieu Franceschi | Skoda | +32.1 |
| 6. | Hayden Paddon | Hyundai | +38.2 |
| 7. | Bostjan Avbelj | Skoda | +1:00.0 |
| 8. | Roberto Dapra | Skoda | +1:08.2 |
| 9. | Giandomenico Basso | Toyota | +1:14.9 |
| 10. | Andrea Mabellini | Skoda | +1:20.2 |
| 11. | Simon Wagner | Skoda | +1:28.7 |
| 12. | Miko Marczyk | Skoda | +1:55.3 |
