A 16-stage route has been unveiled by organizers of the final round of the 2020 World Rally Championship, the Monza Rally.
Monza is a completely new event to the WRC but has been on the international rallying calendar since 1978. It joined the world championship schedule in a bid to salvage as many rounds as possible from a COVID-19-shortened season.
The rally will start on Thursday December 3, with a short 1.25-mile stage named ‘Monza King of Show’ in the evening. That comes in contrast to a regular Monza Rally Show itinerary, in which this stage usually takes place as the final test of the rally.
Friday’s action comprises five stages, each followed by a flexi-service, with the 8.25-mile A stage and 9.96-mile B stage both run twice and the 6-42-mile C Grand Prix test running once at 5:28pm local time to conclude the day.
The overwhelming majority of Monza Rally’s mileage is on Saturday when the event leaves the confines of the Formula 1 venue and heads into the Lombardy region.
Photo: Milagro / Monster Energy
DirtFish understands that event organizers had also been planning for the eventuality that they might have to keep the rally solely at Monza, but as it stands there will be six stages held north of Bergamo in the foothills of the Alps on Satruday, located about an hour away from rally headquarters.
The longest of those, the 16.4-mile Selvino stage, opens the day at 8:01am local time and heads a traditional cloverleaf pattern of stages. Selvino, the Gerosa and Costa Valle Imagna stages count as one loop, punctuated by a service back at Monza before a return trip to the C Grand Prix test in the evening to conclude the days.
Three stages are on offer on Sunday, including a third trip to C Grand Prix and two stabs at the D test which will count as the powerstage. In total, 148.72 miles of stages will be tackled by the contenders in WRC, WRC2, WRC3 and the Junior WRC, which has confirmed it will also head to Monza.
Elfyn Evans leads the title race ahead of the season finale, 14 points up on Sébastien Ogier with Thierry Neuville and defending champion Ott Tänak both still able to win the championship.
