Arnoux and Merzario will drive at Rally Legend

Republic of San Marino. The twentieth edition of Rallylegend never ceases to amaze, capturing the attention and interest of two great speed drivers – true legends – who will be at San Marino and taking to the wheel of two equally impressive gems of the rallying world. We’re talking about René Arnoux and Arturo Merzario, champions who represent different eras of top-level motorsport.

RENÈ ARNOUX AND ARTURO MERZARIO: THE HISTORY OF SPEED AT RALLYLEGEND 

René Arnoux will be at Rallylegend behind the wheel of a group 4 Ferrari 308 GTB, while Arturo Merzario will drive a Lancia Stratos: the two greats will put on a show on Saturday and Sunday, during the Parade around the spectacular “The Legend” special stage. 

In addition to these evolutions, other fantastic “Parades” will be dedicated to the Lancia 037, the Lancia Delta and the Best Impreza vehicles. 

René Arnoux is a legendary figure in Formula 1 racing history. Throughout his career in the top class, from 1978 to 1989, he amassed 164 race starts, winning seven and reaching the podium on 22 occasions, as well as scoring 18 pole positions. He just missed out on the world title, coming closest in 1983, when he rounded out the F1 season in third place. Arnoux raced with Martini, Surtees, Renault, Ferrari and Ligier, but he remains impressed on the heart of the fans for his legendary and unforgettable duel with Gilles Villeneuve at the Digione circuit, during the final stages of the 1979 French Grand Prix.

Arturo Merzario, from the Como area, is a titan of Italian motorsport. Few know that in the early days of what was to become a long career, he competed in the very first Sardinia rally, in 1963, with an Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ, with which he won the GT category. The rest of his incredible achievements were in the speed arena, whether road racing, hill climbs, F1 or endurance, a discipline in which he became world champion. A factory Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Abarth and Osella driver, he competed in more than 1600 races, including 57 Formula 1 Grand Prix, from 1972 to 1979, with Ferrari, Iso, Williams, Copersucar, March, Shadow and his Merzario.

AT RALLYLEGEND THE KIMERA EVO37 IN SPARCO-MARTINI RACING LIVERY

To enrich the “parterre de roi”, the Kimera Evo37 in Sparco-Martini Racing livery will also be present at Rallylegend with which Alen, Kankunnen, Rohl and Biasion will drive during the “Experience” sessions, to highlight the performances of one of the most interesting “restomod” projects present on the motorsport stage, personally managed by former driver Luca Betti. The car will also be available to enthusiasts for the entire duration of Rallylegend at the Sparco stand, which is a technical partner of the Kimer Evo37 project.

SCUDERIA DEL PORTELLO TO ATTEND WITH FIVE IMPORTANT ALFA ROMEOS AT RALLYLEGEND

Twenty years of Rallylegend coincides with some significant anniversaries for the prestigious Scuderia del Portello that, in 2022, is celebrating its 40th birthday, 60 years of the Alfa Romeo Giulia and 50 years of the Alfetta.

And to honour these important anniversaries, the Arese-based team will take part with four Alfetta GTV cars and one of the Giulias that competed in the 2016 Peking-Paris raid, split across the Rally and Heritage Regularity categories.

Scuderia del Portello Team Manager Andrea Cajani comments, “The Alfa cars have written important pages of history not only on track but also in the rallying world, and the cars in our historic Alfa Romeo Dynamic Museum carry on this tradition thanks to the passion of our drivers. Taking part in such an important event in the Republic of San Marino, dedicated to rallying and its legendary champions, is an exceptional opportunity for our Gentlemen Drivers.”