Tempestini had dropped time on SS4 after he “touched a stone at the beginning”, completing the 11.54km run 11.2sec behind Crugnola.
But the Michelin-equipped Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 driver hit back on SS5, the repeat of the 6.96km Alatri stage, with his first stage win of the weekend to narrow Crugnola’s advantage to 9.4sec.
“It’s a good start to the rally but it’s important to keep the concentration and keep trying to do our best,” Tempestini said. “It’s the first time in this car on the Tarmac and since last year in Barum we didn’t drive the Rally2 car on Tarmac so we are enjoying but the 30km stage six will be a real challenge for everybody.”
After completing SS5 with the fourth fastest time aboard his Pirelli-shod Citoën C3 Rally2, Italian champion and 2023 Rally di Roma Capitale winner Crugnola said: “The stage is quite tricky so we prefer to push but not 100 per cent. Our goal with the Italian championship looks good so far.”
ERC champion Hayden Paddon, driving a Hyundai i20 N Rally2 on Pirelli tyres, holds third place with Simone Campedelli just 0.1sec behind in fourth. Mathieu Franceschi is fifth with SS2 pacesetter Boštjan Avbelj sixth.
Efrén Llarena, on his first start in a Michelin-equipped Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, is seventh followed by two-time ERC champion Giandomenico Basso, the leading Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 driver.
“It’s difficult, the set-up is quite good but I don’t know what’s wrong,” Basso said. “I have no understeering but it’s not driving so well and I have to understand what’s going wrong and sort it out.”
Roberto Daprà, the ERC4 champion from 2023, is ninth with Andrea Mabellini completing the top 10 for Team MRF Tyres.
Filip Kohn holds first place in FIA ERC3 and the ERC Fiesta Rally3 Trophy. Giorgio Cogni led Giandrea Pisani by 2.3sec after four stages in FIA ERC4.
The repeat of the 28.74km Santopadre - Fontana Liri stage is up next from 16:07 local time.