Latest news with #FIAEuropeanRallyChampionship
The Hindu
16-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Hindu
Sesks takes top honours; Team MRF claims overall title at Rally Poland
Team MRF Tyres claimed overall victory at the 81st ORLEN OIL Rally Poland – Rajd Polski 2025 — the fourth round of the FIA European Rally Championship. This was its second win in four events with Latvian ace Martins Sesks taking the top honours. Driving the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, Sesks proved to be remarkably effective, delivering a standout, mature performance that left no room for rivals. He contributed significantly to Team MRF Tyres' bid for the team title, which the Indian premium competition-tyre brand is targeting this year. Team MRF Tyres leads the standings with 150 points after Rally Poland. Sesks won nine of the 14 special stages and crossed the finish line in Mikołajki with a 1m:06.3s lead over the nearest rival Mikołaj Marczyk (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2). He capped it with a commanding win in the final Power Stage. 'I am super happy, MRF Tyres has been amazing, great package — being back on the top step of the podium is an amazing feeling. The work they had done in developing these gravel tyres is good, and I enjoy driving on these stages a lot. Thanks to everyone involved,' said Sesks.
Daily Mirror
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Rally champion, 21, killed in horror crash as tributes paid to tragic star
Matteo Doretto was just 21 years old when he lost control of his rally car during a test in Poland on Wednesday and hit a tree. He was pronounced dead at the scene A rallying prodigy has been killed in a fatal crash, it has been confirmed. The FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) confirmed that Matteo Doretto had lost his life in an accident while testing, aged just 21. The Italian driver was killed during a test in Poland when he lost control of his car and hit a tree at the side of the road. Reports described the impact as "very violent" and images of the destroyed car show extensive damage to the driver's side, where Doretto would have been sat. The Italian racer was pronounced dead by a doctor at the scene of the crash, after firefighters had extracted his body from the wreckage. Co-driver Samuele Pellegrino suffered no major injuries but was taken to hospital as a precaution. Doretto was taking part in the test to prepare for the Rally of Poland, which is scheduled to take place this weekend. It forms part of the European Rally Championship in which former Formula 1 racer Jos Verstappen, father of four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen, competes. The 21-year-old was in the midst of his first ERC season, having landed a seat by winning the Italian junior title last year. "With potential in abundance, Matteo was polite, engaging but, above all, modest," the ERC said in a tribute statement. "To all of Matteo's family and friends, his co-drivers Andrea Budoia and Samuele Pellegrino, the MS Munaretto team and all who had got to know Matteo during his all-too-short time in the ERC, the FIA European Rally Championship family extends its deepest sympathies." Terenzio Testoni, a manager for tyre supplier Pirelli, said: "His loss is a tragedy that deeply saddens us. On behalf of Pirelli, I would like to extend our most heartfelt and sincere condolences to his family and friends. Just three weeks before his death on Wednesday, Doretto had finished third in the junior category at Rally Hungary. He was a member of the ACI Team Italia driver development programme and seemed to have a big future ahead of him in the motorsport world. The ERC said: "Despite the enormity of his achievement in Hungary, when he finished in third position in the young driver category, Matteo used his post-rally summing up to outline his desire to become even more competitive on gravel, while also looking ahead to his home event, next month's Rally di Roma Capitale." Doretto was born and raised near Venice in north-east Italy, to parents Michele and Barbara who were also rally drivers. He is survived by his mother, father and girlfriend, Melissa.
The Hindu
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Hindu
Italian rally driver Matteo Doretto dies aged 21 in crash
Italian rally driver Matteo Doretto has died in an accident while testing his car in Poland, the European Rally Championship says. Doretto was conducting a private test session on Wednesday morning for the upcoming Rally Poland 'when he lost his life in an accident,' the ERC said in a statement late Wednesday. It added that co-driver Samuele Pellegrino was unhurt. The FIA European Rally Championship is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Matteo Doretto during a private test for ORLEN OIL 81st Rally — FIA European Rally Championship (@FIAERC) June 11, 2025 The Automobile Club of Italy said Doretto hit a tree while testing his Peugeot 208 car in northeastern Poland. The 21-year-old Doretto was the Italian junior champion last year and was in his first season in the ERC. He was fourth in the junior standings. 'With potential in abundance, Matteo was polite, engaging but, above all, modest,' the ERC said. Related Topics European Rally Championship
Daily Mirror
31-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Max Verstappen's dad Jos' car flips over in rally crash as health update issued
