The action will begin with a super special stage on the Thursday evening which takes place in Alghero. From there, teams head to the east coast where they will take on two runs of four stages, which this year will once again include the classic rocky and rough stages of Terranova and Monte Olia.
The Saturday will feature just six stages in the Monte Acuto region but is the longest and toughest challenge of the rally. It consists of a total of 143.16 km and it will also see drivers taking on the fabled Mickey’s Jump, which always draws big crowds to the Monte Lerno stage.
The final day of the Rally Italia Sardegna is almost identical to the 2016 rally, featuring four stages to the north-west of the island.
The real challenge for drivers and teams in Sardinia will be, as always, the conditions. The surface of the roads will be rough and stony, with a sandy surface that will be quickly swept away by the early drivers. This layer makes conditions slippery for those scheduled to run early and this is emphasised by the high suspensions drivers have to go with to keep clear of the rutted roads.
The roads are also fast and unforgiving, with many lined with trees, bushes and rocks. This means that even the smallest of errors can be punished severely. Drivers can choose between hard and soft compound tyres; a decision which can have a bearing on the eventual outcome of the rally.
Then there are temperatures which can frequently reach in excess of 30°C. This puts great stress on the engines of the cars as well as the drivers and co-drivers.
All of which makes the Rally Italia Sardegna one of the toughest rounds of the year for drivers and cars, but one of the most thrilling for spectators.
As ever, there will be a strong ŠKODA presence at the event this year, as the FABIA R5 looks to continue its winning run in the WRC2 championship. And we will, of course, be following all the action right here on the ŠKODA Motorsport website as well as on our social media channels.
The action will begin with a super special stage on the Thursday evening which takes place in Alghero. From there, teams head to the east coast where they will take on two runs of four stages, which this year will once again include the classic rocky and rough stages of Terranova and Monte Olia.
The Saturday will feature just six stages in the Monte Acuto region but is the longest and toughest challenge of the rally. It consists of a total of 143.16 km and it will also see drivers taking on the fabled Mickey’s Jump, which always draws big crowds to the Monte Lerno stage.
The final day of the Rally Italia Sardegna is almost identical to the 2016 rally, featuring four stages to the north-west of the island.
The real challenge for drivers and teams in Sardinia will be, as always, the conditions. The surface of the roads will be rough and stony, with a sandy surface that will be quickly swept away by the early drivers. This layer makes conditions slippery for those scheduled to run early and this is emphasised by the high suspensions drivers have to go with to keep clear of the rutted roads.
The roads are also fast and unforgiving, with many lined with trees, bushes and rocks. This means that even the smallest of errors can be punished severely. Drivers can choose between hard and soft compound tyres; a decision which can have a bearing on the eventual outcome of the rally.
Then there are temperatures which can frequently reach in excess of 30°C. This puts great stress on the engines of the cars as well as the drivers and co-drivers.
All of which makes the Rally Italia Sardegna one of the toughest rounds of the year for drivers and cars, but one of the most thrilling for spectators.
As ever, there will be a strong ŠKODA presence at the event this year, as the FABIA R5 looks to continue its winning run in the WRC2 championship. And we will, of course, be following all the action right here on the ŠKODA Motorsport website as well as on our social media channels.
