Winners Rally Team winning the 86th Rally Montecarlo with Brazzoli-Beltrame

The saluzzese, bearer of the Turin team, wins the victory thanks to nerves and determination, overcoming the extremely variable conditions of the Monaco race. Photo of Elio Magnano

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) – The goal was to get on the podium. And they succeeded. Seizing the full booty by winning the WRC3 category, closing third among the two-wheel drive cars and third of the Italian crews. Enrico Brazzoli and Luca Beltrame are no longer in the skin from the joy to the thought of the achievement, which saw them hit a result that has the amazing. «I said it before the race and I thought it until the moment I took the lead. The WRC3 Class podium was already a spectacular result that would have filled us with joy» comments the rider of the Turin Winners Rally Team. «Paradoxically when we saw off-road in the special Agniers En Devoluy the French Franceschi-Courbon, for ten WRC3 leading tests, the fear of making a mistake began. Because when you are in charge the responsibilities of centering the result increase».

Keeping his nerves steady the healthy driver and the navigator of Tortona have not made mistakes, remantenendo concentrated, continuing to travel fast without making a mistake. So fast to score the best time in the category in the double pass on Sunday morning on Le Cabanette-Col de Braus, always remaining in the wake of the fastest between the Two Wheel Drive. «To close Monte Carlo in the 20th position is a great joy. Winning the WRC3 by taking the lead in the World Championship has some fantastic. We finished third of the Italians, but those who preceded us were at the wheel of cars of much higher category than our Peugeot 208 R2 curated by Vieffe Corse. The greatest satisfaction is to have scored in many times close to people like Bonato-Boullod, winners of the Two Wheel Drive, guys who aspire to win a place in the Olympus of world rallying».

The 86th Rally Monte Carlo began Thursday evening, January 25, with the departure in front of the Casino of Monte Carlo, to immediately move inland and hold two special tests in the light of lighthouses. «Sisteron’s test, the first of the race, was perhaps the most difficult of all the rally. We had to face it with the mould tyres on an icy ground. It was difficult to keep the Peugeot 208 on the road, but we succeeded. On the other hand, during the 17 special races, equal to almost 400 kilometres timed we found everything: from completely dry asphalt to rain; from mud to fog to snow and ice. Often different conditions alternated in the same test, requiring choices of compromise tires. But this is the Rally of Monte Carlo: before starting we are aware that most of the race will be held with unsuitable tires because we had to choose a compromise with which to deal with the timed sections. Therefore we live constantly critical conditions, but we can never talk about negative situations».

Reasoning on it Enrico Brazzoli has a recipe to explain the success of Monaco: «My victory can be explained by the desire that Luca and I had to do well and perseverance. We never exaggerated, we never got caught up in the desire to give the assault on the ranking of those who preceded us. Monte Carlo is like this. If you lose a second it is nothing, if you lose a minute it is little. You can recover it in the next test. We also had our own flares, we also took a walk in a meadow, going out of the road in the special Agnières-en-Dévoluy, at a point where everyone put the wheels out of the road. But we managed to resume our ride. Two tests later we took the lead of the operations and we kept it until the end with our fast pace and decided that allowed us to keep our young opponents at a distance. The most difficult moment perhaps came in the last special stage, the Cabanette Col de Braus, 13.58 km, which seemed to never end. Besides, I thought I had no rhythm, too slow on the icy asphalt. Instead in the end I scored the best time of WRC3 and I closed not far from Bonato, a reference driver».

Back in Italy Enrico Brazzoli still has in his eyes the award ceremony on the stage of Montecarlo: «A victory that I dedicate to all the people who helped me in this adventure. Starting with the Vieffe Corse that gave me a perfect Peugeot 208 R2, which despite the frost did not give the slightest cough. To my scouts Roberto Rissone and Mario Trolese, to my sponsors and to the Winners Rally Team that follows me carefully for seven years». After the emotional storm of the race and the victory Enrico Brazzoli is preparing for the future: «First I’ll frame the rankings. You want to make my grandkids look good the day I tell them I won the Monte Carlo?»