I could see people were wondering: “What is he doing?”
I think, maybe, it was a little bit strange. Not many people were lying on their back underneath a Lancia Delta S4. But how else could I remind myself where the gearbox radiator was located.
For me, in my life now, this is important. I wanted to be sure for this detail when I am building my model Lancia Delta S4!
I loved Rallylegend. It was truly a spectacular and very special event. I was not at this event since 2019, when we attended with Thierry [Neuville]. I am impressed how it is continuing to grow all of the time.
Honestly, I think this event could be a good way forwards for many of the World Rally Championship rounds – the spectacle in the service park is amazing. You know, the roads around San Marino are good, but they’re not the best in the world.
So how is it Rallylegend is so full of fans and spectators?
Because the organisers really take to give them a show. They bring the cars and the team and the crews to make a show on the stages, but then it’s the same in the service park; they bring the stars to the people all of the time.
It’s like a big, big show with something going through the day. Honestly, I never saw places like Sparco so busy with customers. It was amazing.
It’s nice to buy a new racesuit or something like that, but what was really nice for me was the chance to meet friends and see cars which have been a big part of my career.
The favourite for me? The Lancia Delta HF Integrale from 1992 Sanremo. Do you remember that rally? Remember why it was special?
I met a guy who will always remember. Andrea Aghini. This was the guy who drove the last Lancia to win in the world championship.
It was so nice to see his car and to talk with this guy again. We made a nice picture, they dressed me up in the mechanics overalls – it was like the old days all over again.
I think the readers for DirtFish know me a little bit, you know that I like the history for our sport – but I’m not so interested to meet Andrea, Markku [Alén], Juha [Kankkunen] and all of these guys and just talk: “Blah, blah, remember when this was happening and this and remember that corner and this, blah, blah, blah.”
I prefer to talk with these guys about our lives now and what is coming. Honestly, it was a nice moment and good to see all of these guys looking so good.
You can imagine, I talked a lot over those few days.
But I also watched and I saw with my own eyes some really cool things. I saw the old Subaru Impreza 555 and I saw the new one from Best Impreza. It’s really nice to see the McRae family there and working on a special car like this one.
I was Lancia 037s and was able to check the paint job was correct.
Of course, I was also doing my job with Gino WRC. We had a Ford Fiesta RS WRC and a Citroën C3 WRC at the event as well as our Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC at the Pirelli stand. The interest we had in these cars was huge and this can only be good for business.
Rallylegend is really good at making the past and the present super-important for the sport. We all love this time from when the service was made at the side of the road and they do this – but then they are also coming and making a big, big hero out of our new world champion Kalle [Rovanperä] and making sure there is enough for the next generation of fans to see and do.
Bravo to Rallylegend. But at the same time, we have to care for this event. So many fans! As much as love to think to Group B and the Eighties, there are parts of this era that we definitely don’t want to see again!
Oh, and by the way, if anybody else is wondering where is the gearbox radiator located on an S4, you don’t have to lie underneath the car. I can tell you. It’s below the intercooler.
