After two aborted attempts to contest Rally di Roma Capitale, the three-time winner of the ERC Ladies’ Trophy is all set to tackle the asphalt event, which forms part of the ERC schedule for the eighth time this week (26 - 28 July).
The Bulgarian driver explained: “This will be my debut in Rome after two failed attempts in recent years. I have been twice as a spectator with my co-driver Georgi [Avramov] and I know it will not be an easy race because definitely the stages in Italy are very specific and technical and I don’t have the experience on these roads.”
Stratieva is one of eight drivers in contention for ERC4 points in Rome at the wheel of her MRF Tyres-equipped Opel Corsa Rally4.
“My only participation over the years in Italy was in 2009 in Rally 1000 Miglia and my memory is of very difficult conditions and technical problems, which I hope I won’t have this year,” she said. “Instead, I hope for good concentration and synchronisation with the car.”
The entry for the ERC4 category, which is for front-wheel-drive Rally4 and Rally5 cars, includes Michael Rendina, the son of event organiser Max Rendina, former Italian Junior champions Giorgio Cogni and Davide Pesavento (pictured below), plus defending Italian 2WD champion Gianandrea Pisani.
Cristiana Oprea (pictured below), who is aiming for her first points finish of the season after a run of bad luck, also forms part of the ERC4 entry along with Martón Bertalan, who used to play futsal with Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai.
Wheelchair user Ciprian Lupu completes the ERC4 line-up with news of his second Rally di Roma Capitale appearance due to be published at FIAERC.com tomorrow.
How to watch?
Fans across the globe can experience the excitement and drama of the ERC with every stage of every rally broadcast Rally.tv platform. In addition, the ERC is broadcast in a number of countries around the world and fans are advised to check local listings for details.
Rally di Roma Capitale 2024: the key numbers
Stages: 13
Competitive distance: 189.52 kilometres
Total distance: 797.68 kilometres