Former Formula 1 driver Jos Verstappen still partakes in rally racing at the age of 53 but suffered a crash which saw his Skoda Fabia roll over in Sweden on Friday Jos Verstappen managed to escape unharmed after rolling over his car in a rally event. The former Formula 1 driver, father of four-time champion Max Verstappen, suffered the accident while competing at the Royal Rally of Scandinavia in Sweden this weekend. Aged 53, he continues to partake in several rally events. And, instead of travelling to Barcelona to cheer on his son at the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend, Jos headed to Sweden for the latest round of the FIA European Rally Championship. Things started well and Verstappen, along with co-driver Renaud Jamoul, were leading the Master classification and 18th overall in the rally when disaster struck on stage nine and the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 rolled over, cracking the windscreen along with other damage to the car. But it has been confirmed that neither Verstappen nor Jamoul were injured in the accident. Despite that escape, they elected not to continue with the rally this weekend, leading to their first DNF of 2025. Sign up to our free weekly F1 newsletter, Pit Lane Chronicle, by entering your email address below so that every new edition lands straight in your inbox! Speaking after the crash, Verstappen said: "I think I went a little bit too quick into the corner and then I missed the apex, the inside of the corner, I was in the loose gravel, on full grass and I couldn't make the corner. "The rear wheels went into the ditch and the car rolled. Very easy to happen in this kind of rally. It happens, from what I have seen on the videos, a lot. It was a typical Sweden roll. I flipped it and I was back on the four wheels. "The roll cage is all fine but the front was a little bit damaged, there was some rear damage and one damper was broken. Because Poland is coming so quickly and my feeling wasn't that good in the car in this particular rally so we want to check everything instead of keep going. Every crash should be a lesson but it's a typical thing for here." Though Verstappen Snr is no stranger to rallying, he is not so familiar with gravel tracks like the one he crashed on in Varmland, Sweden, on Friday. He was making only his third ever start on gravel and his first on a loose-surface event at high speed. But despite the unwelcome end to his weekend, he said: "I must say I really enjoyed it, the way of driving. Obviously these people from these countries they used to that, the only driving they do is on these kind of stages. For sure, and definitely at my age, if I have to change the style after 45 years of racing it's not so easy. "It's a completely different thing and of course the age doesn't help. But I really enjoy it, I can also enjoy from the people in front how they're pushing and things like that. I'm happy what I see and hopefully I can improve a little bit more."
Techday NZ
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Techday NZ
AI safety camera aims to improve protection at rally events
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) has introduced an Artificial Intelligence Safety Camera (AISC) designed to improve real-time spectator safety at rally events. The new system had its first deployment at the Rally Sierra Morena, the opening round of the 2025 FIA European Rally Championship. The AISC marks a change in how rallying addresses the challenge of monitoring spectators along extensive, often remote, stage routes that span tens of kilometres. It is the outcome of a collaboration between the FIA and Croatian start-up Calirad, bringing AI-powered technology to rally cars competing in the event. The AISC consists of a GPU-enabled camera unit, connected to a processing device capable of conducting on-board image analysis. The camera is mounted on competing cars, utilising AI-based human detection to monitor the stage for spectators, including those who move into unsafe positions as the rally progresses. Once a competing car passes through a stage, the system records the locations of spectators and evaluates the data instantly. Alerts with images of potentially hazardous spectator positions are transmitted to a web-based interface accessible by event officials. This real-time data distribution allows for rapid safety interventions before the arrival of subsequent competitors. The technology is designed to support the Chief Safety Officer, who receives flagged scenes through the interface and can ascertain the exact location of individuals in risk zones. The officer can then address identified risks using an advanced management interface. This process aims to improve upon traditional, manually based monitoring methods, which are limited by the sheer scale and remoteness of typical rally stages. While such systems have historically been focused at international championships with significant resources and broadcast coverage, the FIA identifies the greatest future impact of the AISC at regional and national rally events, where organiser infrastructure is generally less extensive. "Spectator safety is fundamental to rallying. With stages often taking place in remote, unpredictable environments, ensuring that fans are in safe locations is both a challenge and a responsibility. The introduction of the AI Safety Camera allows us to take a huge leap forward in how we monitor and manage risk during events," FIA Safety Director, Nuno Costa, said. "This technology isn't about restricting fans, it's about protecting them. It allows organisers and officials to respond rapidly and ultimately allows them to prevent accidents before they happen." Costa added. FIA Road Sport Director Emilia Abel said that they have very high levels of sophistication and systems at the World Championship level, and they need to utilise that safety. Safety, particularly for spectators, is something they continue to develop at the grassroots, national, and regional levels as well. "Rally is perhaps the most spectacular form of motor sport, and there is nothing quite like being on a stage watching rally cars in action. We want to make sure spectators can enjoy the sport safely, and the AI Safety Camera can make a real difference by giving organisers a new tool that provides real-time safety information on their events." Abel said. "Our message is clearly that this system is here to protect firstly the spectators, and also the sport itself, as we want to see rallying continue to grow and thrive as we move into an exciting new era in the coming years." The AISC system was developed with the intention of being low cost and scalable, with future availability anticipated for a wider range of rallying events, including those at grassroots level. Following the evaluation of its performance at the 2025 FIA European Rally Championship, the FIA plans to prioritise the deployment of this system at regional and national championships.
