The 2nd Supermag Rally Italia Sardinia takes place this coming weekend - the fifth round out of sixteen in the 2005
FIA World Rally Championship.
Sardinia will also play host to the third round in the 2005 FIA Junior WRC.
Following a ceremonial start in the exclusive holiday resort of Porto Rotondo on Thursday evening, the competition will begin on Friday when crews contest the first stage of the event
Special notes:
Italy's round of the WRC was previously hosted in Sanremo.
Last year though the event moved to the Mediterranean island of Sardinia where sandy gravel tracks replaced twisty, asphalt stages.
In 2005 the Rally d'Italia undergoes another change as it moves from an autumn date to spring.
Run in the spectacular mountain landscape of the north east of the island, the character of the rally will remain largely the same, featuring technical, medium width roads covered with fine, almost sandy, gravel. Weather conditions are expected to be mild, but with some stages taking crews to altitudes of more than 800 metres above sea level, some rain is likely.
Based in the port of Olbia, the rally includes nine repeated stages, based to the south and west of the host town, plus one other, to make a competitive distance of 350km.
75 per cent of the route will be new for 2005 and the event will conclude when the winning car crosses the finish ramp in Porto Rotondo at 1430hrs on Sunday.
FIA World Rally Championship news:
Petter Solberg remains in the lead in World Rally drivers' championship following the Rally NZ. The Norwegian is one point ahead of
Sebastien Loeb and three points up on
Markko Martin, who lies third.
In the constructors' championship meanwhile, Peugeot lead, 12 points up on
Citroen.
