Franco Cunico, the Italian rally legend from Vicenza, secured his second career victory at the Sanremo Historic Rally, echoing his legendary 1993 triumph. Cunico, co-driven by Gigi Pirollo, took control from the second stage and never looked back, leading the rally until the final podium at Corso Imperatrice, beneath the historic Sanremo Casino.
Cunico/Pirollo, driving their Porsche Carrera RS, were untouchable, setting the fastest times in six of the ten stages. They dominated the field, earning a well-deserved first place at both the Sanremo Historic Rally and the European Historic Rally Championship standings. Their success solidified an all-Italian charge at the top, with Lucio Da Zanche/Daniele De Luis following closely behind in another Porsche Carrera RS. Da Zanche crew held second place from start to finish, marking a steady performance throughout the rally.
The Italian sweep of the podium was narrowly missed when Valter Pierangioli/Arianna Ravano lost control of their Ford Sierra Cosworth on the tricky Rezzo downhill section. While the crew escaped unscathed, their race ended prematurely. This allowed Ireland’s Eamonn Kelly/Gordon Noble, in a BMW M3, to snatch third place. A brilliant performance on the Calderara-Testico stage on Saturday night ensured they held the position until the finish.
Polish crew Maciej Lubiak/Grzegorz Dachowski, also in a BMW M3, took fourth place after fending off a determined attack from Hungary’s Tibor Érdi/István Kerék in a Ford Sierra Cosworth 4×4. Érdi’s fifth-place finish proved vital, helping him edge closer to ‘Zippo’ – the alias of Italian driver Andrea Zivian.
‘Zippo’ and co-driver Nicola Arena, in their Audi Quattro, opted for a conservative strategy to secure valuable points toward the European crown. Their sixth-place finish in Sanremo earned them the Group 3 continental title, but the overall European title will be decided in the upcoming Greek rally, where Érdi’s crew will mount their final challenge.
The Sanremo Historic Rally saw 31 crews complete the event, with intense competition from start to finish.
Overall Final Classification
01: F. Cunico/L. Pirollo (Porsche Carrera RS) – 1h 22m 58.2s
02: L. Da Zanche/D. De Luis (Porsche Carrera RS) + 48.9s
03: E. Kelly/G. Noble (BMW M3) + 1m 51.8s
04: M. Lubiak/G. Dachowski (BMW M3) + 2m 22.8s
05: T. Érdi/I. Kerék (Ford Sierra Cosworth 4×4) + 2m 32.9s
06: ‘Zippo’/N. Arena (Audi Quattro) + 2m 43.7s
07: V. Stajf/V. Havelkova (Toyota Celica 2000 GT-Four) + 4m 25.4s
08: M. Musti/C. Biglieri (Porsche 911 SC) + 4m 51.9s
09: R. Breen/D. Morrissey (Subaru Legacy 4WD Turbo) + 5m 05.3s
10: D. Kelly/R. Kennedy (BMW M3) + 5m 05.6s
Italian Historic Rally Championship results
In the national standings, Cunico/Pirollo not only claimed victory overall but also topped Group 2, outperforming Da Zanche/De Luis. ‘Zippo’/Arena secured the Group 3 win with a measured drive, while Matteo Musti, piloting a Porsche 911 SC with co-driver Claudio Biglieri, finished fourth overall.
Elio Cortese/Ciro Lamura, driving a Subaru Legacy 4WD Turbo, earned the Group 4 victory and rounded off the top five overall. Meanwhile, Giuseppe Leggio/Rosario Guerrieri claimed the Group 1 crown in a BMW 202 TI.
A total of 42 crews completed the national rally, marking another successful edition of the Sanremo Storico.
Italian Historic Rally Championship Final Classification
01: F. Cunico/L. Pirollo (Porsche Carrera RS) – 1h 22m 58.2s
02: L. Da Zanche/D. De Luis (Porsche Carrera RS) + 48.9s
03: ‘Zippo’/N. Arena (Audi Quattro) + 2m 43.7s
04: M. Musti/C. Biglieri (Porsche 911 SC) + 4m 51.9s
05: E. Cortese/C. Lamura (Subaru Legacy 4WD Turbo) + 5m 09.4s
06: M. Guerra/G. Campeis (Porsche Carrera RS) + 5m 28.5s
07: O. Pasetto/C. Romano (Porsche Carrera RS) + 6m 07.5s
08: T. Nerobutto/F. Nerobutto (Opel Ascona 400) + 6m 52.7s
09: N. Mannino/G. Giannone (Porsche 911 SC) + 7m 47.8s
10: M. Luise/M. Ferro (Fiat Ritmo Abarth 130TC) + 8m 00.0s
