Legend Andreucci ready to “give it our all” on ERC return

Highly respected for his achievements in competition and in car and tyre development, the 59-year-old has 10 ERC event wins and 11 outright Italian championship crowns to his name.   

And Andreucci, who made it a hat-trick of Italian Gravel titles in 2023, is back at Rally2 level for Rally di Roma Capitale, his home ERC event, after he tried out a Renault Clio Rally3 in 2023.   

“Rally di Roma Capitale is one of the best races we have in Italy,” said Andreucci, who has started the event seven times since its inception in 2013 and finished on the podium on all but two occasions. “I raced here for the first time in 2013 when the race was not yet valid for a national title and I immediately realised that technically it could go a long way.   

“Max Rendina has found a way to make it unique and it will certainly be a good challenge again this year. For our part we will give it our all, it will be a pleasure to start at the Colosseum, a unique setting.”

Andreucci will drive a Citroën C3 Rally2 under the Team MRF Tyres banner as part of his association with the Indian manufacturer. According to MRF Tyres, Andreucci’s involvement is crucial not only in competition, which is focused on the Italian championships, but also, and above all, in relentless tyre development, both for Tarmac and gravel”.  

Team MRF Tyres has also entered Latvian Mārtiņš Sesks, rising Italian star Andrea Mabellini, and Amaury Molle for what will be the Belgian driver’s first ERC appearance in Rally2 machinery.  

Molle prepared for Rally di Roma Capitale with an outing on Rally del Casentino in Italy recently, which gave him the opportunity to sample his Delta Rally-run Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo in competition for the first time alongside co-driver Alex Dubois.

“I am quite satisfied with the pace we had last week,” Molle, 29, said. “I was able to do my first rally since 2023 and it went rather well. We tried different settings and options available to us. The goal was clearly to test and clarify some technical points in order to have a base for Rally di Roma Capitale.”