- The 71 Rally Motul Costa Brava has been presented in Girona, a rally that reaches a record entry list of 240 teams, 60% of which are foreigners and with more than 60 women.
- From 16th to 18th March, the oldest rally in Spain starts the season of the European and Spanish Historic Rally Championships, with the participation of more legendary drivers and vehicles than ever before.
- The service park in Fornells de la Selva and the podium in Girona will be the epicentres of an intense program of activities.
The 71 Rally Motul Costa Brava has been presented at the Pont de Pedra in Girona, with the presence of authorities and sponsors. Organized by RallyClassics, this year’s edition of the oldest rally in Spain takes place from 16th to 18th March and will be a record-breaking event.
Thus, the entry list boasts a spectacular number of 240 teams, setting a new record. It should be noted that there has been an increase of 60 teams compared to the 181 of the previous edition, which represents an increase of 33%.
Of these 240 teams, 60% are foreigners, of 20 different nationalities, not only European but also from the United States or Argentina, for example. These data illustrate once again the position of the Rally Motul Costa Brava as a benchmark event in international historic motorsport. As is the tradition, the rally opens the season of the European and Spanish Historic Rally Championships. It also scores for the Catalan Championships and includes the exhibition Legend category.
In addition, on the first anniversary of the RallyClassics #MotorDona program, female participation continues to grow. This year there will be more than 60, a number never seen before in this sport. In the right seat, the number of women already exceeds 20% of the total number of co-drivers. The #MotorDona program wants to promote the participation of women in all areas of classic motorsport. Thus, different positions of responsibility and race direction are also managed by women in this edition.
Show inside and outside the stages
The 71 Rally Motul Costa Brava has two major epicentres, Girona and Fornells de la Selva. On the one hand, Girona will host the parc fermé and the starting podiums on Thursday 16th and Friday 17th. It will also take place here, on Saturday 18th in the afternoon, the arrival of the participants and the prize-giving ceremony. On the other hand, the rally service park will be installed for the third consecutive year in Fornells de la Selva. This will be an obligatory visit for fans between Thursday and Saturday, since not only will they be able to see the team facilities and the work of the mechanics up close, but there will be several parallel activities every day.
Even so, the legend of the Rally Motul Costa Brava falls on the itinerary, which runs through some of the most mythical sections of the country. On Thursday night, Sporting participants will already have an aperitif, with the Santuari dels Àngels stage. On Friday there will be two loops through the sections of Els Àngels, Santa Pellaia curt and Salions -Sant Grau, and on Saturday, two more loops through Osor, Collsaplana and Cladells. In total, the route includes 176 kilometres against the clock, divided into 13 stages (12 for Regularity and Legend participants).
Legendary drivers and machines
The huge registration of 240 teams promises a spectacular 71 Rally Motul Costa Brava, due to the variety of participating cars and the presence of several drivers who have written the history of rallying. The big star of this edition will be Miki Biasion, who has a special bond with the event, since the 1983 Rally Costa Brava was his first participation outside of Italy and at the wheel of the Lancia Rally 037. The two-time world champion will run with a 037 like the one he drove in 1983 and also in 1985, both times with victory. The Costa Brava was the beginning of his rise to the top of the rallies.
The historic Jacques Alméras will also participate with a Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.0, and Tony Fassina, winner of the 1982 Rally Costa Brava, who will drive one of the most mythical vehicles in history, the Lancia Stratos. Four Costa Brava winners from the last stage as a historic rally are also competing this year: Marco Bianchini – Giulia Paganoni (Subaru Impreza WRC 99); Valter Chr. Jensen – Erik Pedersen (Ford Escort RS1800); Jean-François Berenguer – Aline Berenguer (Ford Escort RS1800) and “Lucky” – Fabrizia Pons (Lancia Delta HF Integrale 16v).
The Italian co-driver Fabrizia Pons is the woman with the most victories in the World Rally Championship (WRC), 5, as co-driver of Michèle Mouton (4) and Piero Liatti (1). Her figure is a strong boost for the RallyClassics #MotorDona program.
Among the more than sixty participating women, there will also be the second co-driver with the most participations together with Mouton, Françoise Conconi. Other outstanding women’s teams are Tiffaney and Michelle Perlino (Opel Kadett GT/E) and Fabienne Pommier – Jacqueline Casamayou (Alfetta GTV 2.0) in Sporting, as well as several specialists in Regularity.
As for the vehicles, the 71 Rally Motul Costa Brava will be a living museum with the best of the different eras of rallying. Among Sporting, Regularity and Legend categories, the fans will enjoy the spectacle of unique machines from Gr. 4, Gr. B (more than a dozen units), Gr. A, Kit Car, WRC… on some of the most beautiful and selective roads. In addition to several units of Lancia Rally 037, Stratos and Delta Integrale; 25 Ford Escort and 25 Porsche 911, Audi Quattro S1 E2, Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, Ferrari 308 GTB Michelotto, Alpine A110, Fiat 124 Abarth Rally, Subaru Impreza, BMW M3 and many more will be seen.
The presence of Team Motul is also notable, with four vehicles that will compete in Regularity. For the second consecutive year, Motul sponsors the event, reaffirming its link with the world of classic motorsports and racing.
The oldest participating vehicle will be the Seat 1400B from Seat Históricos that accompanied the presentation of the rally in Girona. A model that this year turns 70 and was born the same year as the Rally Costa Brava, 1953, the first edition of which was won precisely by a Seat (Fiat) 1400.
On March 16th, the show begins!
All informations regarding the 71 Rally Motul Costa Brava available here.
