In a dramatic conclusion to the first round of the Italian Rally Trophy, Corrado Pinzano and Mauro Turati secured a nail-biting victory at the 41st Rally della Marca. The event, orchestrated by Giandomenico Basso with Scorzè Corse ASD, marked a spectacular start to the TIR 2025 Group A competition.
Racing on the edge, Pinzano, hailing from Biella, piloted his Skoda Fabia RS—expertly prepped by PA Racing and equipped with Pirelli tires—through a series of intense stages. He went head-to-head with his previous season’s rival, Giuseppe Testa from Molise. Testa, driving a Fabia prepared by Delta Rally and co-driven by Massimo Bizzocchi, launched a fierce comeback on each stage, particularly shining on the iconic “Monte Tomba” stretch.
Despite a cautious start, Testa turned up the heat, especially on the longest and most challenging stage, Monte Cesen, over 20km. The duel peaked in the final moments of the rally, where only 1.3 seconds separated the two on the last lap. After a minor mishap where Testa slightly damaged his vehicle, he managed a scratch time on PS6. However, Pinzano ultimately triumphed by a mere 1.8 seconds, with the rivals separated by just three tenths in the heart-stopping final stage, much to the delight of the large audience gathered.
Rudy Andriolo and Manuel Menegon also delivered a stellar performance, securing an impressive podium finish. After dominating the night stage at the former Peseggia base, they maintained pace with the front-runners, finishing 23.3 seconds behind the leaders. Their consistent performance set a high benchmark in the challenging Treviso rally.
Further down the field, 2015 CI WRC champion Manuel Sossella, accompanied by Gabriele Falzone, finished in a respectable fourth place, 33.3 seconds off the lead. Despite struggling to find a perfect rhythm, Sossella’s comeback in the TIR, a decade after his last title victory, highlighted the potential for future rounds.
Giacomo Pasa and Andrea Brugnaro repeated their previous year’s performance by finishing fifth, closely tailing the leaders and securing two third-place finishes on the “Tomba” stages. Simone Miele, partnered with Roberto Mometti, also showed marked improvement, finishing sixth.
The seventh spot was claimed by Luca Pedersoli and Anna Tomasi, debuting in the TIR with a Skoda Fabia RS after years with the Citroen DS3 WRC. Their race was crucial for gaining familiarity and confidence with their new vehicle.
Completing the top ten were the teams of Sulpizio-Angeli in a Hyundai i20, followed by Mauri-Bozzo and De Cecco-Campeis, demonstrating the competitive spirit of the rally.
In the ACI Sport Two Wheel Drive Cup, Lorenzo Grani and Samanta Grossi excelled with a Peugeot 208, clinching victory and an impressive 14th overall. In the 4WD category, Alex Pagnan and Livio Mondin took the top spot with their Ford Fiesta Rally3.
Maria Paola Fiorio, paired with Giulia Bico, debuted in the women’s category with a Citroen DS3 N5, setting the stage for their participation in upcoming TIR rounds.
Overall Rally della Marca Results
01: C. Pinzano/M. Turati (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) – 1h 04m 21.2s
02: G. Testa/M. Bizzocchi (Skoda Fabia RS) + 1.8s
03: R. Andriolo/M. Menegon (Skoda Fabia RS) + 23.3s
04: M. Sossella/G. Falzone (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) + 33.3s
05: G. Pasa/A. Brugnaro (Skoda Fabia RS) + 45.9s
06: S. Miele/R. Mometti (Skoda Fabia RS) + 56.1s
07: L. Pedersoli/A. Tomasi (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) + 1m 13.1s
08: L. Sulpizio/A. Angeli (Hyundai i20 N Rally2) + 2m 14.6s
09: M. Mauri/R.D. Bozzo Rolando (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) + 3m 16.9s
10: C. De Cecco/G.B. Campeis (Hyundai i20 N Rally2) + 3m 20.8s
You can view the full results here.