Rally fans, start your engines! This weekend, Italy’s motorsport scene is set alight with two of the country’s most storied and competitive events: the 72nd Rally Sanremo in Liguria and the much-anticipated Rally di Taormina, the final round of the CRZ Coppa Italia ACI Sport 9th Zone. Both rallies promise high-octane action, fierce rivalries, and dramatic twists as drivers and navigators vie for glory and crucial championship points.
In Liguria, the 72nd Rally Sanremo takes center stage on October 18 and 19, 2025. This classic event isn’t just another stop on the calendar—it’s a convergence of multiple major competitions: the European Rally Trophy (ERT), the Trofeo Rally di Zona (CRZ, 15th Sanremo Leggenda), the Campionato Italiano Rally Auto Storiche (CIRAS, 40th Sanremo Rally Storico), and the Campionato Italiano Rally Auto Storiche di Regolarità (CIRASR, 39th Coppa dei Fiori). With such a packed slate, Sanremo is buzzing with anticipation.
The Biella Corse team is making its presence felt across several categories. Christian Casadei and Nadir Bionaz, piloting a Lancia Ypsilon (RC4N, Rally4) with car number 34, are set to tackle the main Rally Sanremo. Alongside them, Fabrizio Lovati and Luca Pieri return to their familiar Renault Clio S1600 (RC3N, S1600), sporting number 44. Not to be overlooked, navigator Harshana Ratnayake teams up with Tommaso Paleari Henssler in a Toyota GR Yaris (RC3N, R1T Naz. 4x4), car number 56. These crews are all hungry for strong finishes in their respective classes.
The 15th Sanremo Leggenda, running in parallel, features Tiziano Pieri—of Scuderia fame—navigating for Filippo Serena in a Skoda Fabia RS (RC2N, R5/Rally2), car number 209. Meanwhile, the 40th Sanremo Rally Storico welcomes back the experienced Stefano Bruno-Franco, who will be reading pace notes for Sandro Rossi in a Renault 5 GT Turbo (4th group, period J1, group A, class 2000), car number 25. For fans of regularity rallies, the 39th Coppa dei Fiori includes Biella Corse’s Gabriele Lovazzano and Ferdinando Morra, who tackle the course in an Autobianchi A112 Elegant (IV group, class 1), car number 314, competing in the “Media 50” category.
So, what’s the course like? The Rally Sanremo kicks off from the city itself on Saturday afternoon, October 18, and wraps up on Sunday, October 19. Saturday’s schedule includes four timed stages: Porto Sole (2.56 km), Carpasio-Ville S. Pietro (14.72 km), Cesio-Caravonica (6.36 km), and Aurigo-Rezzo (18.30 km). Sunday ups the ante with four more: Vignai (14.23 km), Ghimbegna-San Romolo (10.51 km), San Romolo-Perinaldo (6.14 km), and Semoigo-Bajardo (7.36 km), each to be run twice. In total, competitors will cover 381.43 km, with 118.42 km of those being special stages—plenty of ground for fortunes to rise and fall.
Other events within the Sanremo rally weekend bring their own flavor. The Sanremo Leggenda route spans 297.14 km, with 70.56 km of special stages. The historic rally, Sanremo Rally Storico, challenges crews over a grueling 458.39 km (123.54 km timed), while the Coppa dei Fiori regularity event covers 371.97 km, 99.367 km of which are timed. That’s a lot of tarmac, gravel, and adrenaline!
Recent performances by Biella Corse have set the bar high. Just last weekend, at the 42nd Rally Città di Bassano, Hervé Navillod and Filippo Gelsomino (Citroen DS3, RC2N, N5 Nazionale) clinched a class victory, finished 21st in group, and 27th overall. Their strong showing secures a solid fourth place in the Trofeo N5 2025 standings, with the decisive Rally del Brunello and a high-stakes final still to come. Francesca Belli, navigating for Maurizio Ferrarol in a Renault Clio (RC5N, Rally5), also impressed, finishing sixth in class, seventh in group, and 70th overall. These results underscore Biella Corse’s depth and determination as the Sanremo weekend unfolds.
While Liguria gears up for its rally extravaganza, the south of Italy is no less electric. The Rally di Taormina, the sixth and final round of the CRZ Coppa Italia ACI Sport 9th Zone, is poised for a dramatic conclusion. Scheduled for this weekend, it’s more than just a race—it’s a battleground where class positions and overall standings will be decided ahead of the National Final at the Rally Tirreno-Messina in mid-November.
The Taormina entry list reads like a who’s who of Italian rallying. Andrea Nucita, paired with Alessandro Floris, and Diego Novelli, this year with Alessandro Anastasi, headline a field brimming with talent and ambition. The R5 category promises fireworks, with Marco Pollara and Maurizio Princiotto, Emanuele La Torre and Rosario Siragusano, and the resurgent Maurizio Rizzo and Antonino Pittella all in Skoda Fabias. Super 2000 sees Giovanni Li Fonti with Salvatore Principato and Pietro Imbrò with Maurizio Corso, both in Peugeot 207s, ready to entertain and impress on Taormina’s storied roads.
The Super 1600 class is set for a showdown between seasoned drivers Biagio Mingoia and Mariano Bruno, each supported by experienced co-drivers—Christian Carrubba and Giorgia Bruno, respectively. In the N5 class, Maurizio Rizzo with Massimo D’Angelo (Citroen CR) add further spice, while Ernesto Riolo and Giulia Marin, in a Renault Clio (R3), are making their third CRZ appearance of the season.
Points battles are raging across the board. In Rally 4, Rosario Cannino and Giuseppe Buscemi are separated by just a single point from Alessio Pollara and Sergio Raccuja, with a fleet of Peugeot 208s vying for supremacy. Rally 4 R2B is even tighter: only half a point splits Jerry Mingoia–Calogero Calderone from Andrea Mogavero–Pietro Tumeo, making every stage, every second, absolutely critical. Giovanni Barreca and Marco Marin are still in the hunt, hoping to shake up the standings at the last moment.
Some drivers—Andrea La Torre (R5), Alessio Pollara (Rally 4), and Andrea Mogavero (Rally 4 R2B)—have already booked their spots for the National Final, thanks to their top-three finishes among Under 25s. Notably, several class leaders are absent, but the return of 2024 finalist duo Angelo Sturiale and Giulia Gentile (Renault Clio Williams, Team Phoenix) adds intrigue. The fight for final places is fierce, with Carmelo Garufi and Giuseppe Pergolizzi (Peugeot 106 K10) and Racing Start Plus 1600’s Paolino Fragale and Agatina Triolo (Citroen Saxo) all eager to make their mark.
Lower classes aren’t lacking in drama, either. N2 features a heated duel between Roberto Mignani–Gianluca De Clò and Samuele–Mattia Cannarella, both in Peugeot 106s. In Racing Start 1600, Giovanni Casanova–Michele Amico go up against Antonino Bertuccio–Graziella Rappazzo, while N1 sees the already-qualified Stefano with Vincenza Velardi taking a celebratory run.
With so much at stake and so many stories unfolding, both the Rally Sanremo and Rally di Taormina are set to deliver a weekend of unforgettable motorsport. The engines are revving, the stages are set, and every crew knows that a single second could make all the difference. Stay tuned as the action continues to unfold—Italy’s rally season is far from over!
