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Fiat Auto UK has
returned to the World Rally Championship with enthusiasm and excellent times,
with the drivers exceeding even their own expectations.
The Super Special on Thursday 16 September started off promisingly for the three
Fiat Stilos, with competitive times set by both local drivers, Leon Pesticcio,
from Bridgend, and Chris Davies, from Abergavenny, as well as Italian, Andrea
Perego.
The near production standard 187bhp Fiat Stilo mixed well with the considerably
more powerful Super 1600 cars, as well as the larger four wheel drive machines
with their obvious advantages in the inclement conditions during the first three
days of the rally.
These conditions ultimately proved too much for the Stilos, designed for the
friendlier conditions of the British Rally Championship.
Competing against a field largely comprising world rally cars, the three Fiat
Stilos ran towards the end of the field, meaning the front runners had severely
churned and rutted most of the stages.
In an attempt to benefit from better weather conditions, the rally has moved to
September, but the result was not as desired, with extremely heavy rain causing
further deterioration of the stages with the resultant road conditions causing
problems for many of the competitors throughout the weekend.
Rising to the challenge, Pesticcio and Davies set scintillating times over the
first four stages on Thursday and Friday before the conditions cut short the
World Rally Championship debut of the Stilo.
Perego surprised everyone, including himself, with some exceptional stage times
in the Welsh forests, a terrain unfamiliar to him, having never competed outside
of Italy. The rocky roads curtailed his British debut, when a damaged pipe
caused his engine to lose its coolant.
To increase the show for the spectators, new regulations, known as Superally,
allow cars to be restarted the following day after being recovered and
repaired. Both Pesticcio and Davies took advantage of this, departing with
refreshed enthusiasm from a saturated Felindre on Saturday morning.
"We got off to a fantastic start on the Super Special on Thursday night and then
followed that up with some good runs on Friday morning," said Pesticcio.
"However, Superally gave us another chance to show what the Stilo really can do
and go back onto the stages to put on a good spectacle for the homes fans."
Pesticcio's team-mate, Davies, was similarly thrilled about having the potential
to follow up some impressive stage times posted before his retirement.
"Friday started really well for me. I was determined to set off steadily and
gradually gather pace throughout the event; we'd been putting in some quick
times and the Stilo was running well before we went out."
Unable to re-start, Perego was philosophical: "Running behind so many four wheel
drive cars is tough. The wet conditions meant the stage surfaces quickly changed
and at the back, we had the worst of it.
"I was still really enjoying myself and to be part of this rally is a fantastic
experience. I look forward to returning next year."
Returning to the stages on Saturday morning Pesticcio and Davies continued to
drive competitively, posting excellent times. However, the conditions continued
to deteriorate following rutting from the leading cars and poor overnight
weather conditions.
Despite his best efforts in the tough conditions of Saturday, Pesticcio rally
ended early when a rock punctured the fuel tank. The leak was only discovered at
the refuelling zone before the Super Special stage when the decision was made
not to continue.
Said Davies, "The conditions this weekend in Wales have been extreme. Following
damage to the brakes on Saturday, I returned to the stages on Sunday before the
car jammed in first gear. I've had a fantastic weekend and it's been great to
get the experience, learning Wales Rally GB."
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