It’s Tarmac time in the FIA European Rally Championship once again after three action-packed gravel counters.
As well as a change of surface, Rally di Roma Capitale marks the start of the second half of the season, which has celebrated four different winners from the opening four rounds.
Ever-present on the ERC schedule since 2017, when Bryan Bouffier beat Kajetan Kajetanowicz by 0.3sec in the closest finish of the modern European championship era, Rally di Roma begins on Friday (4 July) with a spectacular driving parade through the Eternal City.
That’s followed by a 1.3-kilometre super special stage in front of the Colosseum, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, as the sun begins to set, prior to two days of fast-paced asphalt competition around host town Fiuggi, south of Rome.
“The roads are completely different from day one and day two,” said Andrea Mabellini, Italy’s top ERC driver, who competes in a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 on Pirelli tyres. “Day one is a little more bumpy, the second day is more clean so we must find a compromise with the set-up or two different set-ups that work between two days. It’s going to be one of the toughest races in terms of being at the right speed and we must consider the drivers from the Italian championship.”
Mabellini continued: “There are two long stages and for sure the organiser makes the challenge even higher than in the previous years and the temperatures will be very hot, even if it is earlier in July than last year.”
Massive entry for a monumental challenge
An unprecedented 85 crews have registered for FIA European Rally Championship points on Rally di Roma Capitale to underline the huge interest in the ERC and the Italian event. A season-high 38 drivers will compete in the headlining ERC1 category for Rally2 cars. In addition, 11 drivers have entered the Rally3-based ERC3, while 36 drivers are eligible for ERC4, which caters for Rally4 and Rally5 machinery. Of those 36, 16 will be in contention for honours in the Hankook-equipped FIA Junior ERC Championship with 18 competing in the new-for-2025 Lancia Ypsilon Rally4 HF. Eight drivers will chase the various incentives on offer in the ERC Fiesta Rally3 Trophy.
Marczyk tops the ERC title order
Michelin-equipped Miko Marczyk heads to Italy for Rally di Roma Capitale with a 16-point advantage over fellow Michelin runner Mads Østberg in the race to become ERC champion for 2025. Pirelli-supplied Tymek Abramowski tops the ERC3 and ERC Fiesta Rally3 Trophy standings, while Dariusz Biedrzyński, another Pirelli contender, leads the Master ERC ranking. Hankook-shod Calle Carlberg heads the order in ERC4 and Junior ERC followed by Victor Hansen and Ioan Lloyd respectively. Team MRF Tyres is first in the FIA European Rally Championship for Teams with Michelin ahead in the FIA European Rally Championship for Tyre Suppliers.
Rally di Roma Capitale route in short
Event organiser Motorsport Italia has prepared an itinerary featuring three all-new special stages and a “complete route revision” following the return of legendary stages from previous editions of the asphalt-only event. It has stated with confidence that “the revamped layout raises the bar for competition and spectacle alike”.
Following Friday evening’s Colosseum super special, leg one on Saturday consists of three stages run either side of service in Fiuggi. At 34.57 kilometres, the double use Torre di Cicerone is the rally’s longest stage. Sunday’s leg follow an identical format with a midday service stop in Fiuggi taking place following a trio of stages that are repeated in the afternoon. Canterano – Subiaco is the longest of the day at 30.59 kilometres, while the Jenne – Monastero Power Stage is scheduled to get under way at 17:05 local time.
Collepardo Pozzo d’Antullo, Torre di Cicerone and Jenne – Monastero are new stages for 2025.
How to watch?
Fans across the globe can experience the excitement and drama of the ERC with every stage of every rally broadcast Rally.tv platform. In addition, the ERC is broadcast in a number of countries around the world and fans are advised to check local listings for details.
Rally di Roma Capitale: the key numbers
Stages: 13
Stage distance: 207.82 kilometres
Total distance: 811.55 kilometres