{"id":3909,"date":"2026-07-05T19:51:24","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T19:51:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.worldrally.eu\/?p=3909"},"modified":"2026-07-05T19:51:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T19:51:25","slug":"rally-di-roma-capitale-2026-roberto-dapra-claims-maiden-erc-victory-on-home-soil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.worldrally.eu\/index.php\/2026\/07\/05\/rally-di-roma-capitale-2026-roberto-dapra-claims-maiden-erc-victory-on-home-soil\/","title":{"rendered":"Rally di Roma Capitale 2026: Roberto Dapr\u00e0 Claims Maiden ERC Victory on Home Soil"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Roberto Dapr\u00e0 and co-driver Luca Guglielmetti celebrated a dream weekend by claiming their first FIA European Rally Championship victory at Rally di Roma Capitale. The Italian crew held their nerve through Sunday’s four demanding stages to secure an emotional home win in front of the Italian fans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final day featured two runs each through Monastero\u2013Monte Livata and Canterano\u2013Gerano, with the podium battle remaining wide open. While Dapr\u00e0 started the day with a healthy advantage, the fight for third place was far from over, with just a few seconds separating Bo\u0161tjan Avbelj and defending Rally di Roma Capitale winner Giandomenico Basso.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the end of an action-packed Sunday, Dapr\u00e0 had secured a memorable maiden ERC victory, Teemu Suninen finished second, and Avbelj held on to complete the podium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dapr\u00e0 Begins the Final Day in Control<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After taking the lead on Saturday following Andrea Crugnola’s retirement, Dapr\u00e0 began Sunday with a 20.2-second advantage over Suninen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Avbelj was third, 28.3 seconds behind the leader, but his podium position was under serious pressure from Basso. The experienced Italian started the day only 5.9 seconds behind Avbelj, setting up one of the closest battles of the rally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Dapr\u00e0 focused on managing his lead, the fight for the final podium position promised to be one of the highlights of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basso Closes the Gap<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Basso and Granai \/\/ Photo by Goretti at Worldrally.eu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The opening stage of Sunday immediately delivered drama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basso produced a strong run to reduce the gap to Avbelj, leaving just 3.8 seconds between the pair as the battle for third intensified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, SS8 also claimed several competitors. Matulka and Dei Ceci were both forced to retire with mechanical problems, while Nemet and Proudlock saw their rallies come to an end following separate accidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More Retirements on SS9<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The second stage of the morning proved just as demanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several more crews were caught out by the challenging Italian roads, with Japanese driver Arai, Germany’s Otto, Ireland’s McBride and Italy’s Francia all retiring after accidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the front of the rally, there were no changes to the top three positions. Dapr\u00e0, Suninen and Avbelj all extended their advantage over the chasing pack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The closest contest remained the fight for third place, with Basso reducing the deficit by another tenth of a second to keep the pressure firmly on Avbelj.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Avbelj Responds in Style<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With only two stages remaining, Avbelj answered in impressive fashion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Avbejl and De Guio \/\/ Photo by Goretti at Worldrally.eu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

He set the fastest time on SS10 with an outstanding 12:57.0, reclaiming valuable time and strengthening his hold on third overall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the impressive stage win, the battle was far from settled. Basso remained only 1.5 seconds behind heading into the final Power Stage, ensuring the podium fight would go down to the final kilometres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Power Stage Decides the Podium<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The final Power Stage delivered one last thrilling battle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Avbelj once again proved to be the quickest driver, setting another fastest stage time to secure third place overall and collect valuable bonus championship points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basso finished second fastest on the stage but fell just short of taking the final podium position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite his retirement on Saturday, Crugnola showed his pace by setting the third-fastest time on the Power Stage. Andrea Mabellini and Suninen completed the top five stage times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dream Victory for Dapr\u00e0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At the front of the field, Dapr\u00e0 drove a controlled and mature final loop to secure the biggest victory of his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together with co-driver Guglielmetti, the Italian crew claimed their maiden FIA European Rally Championship victory on home soil, making Rally di Roma Capitale a weekend they will never forget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suninen finished second after another consistent performance that strengthened his position in the championship standings, while Avbelj successfully defended third place after an intense battle with Basso throughout Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Basso narrowly missed the overall podium, he still left Rome with silverware after finishing as the top driver in the Master ERC category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final Results \u2013 Rally di Roma Capitale 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. 1. Roberto Dapr\u00e0 & Luca Guglielmetti (\u0160koda Fabia RS Rally2) \u2013 1:58:02.5<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. 2. Teemu Suninen & Antti Haapala (\u0160koda Fabia RS Rally2) \u2013 +13.8<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. 3. Bo\u0161tjan Avbelj & Elia De Guio (\u0160koda Fabia RS Rally2) \u2013 +14.3<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. 4. Giandomenico Basso & Lorenzo Granai (\u0160koda Fabia RS Rally2) \u2013 +17.5<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. 5. Yoann Bonato & Benjamin Boulloud (Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale) \u2013 +58.8<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. 6. Mille Johansson & Johan Gr\u00f6nvall (\u0160koda Fabia RS Rally2) \u2013 +1:14.1<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. 7. Pablo Sarrazin & Yannick Roche (Citro\u00ebn C3 Rally2) \u2013 +1:24.4<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. 8. Andrea Mabellini & Virginia Lenzi (Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale) \u2013 +1:24.7<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. 9. Yohan Rossel & Arnaud Dunand (Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale) \u2013 +1:30.4<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. 10. Miko Marczyk & Szymon Gospodarczyk (\u0160koda Fabia RS Rally2) \u2013 +1:37.3<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    FIA European Rally Championship Standings After Rally di Roma Capitale<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \"\"
    Sunninen and Haapala \/\/ Photo by Goretti at Worldrally.eu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    1. 1. Suninen \u2013 48 points<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. 2. Basso \u2013 45 points<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. 3. Mabellini \u2013 33 points<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. 4. Dapr\u00e0 \u2013 30 points<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    5. 5. Su\u00e1rez \u2013 30 points<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    6. 6. Heikkil\u00e4 \u2013 30 points<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    7. 7. Sesks \u2013 28 points<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    8. 8. Ares \u2013 27 points<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    9. 9. Avbelj \u2013 26 points<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    10. 10. Carlberg \u2013 22 points<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Key Moments From Sunday<\/h2>\n\n\n\n