Rally di Roma Capitale 2026: the Colosseum, the Forums and the Frecce Tricolori frame the 14th edition

Rome, 3-5 July 2026 – The Rally di Roma Capitale has just come to an end, reaching its fourteenth edition, the event that for three days brought top-level international motorsport back to the Capital, valid as a round of the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) and the Campionato Italiano Assoluto Rally Sparco (CIAR). The event, conceived by Max Rendina and organised by Motorsport Italia, delivered a show that managed to weave competitive racing together with some of the most iconic locations in the Eternal City.

A unique stage: from Piazza di Spagna to St. Peter’s

From the very opening, the Rally di Roma Capitale placed everything on the Capital’s scenery. The eve of the event opened with a spectacular photo opportunity at Piazza di Spagna, while the official start ceremony took place at the foot of the Colosseum, in front of thousands of spectators. Several institutional authorities took part in raising the tricolour flag on the race, including the Minister for Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi, ACI President Geronimo La Russa, the President of the Lazio Regional Council Antonello Aurigemma, and Max Rendina himself, the event’s creator.

Right after the start, competitors tackled the spectacular special stage between Colle Oppio and the Colosseum, symbolically opened by 2019 world champion Ott Tanak, present as course car driver on a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.

The absolute novelty of this edition came for the grand finale: for the first time in the event’s history, the finish took place in Via della Conciliazione, with the Basilica of St. Peter’s in the background. Adding to the closing ceremony was a flypast by the Frecce Tricolori National Aerobatic Patrol, the result of a collaboration between Motorsport Italia and the Italian Air Force, scheduled for the time slot between 5:50 pm and 6:10 pm on Sunday 5 July.

The route and the special stages

After the spectacular opening stage in the heart of Rome, the race moved to the roads of the Rieti area for the longest and most demanding leg, with over 124 timed kilometres spread across two runs on the “Vallecupola” stage, the spectacular “Piana di Rascino” (over 27 km) and “Colle di Tora – Poggio Moiano”. During the day the cars returned to Rome for the service park at EUR, where in the evening a party open to the public was also held in the Fan Zone set up in front of the Palazzo dei Congressi.

The final day, Sunday 5 July, featured another four special stages, with a double run on “Monastero – Monte Livata” and “Canterano – Gerano”, the latter also valid as the Power Stage for the awarding of bonus points. The final stages were broadcast live on RaiPlay and Sky Sport Max.

The race: Nucita the first leader, then the strike by Daprà-Guglielmetti

On Friday night, on the spectator stage between Colle Oppio and the Colosseum, the surprise came from Sicilian driver Andrea Nucita, paired with Maurizio Messina in a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, who climbed up from the back to set the fastest time ahead of Frenchman Yohann Rossel (Lancia Ypsilon HF Integrale Rally2) and reigning European champion Miko Marczyk, just 0.4 tenths behind.

The second day, the longest and toughest on the roads of the Rieti area, completely overturned the standings. Nucita was forced to retire on SS3 “Piana di Rascino”, while Andrea Crugnola, who was leading the race at that point, went off the road on the same stage during the second run, managing to restart after about an hour and a quarter but losing any chance of fighting for victory.

The ones to benefit were Roberto Daprà and Luca Guglielmetti (ACI Team Italia, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2), who set three fastest stage times on Saturday and jumped to the lead of the overall standings with a 20.2-second advantage over Finns Teemu Suninen and Antti Haapala, currently leaders of the ERC European standings. At the end of the second leg, the provisional podium was completed by Bostjan Avbelj and Elia De Guio, also in a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, who set the fastest time on “Colle di Tora – Poggio Moiano” but were slowed by a puncture. Fourth provisionally were Giandomenico Basso and Lorenzo Granai (winners of last year’s edition), fifth the French crew Yoann Bonato and Benjamin Boulloud, first among the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale cars in a day that was not easy for the colours of the Turin manufacturer.

A system-wide event

The Rally di Roma Capitale confirms itself as one of the most important events on the European and national rally calendar, made possible thanks to the support of the Lazio Region, Roma Capitale, the Ministry for Sport and Youth, and the collaboration of the Automobile Club d’Italia, ACI Sport, CONI, Sport e Salute, as well as the Rome Capital Police, local administrations and law enforcement.

With the historic finish in Via della Conciliazione and the flypast of the Frecce Tricolori, the 2026 edition thus adds itself to the great scenic chapters of the event, confirming the rally as a showcase for international promotion of the Capital.

Source: rallydiromacapitale.it