Hayden Paddon and John Kennard return to their European Rally Championship campaign this weekend at the 13-stage asphalt Rally di Roma Capitale in Italy.
The Kiwi duo will once again commandeer BRC Racing Team’s Hyundai i20 N as they seek to extend their lead in the championship standings. Of the five events to date, Paddon has won one and finished runner-up in the following four.
The Colosseum will provide a stunning backdrop for competitors when the action starts with the Super Special Stage at 6.00 am on Saturday (NZ Time) before the rally kicks into gear that afternoon.
Special Stage 2 begins at 8.00 pm on Saturday, being an 11.72 km pass on Guarcino – Altipiani di Arcinazzo, followed by the huge 32.30 km SS3 on Rocca di Cave – Subiaco. A 7.32 km run on Affile – Bellegra rounds out the morning’s action before a second pass on each of the stages that evening.
Sunday brings a slightly earlier start time, with the first run on the 6.72 km Fiuggi begging at 5.51 pm, before the 6.96 km Alatri and 29.08 km Santopadre. Alatri will be the first stage re-run after lunch, followed by Santopadre before Fiuggi closes out the rally as the Power Stage.
Paddon’s ERC lead over Martin Sesks currently sits at 34 points, while third-placed Mads Østberg will sit the rally out to prepare for the final two events of the year, making it the second event he has missed this season.
Given Østberg’s absence, the battle between Paddon and Sesks will be the talking point of the weekend as the ERC gets to the business end of the season.
The rally can be viewed live with a paid WRC+ subscription or followed through live updates on the European Rally Championship website.
Header Image: European Rally Championship
