The final race of the Italian Rally Championship turned into a considerable fiasco. The rally was held on the legendary Monza circuit and its service roads, which deteriorated into shocking condition due to wet weather.
When the same roads were driven over multiple times throughout the day, the sections became undriveable. Nearly a hundred crews started the competition, of which only about half managed to reach the finish.
Korhonen and Timonen participated in the GR Yaris Rally Cup, where competitors drove identical Toyota GR Yaris cars. In total, 16 teams started in this class, but only two made it to the finish.
Cars dropped out due to crashes and technical issues. Korhonen was leading his class after the sixth special stage but retired at that point.
“We retired to service when the car started making a noise that led us and the team to decide to quit. There really was no point in continuing when the roads were in such terrible condition, and we would just be driving the same roads again,” Korhonen explained in a video he posted on Facebook.
“There are cars from our class left out there – I think the engine broke down on five cars when water or oil leaked out of the engine. So, we also decided to quit, as there’s no point driving at twenty kilometers per hour in mud and breaking the car. This rally was a bit different this time – a different kind of trip,” Korhonen summed up.
Henri Timonen also faced technical problems.
“Retirement: engine, shock absorbers, and in addition, a fire extinguisher exploded inside the car,” Timonen listed in his Instagram story.
“Otherwise, a positive experience, and now we are looking forward.”
The Toyota GR Yaris Rally Cup competition was eventually won by Alessandro Ciardi, followed by Matteo Lusoli. Andrea Mabellini won the overall competition of Rally Monza.
Rally Monza was held as the final race of the World Rally Championship in 2020 and 2021.
