Janice R. Andrews
Enea Bastianini, a prominent Ducati MotoGP rider, is gearing up to swap his motorcycle for a rally car at the upcoming Rallylegend festival in San Marino. The event, now in its 22nd year, honors rallying history and will see Bastianini, a seven-time MotoGP victor, handling an iconic Group B Audi Quattro S1.
Fresh from a fourth-place finish at the Japanese Grand Prix, Bastianini will share driving responsibilities with Lamborghini tester Emanuele Zonzini. They’ll take turns piloting the 450-horsepower Audi Quattro S1 on the event’s spectator stage, promising an exhilarating show for attendees.
The Audi Quattro S1, a legend in rallying circles, was crafted for the WRC’s notorious Group B era. Its turbocharged 2.1-litre powerplant, introduced in 1984, was instrumental in Audi’s rallying triumphs, helping secure a runner-up position in the 1985 World Rally Championship.
Bastianini isn’t alone in his cross-discipline interest. In 2020, fellow Ducati rider Franco Morbidelli competed in the WRC finale at Rally Monza, finishing 39th in class with a Rally2 Hyundai i20 N. The iconic Valentino Rossi has also made his mark in rallying, clinching seven Monza Rally Show victories and participating in three WRC events.
Rallylegend 2024 boasts an impressive roster of motorsport stars. M-Sport-Ford’s Adrien Fourmaux will showcase a Ford Puma Rally1 car, while ex-F1 race winner turned rally driver Heikki Kovalainen will pilot a 2017-spec Citroen C3 WRC.
The event will also commemorate significant milestones, including the 40th anniversary of Stig Blomqvist’s 1984 WRC championship. The Swedish legend will return to drive an Audi Quattro. Double WRC champion Miki Biasion will feature in a Lancia 037, as the event marks 50 years since the Lancia Stratos secured its inaugural world title in 1974.
Other motorsport luminaries participating include Jacky Ickx, a six-time Le Mans victor and Dakar Rally champion, and Ari Vatanen, 1981 WRC champion and four-time Dakar winner. They’ll demonstrate their Porsche 959 and Peugeot 405 T16 Dakar vehicles respectively.
Former WRC factory driver Armin Schwarz will drive an Audi Quattro Coupe Group A, while his son Fabio Schwarz will showcase a Hyundai Accent WRC, a car his father campaigned in the 2002-03 WRC seasons.
Rally enthusiasts can anticipate an action-packed weekend as motorsport legends converge to celebrate rallying’s golden age.
