Rally Costa Smeralda is a rally competition held in Costa Smeralda, a coastal area on the island of Sardinia, Italy. The event was first held in 1978 and it was part of the European Rally Championship schedule until 1994. The rally was restarted in 1998, and was included in the Italian Rally Championship until 2013. For the 2018 edition, the Costa Smeralda became a classic rally.
The rally is based in Arzachena in the north-east part of the island. Unlike the famed tarmac rally held on near neighbour the island of Corsica, the Tour de Corse, the Rally Costa Smeralda is a gravel rally. Italian drivers have long dominated the rally; the most successful driver in the rally's history is Italy's Paolo Andreucci who won the rally seven times between 2001 and 2013.
Winners Season Driver Car 1978 Maurizio Verini Fiat 131 Abarth 1979 Attilio Bettega Fiat 131 Abarth 1980 Bernard Darniche Lancia Stratos HF 1981 Markku Alén Fiat 131 Abarth 1982 Michele Cinotto Audi Quattro 1983 Miki Biasion Lancia Rally 037 1984 Henri Toivonen Porsche 911 1985 Dario Cerrato Lancia Rally 037 1986 Henri Toivonen Lancia Delta S4 1987 Juha Kankkunen Lancia Delta HF 4WD 1988 Markku Alén Lancia Delta Integrale 1989 Dario Cerrato Lancia Delta Integrale 1990 Dario Cerrato Lancia Delta Integrale 16V 1991 Juha Kankkunen Lancia Delta Integrale 16V 1992 Didier Auriol Lancia Delta HF Integrale 1993 Cancelled 1994 Piero Liatti Subaru Impreza 555 1995–1997 Not held 1998 Giuseppe Grossi Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205 1999 Daniele Griotti Subaru Impreza WRX STI 2000 Michele Gregis Subaru Impreza WRX STI 2001 Paolo Andreucci Ford Focus WRC 2002 Luca Cantamessa Subaru Impreza WRC 2003 Harri Rovanperä Peugeot 206 WRC 2004 Andrea Navarra Subaru Impreza WRX STI 2005 Andrea Navarra Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX 2006 Paolo Andreucci Fiat Grande Punto Abarth 2007 Piero Longhi Subaru Impreza WRX STI 2008 Paolo Andreucci Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX 2009 Paolo Andreucci Peugeot 207 S2000 2010 Kris Meeke Peugeot 207 S2000 2011 Paolo Andreucci Peugeot 207 S2000 2012 Paolo Andreucci Peugeot 207 S2000 2013 Paolo Andreucci Peugeot 207 S2000 2014 Renato Travaglia Peugeot 207 S2000 2015 Giuseppe Dettori Škoda Fabia S2000 2016 Federico Della Casa Škoda Fabia R5 2017 Giuseppe Dettori Škoda Fabia R5
External links Official website Rally Costa Smeralda at RallyBase