Mladá Boleslav / Olbia, 6 June 2025 – The sun-scorched roads of Sardinia await as the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) heads into its sixth round of the season with Rally Italia Sardegna (5–8 June). Known for its punishing gravel stages and searing Mediterranean heat, the island is set to be the proving ground for Škoda Motorsport and its formidable line-up of Fabia RS Rally2 crews, with no fewer than 15 Škoda entries competing for WRC2 points out of 33 eligible competitors.
At the forefront of Škoda’s charge is Finnish duo Emil Lindholm and co-driver Reeta Hämäläinen, both rallying under the banner of Team Toksport WRT. Lindholm, the 2022 WRC2 champion, has yet to hit his stride this season but remains unfazed by previous misfortunes on Sardinian soil. “Although I have not had much luck in this rally in past years, I am confident. The Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 has proved its competitiveness on rough gravel stages,” he asserts. With the top runners in WRC2 having already completed up to three scoring events, Lindholm’s fresher campaign could prove a strategic advantage in the championship race.
Joining Lindholm in the Toksport WRT ranks is Estonia’s Robert Virves alongside co-driver Jakko Viilo. Rally Italia Sardegna marks Virves’ second WRC2 points-scoring event of the season, and the crew is focused on delivering a clean, consistent drive to bring home valuable championship points. Meanwhile, Paraguayan driver Fabrizio Zaldivar, navigated by Italian Marcelo Der Ohannesian, enters the event with momentum on his side. Currently seventh in the WRC2 standings with 23 points from two events, Zaldivar is eager to climb further up the leaderboard on terrain that favours Škoda’s robust and agile Rally2 machine.
Škoda’s presence in Sardinia extends beyond Toksport WRT, with several independent crews also targeting top-tier results. Italian driver Roberto Daprà and co-driver Luca Guglielmetti (Delta Rally Team) are keen to build on a strong season start that sees Daprà sitting sixth in the championship with 24 points. Also looking to make gains are Finnish pair Mikko Heikkilä and Kristian Temonen (TGS Worldwide), and Lauri Joona and Samu Vaaleri (MS Munaretto). Czech rallying stalwart Martin Prokop returns with co-driver Michal Ernst, flying the national flag for the Czech Republic, while Delta Rally’s Nikolay Gryazin is set to chase a podium in the RC2 class, albeit outside the WRC2 points race.
Notably absent from this round is Gus Greensmith, the current top Škoda driver in the WRC2 standings with 40 points. His absence opens the door for teammates and rivals alike to close the gap in what is shaping up to be an intensely competitive season.
Rally Italia Sardegna is once again headquartered in the picturesque coastal town of Olbia. The event features 16 special stages totalling 320.24 kilometres of high-speed drama, beginning with Thursday’s shakedown. Friday delivers six tests over 120.70 kilometres, followed by another six stages across 121.60 kilometres on Saturday. Sunday brings four final stages covering 77.94 kilometres before the championship’s sixth podium ceremony at 4 pm CEST.
As fans prepare for iconic stages like “Lerno – Su Filigosu,” home to the spectacular “Micky’s Jump,” Škoda Motorsport enters the weekend with both quantity and quality on its side. With 15 of the 33 WRC2 point-eligible cars running Fabia RS Rally2 machinery, the brand remains the most represented in the category—a testament to the Fabia’s ongoing success on some of the sport’s most punishing terrain.
With the battle for WRC2 supremacy intensifying, Rally Italia Sardegna promises to be a decisive chapter in the 2025 championship campaign. All eyes will be on the Fabia RS Rally2 crews as they take on Sardinia’s unforgiving gravel, chasing not only podiums but also a place in rallying history.
WRC2 Drivers’ Standings (after 5 of 14 rounds):
- Yohan Rossel (Citroën) – 67 pts
- Oliver Solberg (Toyota) – 60 pts
- Gus Greensmith (Škoda) – 40 pts
- Roberto Daprà (Škoda) – 24 pts
- Fabrizio Zaldivar (Škoda) – 23 pts
- Mikko Heikkilä (Škoda) – 19 pts
WRC2 Teams’ Standings:
- PH Sport (Citroën) – 109 pts
- Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT NG – 79 pts
- Sarrazin Motorsport – Iron Lynx (Citroën) – 39 pts
- Toksport WRT (Škoda) – 32 pts
Did you know?
- Italy has hosted a WRC round since the championship’s inaugural 1973 season, initially as Rallye Sanremo.
- “Micky’s Jump” on the Lerno stage is named after Michele “Micky” Carta, the stage’s designer.
- The rally base returns to Olbia in 2025 after several years in Alghero.
