Daprà and Guglielmetti Clinch Sensational Maiden WRC2 Win in Sardinia as Škoda Dominates the Top Ten

Olbia, Italy – 9 June 2025 — In a nail-biting climax to Rally Italia Sardegna, the FIA World Rally Championship’s WRC2 category delivered drama of the highest order. Against the odds, 24-year-old Italian Roberto Daprà and co-driver Luca Guglielmetti powered their Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 to a stunning maiden WRC2 victory, capitalising on a string of misfortunes that struck the frontrunners in Sunday’s closing stages.

The Delta Rally Team duo, supported by ACI Italia, began the final day sitting just outside the top three. But when a sequence of calamities derailed the dominant crews ahead, Daprà and Guglielmetti held their nerve — and their line — to emerge victorious by a narrow 5.8 seconds over Poland’s Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Maciej Szczepaniak in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.

“This is something I’ll never forget,” said an emotional Daprà after the power stage. “We stayed calm, took the opportunities when they came, and I’m incredibly proud of our performance and our team. It’s amazing to take our first WRC2 win — and to do it here in Italy makes it even more special.”

A Story of Highs, Lows, and Lost Leads

For much of the rally, it seemed Emil Lindholm and Reeta Hämäläinen were cruising to their first WRC2 victory in over a year. The 2022 WRC2 champions were imperious from the outset, winning four of Friday’s six stages and holding a commanding 16.3-second lead by nightfall.

Saturday saw them extend their advantage further despite a faulty intercom system — a testament to their pace and professionalism. By the end of the second leg, they were over a minute clear, with only a handful of stages between them and a long-awaited win.

But Sardinia, known for its unforgiving gravel stages, had other plans. In stage 14, their Toksport WRT Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 drifted wide after a crest and became stuck in roadside undergrowth. Though the car sustained only minor damage, it was a premature end to a dominant performance.

Their exit opened the door for Lauri Joona and Samu Vaaleri, also in a Škoda, to inherit the WRC2 lead — albeit temporarily. A costly puncture on the penultimate stage dropped them out of contention, while second-placed Kajetanowicz/Szczepaniak also suffered the same fate. Suddenly, Daprà and Guglielmetti found themselves leading the rally heading into the final stage.

Even a spin on the decisive power stage couldn’t halt their charge. Daprà remarkably posted a quicker time than both of his closest rivals to secure a dream win on home soil.

Prokop Returns to the Podium, Škoda Sweeps the Top Ten

Veteran Czech driver Martin Prokop and co-driver Michal Ernst made a welcome return to the WRC2 podium, finishing third in their privately-entered Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. The pair had also experienced their fair share of misfortune, damaging their radiator on Saturday, but clawed their way back into contention during Sunday’s chaos.

It was another strong showing overall for Škoda, with five Fabia RS Rally2 crews finishing inside the WRC2 top ten. Estonians Robert Virves and Jakko Viilo claimed seventh, while Italian pairing Giovanni Trentin and Pietro Elia Ometto secured ninth.

Victory in the WRC Masters Cup also went the way of a Škoda crew, with Mexico’s Miguel Granados and Spanish co-driver Marc Martí lifting the trophy.

Dapra And Guglielmetti Clinch Sensational Maiden Wrc2 Win In Sardinia As Skoda Dominates The Top Ten

WRC2 Standings Heat Up

With his Sardinian triumph, Daprà not only claimed maximum points in WRC2 but also topped the WRC2 Challenger classification. He now sits third in the overall WRC2 drivers’ standings with 49 points, behind Yohan Rossel (67 points) and Oliver Solberg (60 points).

As the championship reaches its halfway mark, the title race is far from decided. With eight rounds remaining, including the notoriously rough Acropolis Rally Greece later this month (26–29 June), consistency and reliability could prove just as crucial as outright pace.

Sardinia’s Unsparing Statistics

6 – Number of stage wins for Lindholm/Hämäläinen, more than any other WRC2 crew in Sardinia.
5.8 seconds – The slender margin separating first and second place in the WRC2 final classification.
5 – Number of Škoda Fabia RS Rally2s in the WRC2 top ten.

WRC2 Results – Rally Italia Sardegna (6–8 June 2025)