There will be a distinctly family feeling to the Škoda line-up on Rally d’Italia-Sardegna this week.
Pierlorenzo Zanchi will drive a Škoda Fabia Super 2000 on the event run by Škoda Rally Team Italia, the sister operation to Škoda UK Motorsport, which is managed by Zanchi’s son Pierfrancesco.
Zanchi Sr is a respected gentlemen driver and took part on Rally d’Italia-Sardegna in 2009 when it counted as a round of the World Rally Championship, finishing 19th overall in a Subaru Impreza WRC.
Dario D’Esposito normally co-drives Zanchi Sr (they have competed together on more than 150 occasions since 1995) but he won’t be able to take up his regular role this week due to his commitments working as team co-ordinator for Škoda UK Motorsport, which is running Guy Wilks on the gravel event. The experienced Giovanni Agnese will navigate Zanchi Sr instead.
Rally d’Italia-Sardegna is round five of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge and gets underway with a ceremonial start in the island’s capital, Cagliari, on Friday night. Six all-gravel stages run on both Saturday and Sunday.