Florentine driver Tommaso Ciuffi, paired with Pietro Cigni in a Škoda Fabia RS, stands as the leader in the Italian Gravel Rally Championship. Heading into the November 16-17 weekend, he is ready for a battle of total commitment: “I’m stronger than before. We’ll start at our best from the free practice sessions; there will be no holding back.”
At the first round of the Italian Gravel Rally Championship, things didn’t go as planned for Ciuffi. An off-road mishap in Foligno forced him to retire early. Yet, as the championship reaches its final round, Ciuffi’s season has dramatically turned around. With one masterful performance after another, he has excelled in the championship, winning at Val d’Orcia and securing three consecutive second places. This consistency and impressive pace have placed him as the leader heading into the ultimate face-off at Rally delle Marche. Ciuffi and Cigni, who have been racing together for two years, now have the opportunity of a lifetime on the dirt roads around Cingoli, where Ciuffi faces a final intense duel with Alberto Battistolli. The stakes are high: whoever finishes first will be champion. And watch out for challengers Scandola and Oldrati, who could disrupt the rankings.
“I want to take home the championship,” Ciuffi says firmly. “We’ve had a great season, always in the front and proving our strength despite the mistake in Foligno. We’ll prepare with some test sessions to come out strong right from the free practice. We’ll give it everything, no holding back.”
With Ciuffi at 51 points and Battistolli at 49, the narrow margin leaves no room for strategy or calculations. Battistolli arrives at Marche on a high after his comeback victory in Sardinia at the Rally dei Nuraghi e del Vermentino, adding a boost of confidence. Yet Ciuffi remains undeterred, remarking calmly, “All experience I put in the drawer. We know how the last round went. I made a mistake; in the last stage, I improved my previous run by only five seconds after eight minutes. By the end, I had shaved off another twelve seconds, so it’s clear that in the first part, I just went too slow.”
Reflecting on that experience, he adds, “Yes, he won the race, but I’m calm. I didn’t let it bring me down. Mistakes are there to be learned from. I don’t have much experience, and that stage was my first 20km on dirt in a Rally2. Right now, I honestly feel we’re the faster team, the ones to beat.”
So, what lesson did he take away from Vermentino? “The biggest lesson is that even with a one-minute lead, I’ll never hold back again,” Ciuffi says, laughing. “In these races, you can’t afford to relax, even when you think you’re in control. You always have to be on the attack.”
How does he feel heading into the final round? “I’m coming into Rally delle Marche full of energy because the goal is clear: to win. We’ll attack from the free practice sessions to make an immediate mark that boosts us mentally.”
Will this final round be a mental battle as well? “Definitely. You have to be mentally strong because anything can happen, including mistakes. If you make one, you need to move on without dwelling. I’m calm. While Alberto might seem more energized from his recent success, I understand where I went wrong, and now I’m stronger for it.”
When asked if he expected to be competing for the championship after his early season setback in Foligno, he admits, “Honestly, no. If someone had told me, I wouldn’t have believed it, especially with the big names in the lineup. I thought I’d be fighting near the top, sure, but not leading at the end of the year. We saw the opportunity to grow and improve through the season, and we went after it. I have to thank Erreffe and Pirelli for believing in us.”
After an adaptation period last year, does he feel he’s found his stride in this championship? “Yes, I think I’ve found my place. I spent a lot of my early years racing on dirt, and it feels natural to me. On dirt, I’m happy; I feel comfortable and enjoy every moment. Winning the championship would be a huge accomplishment, a goal I’ve chased with determination. It would also be a way of thanking all the partners who have supported me. If it doesn’t happen this year, I’ll definitely try again next year.”