With the confidence and strength of the champion Matteo Giordano also puts his signature on RallyLANA, the fourth round of the Suzuki Rally Cup which is now getting ever closer to being raised to the sky by the hands of the driver from Cuneo.
In fact, the reigning winner of the Japanese one-make brand, flanked as always by Manuela Siragusa, dominated far and wide even on the demanding Biella asphalts, obtaining the full spoils with the first position and the victory of the power stage; the 32nd overall final position is proof of the great showdown shown by the leader, a result that allows him to be satisfied in view of the next heat, in which he could be crowned winner of the Suzuki Rally Cup for the second consecutive time.
His triumphal ride began on the Piedmontese roads right from the first spectacular night test, one of the longest in the trophy to be tackled in one breath with only the lights of the headlights. Already in that race Giordano had gained 13.5“ over all his opponents, an advantage that grew exponentially up to the finish when Roberto Pellè and Luca Franceschini crossed the finish line 1’21 behind.
In any case, a more than solid performance for the driver from Trentino who finished second on arrival, and appointment after appointment is carving out ample space for himself as a protagonist, climbing the classification of the trophy dedicated to Suzukis in rally mode. The second step in the RallyLANA echoes the other two second places obtained in the Ciocco and in the Targa Florio, which launch the driver from Trento as the main pursuer of the dominator Giordano.
The podium of cars from the Rising Sun is completed by Davide Bertini paired with Luca Vignolo, who was able to stoically fight with Pellè for the upper parts of the classic, arriving at the checkered flag with a delay of 23.6“ from the second position; for Bertini this is the first real lunge in this 2023 edition of the Suzuki Rally Cup, struck at the end with great decision. All the first three Suzukis at the finish are Swift Sport Hybrids, fitted with tires like all the cars in the Toyo Tires trophy.
Matteo Giordano, Manuela Siragusa, Suzuki Swift Sport Hybrid Rally1
Photo by: Suzuki
If Giordano has, as always, gigantic in the final standings, there was however a crew that on several occasions was able to snatch remarkable times, even winning 3 scratches. In fact, the young Alessandro Forneris, after two first races behind the only winner in charge, paired with Luigi Cavagnetto had a puncture in the “Ailoche 1” losing over 6′ of time; but he didn’t give up.
After changing the tire he returned to the cockpit to show his worth and obtained the best time, even with several seconds on Giordano, in 3 of the 4 final stages. The young driver who considered RallyLANA as his home race was second in the overall standings before the weekend, the leader’s first antagonist, but unfortunately from Biella with only eleventh place. Sterpone-Dondardini instead had a bitter retreat on the PS3, making their debut in the ’23 single-make season.
Fourth at 1’56 from the winner, but 19.9“ from the podium, the first of the under25 Sebastian Dallapiccola, who navigated by Fabio Andrian was able to build a reasoned race, played without risk but aiming for the best result; apt strategy for the driver from Trentino who also hits a sensational podium in the overall under25 classification of the race. Fifth is another young driver, Massimiliano Milivinti navigated by his brother Marco, who manages to narrowly gain victory in the Racing Start classification.
In fact, the Suzuki Swift Boosterjet rider fought strenuously throughout all the stages and managed right at the end to leap ahead of Lorenzo Oliveri and Lucrezia Viotti, leaders of the special classification who thus had to bow to the young Lombard’s attack by just 4.5“.
Another Boosterjet ranked eighth at 2’8 from Giordano, the one driven by Cristian Mantoet and navigated by Roberto Simioni, able after taking the measures in the first lap to sink the shot to pass Jean Claude Vallino and Sarndo Sanesi, thus taking the podium among the Racing Starts. The crew made up of Fililppo Gelsomino and Herve Navillod crosses the finish line in ninth position, more than 3′ from the top and with an advantage of 40″ from Marco Longo and Roberto Riva, who close the top 10 of the Suzuki Rally Cup.
After Forneris eleventh comes the arrival, in the splendid Piazza Duomo in the center of Biella, the crew of the Vitali family, Stefano and Maurizio, able to take advantage of the difficulties suffered by Alice Poggio and Valentina Briano to overtake them in the standings. The all-female crew, the only one on Suzuki Baleno, ranks thirteenth in the fourth round of the Suzuki Rally Cup 2023.
Matteo Giordano, Manuela Siragusa, Suzuki Swift Sport Hybrid Rally1
Photo by: Suzuki
The models in detail
– Suzuki Swift Sport Hybrid equipped with the specifications of the national Hybrid Rally5 Technical Regulations, with epicyclic differential (Quaife), standard electronic control unit (ECU) and original six-speed gearbox.
– Suzuki Swift BoosterJet 1.0 Fiche n° 0042 set up with the specifications of the Rally5/R1 Class.
– Suzuki Swift Sport 1600 equipped with the specifications of the National Class Ra5N.
– Suzuki BoosterJet 1.0 (Swift/Baleno) with Racing Start specifications.
All models are light and robust, very sensitive to setting up and have characteristics that enhance the driving skills and sensitivity of the pilots and reward the most skilled crews from time to time. To further standardize the level of performance, all cars in the Suzuki Rally Cup will have to mount the same Toyo tires in asphalt races.
Overall Standings for SUZUKI RALLY CUP Drivers
1. Jordan 84pt; 2. Forneris 58pt; 3. Dallapiccola 45pt; 4. Pelle 41pt; 5. Santero 28pt; 6. Olivieri 26pt; 7. Mantoet, Jasmine 21pt; 9. Poggio 16pt, 10. Martinelli 15pt;
Ranking RACING START 1.0 BoosterJet
1. Olivieri 37pt; 2. Martinelli 21pt; 3. hillock 19pt; 4. Whites 17pt; 5. Milivinti 13pt; 6. Mantoet, Vitali 10pt;
SUZUKI RALLY CUP Navigators standings
1. Syracuse 84pt; 2.Andrian 45pt; 3. Franceschini 41pt; 4. Cavagnetto 35pt; 5. Viotti 26pt; 6. Simioni 21pt; 7. Navillod 17pt 8. Zambelli, Perrin 14pt; 10. Milivinti 10pt.
#Suzuki #Rally #Cup #Poker #GiordanoSiragusa #Rally #Lana