Galli scores points for Stobart in Argentina

GALLI GLIDES INTO POINTS FOR STOBART
March 30, 2008
Italian crew Gigi Galli/Giovanni Bernacchini have helped the Stobart VK M-Sport Ford rally team to three vital manufacturers’ points on the fourth round of the FIA World Rally Championship this weekend. Galli’s seventh place in his Stobart Ford Focus RS WRC07 sees him maintain fifth in the Drivers’ Championship and the team hold fourth in the Manufacturers’ Championship after Rally Argentina.

Results were not so fortunate for Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud and Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin who all retired from the event on the final day. Both drivers were running well inside the points at different stages of the event but were struck down by the treacherous weather conditions which hampered this year’s South American round.
Galli’s result was a fantastic achievement considering he retired from day 2 at mid-day service with problems caused by the rough terrain that took over the given time limit to fix. The 35-year-old set a multitude of top-three stage times on the opening day of Rally Argentina posting the fastest on the second pass of San Marcos on Friday afternoon.

Stobart’s second nominated point scorer was not so fortunate, retiring from each day under different circumstances. On day 1 Solberg retired with a broken top-mount after clipping a surface rock sticking up on the racing line. The Norwegian withdrew from the afternoon stages on Saturday to preserve his car for next month’s Jordan Rally and re-entered today under SupeRally regulations, only to retire on the opening test with suspension damage.

Twenty-one-year-old Wilson was running well at the halfway point of Rally Argentina sitting in sixth position and staying out of trouble. Unfortunately on stage 15 the Brit struck trouble on the final corner when the track control arm on his Focus RS broke forcing him to retire from the leg.

The youngster re-started the final day in an effort to gain maximum experience and some more gravel miles before Jordan but unfortunately retired on the opening test with broken front suspension.

This year’s Rally Argentina has very much been a rally of attrition with horrendous weather conditions making it one of the most challenging events in recent years. Torrential downpours, mud, fog and wild winds were the common tune this weekend as several crews fell victim to the unpredictable conditions.

The rally’s 348 kilometres took competitors higher than 2000 metres above sea level at times as they covered 21 special stages including three runs over the 1.78 Estadio Córdoba super special. The next event for the Stobart team will be Jordan Rally 24-27 April where both Galli and Solberg will again score points for the side.

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Team Driver Gigi Galli said:
“Wow, last night I did not think I could finish this rally in seventh position but it just goes to show the rally isn’t over until you cross the finish ramp. What happened yesterday was unlucky for us and my mechanics did a fantastic job trying so hard to fix the car before time ran out so I must say thank you to them all. On the first day things felt very good even though the conditions were the worst I have ever driven in my career. We had some good stage times and even a fastest on one of them so this is a good sign for Jordan because I have only had limited kilometres on gravel, in the car. There have been so many people out supporting this rally even though the weather has been terrible and this is great to see.”

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Team Driver Henning Solberg said:
“Well it has not been the best event for us but OK this is the way it goes sometimes. We started off quite slow as there was a lot of fog on Friday morning but then on the next few stages we found the feeling and the times were good. It was unfortunate we retired on the first day, the conditions were quite rough and I was unlucky to hit a sharp rock which broke our suspension. This has been the most challenging event in my career but hopefully it will help in the future if there is another event where the weather is really bad like this. Now I am looking forward to Jordan Rally where it is a new event for everybody.”

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Team Driver Matthew Wilson said:
“This has been the most difficult rally of my career and is one from which I will take away a lot of experience. It was a disappointing end because we were looking good yesterday and my mechanics did an awesome job to get us back out in the afternoon after the problems on Saturday morning. On stage 15 we broke the TCA which was in a slow and smooth corner but it was just one of those things unfortunately. Today was definitely the hardest day in my career, the rain was unbelievable and you could barely see 20 metres in front of you on the stage because of all the thick fog. It would have been nice to finish this event but we had some good times on the first two days and have gained some experience in some of the worst conditions you will face in rallying.”

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Team Principal Malcolm Wilson said:
“This has been one of the most difficult events for the Stobart team in its short history and I am relieved that Gigi has made a comeback today to score good manufacturer points for the team. I’m really pleased with the effort of the whole team, this weekend things have not gone our way but nobody ever gave up and this has resulted in Gigi’s good result which leaves him fifth in the Drivers’ Championship. This event has been a good platform for all three guys heading into Jordan next month and especially for Henning and Gigi whose first day performances showed some impressive times.”

Gigi Galli for Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team in 2008

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team has confirmed that Italian driver Gigi Galli will take over the slot previously held by Jari-Matti Latvala and join Henning Solberg and Matthew Wilson for the 2008 FIA World Rally Championship season.

Like his new team-mates, the Italian will compete on all 15-rounds of the series with the latest specification of the Ford Focus RS WRC.

Galli will be nominated permanently to score manufacturers' points while the second scoring driver position will be left open during the year.

The first man to fulfill this position at the first round of the 2008 season, Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo, will be Francois Duval.

The Belgian will be the fourth entrant at the event as he makes his first appearance on board a Focus RS WRC since he left Ford at the end of 2004.

"It's set to be another exciting year for the Stobart team after such a successful season this year. Jari-Matti's promotion to the BP-Ford Abu Dhabi team has left an opportunity for someone to join this very competitive squad and we are happy to announce that it will be Italian driver Gigi Galli. Gigi has a wealth of experience in the WRC and I'm sure will be a great asset for the team," said Team Principal Malcom Wilson. "Matthew and Henning will again be part of the Stobart team after some fantastic performances in the 2007 championship. The battle this year with Subaru came down to the final event in Wales and next year things are again looking strong for the Stobart squad."

Gigi Galli will not compete in Argentina, halts 07 program

18/04/07 - Gigi Galli and Aimont Racing Team stopped their program in the 2007 FIA World Rally Championship



Gigi Galli and Aimont Racing Team have decided not to compete in Rally Argentina, also due to the high costs of this race and to stop, for the moment, the program they got ready for the 2007 FIA World Rally Championship.

The decision has been taken today, after careful assessment by the driver and the team, because it hasn’t been reached the agreement with an important sponsor that would have supported the driver and the team in the next races.
Gigi Galli and Aimont Racing Team are grateful to Citroen Sport and PH Sport for their support in the races disputed so far and also to Pirelli and the Italian Federation ACI CSAI for their important contribution.
“I’m really sorry we have been obliged to suspend the program”, said Gigi Galli “Unfortunately we had no other choice at the moment. I thank Pirelli that has supported me and also ACI CSAI that gave a contribution to this program as well as Livigno and Valtellina. I’m sorry not to compete in Rally Argentina a race I’m fond of and I like a lot, also because of the podium place obtained there last year. I’d like to thank the organizers that tried to help me when they heard I was not going to compete there”.

“Unfortunately our sport depends on budget” - Gigi continues - “Because of this lack of support we cannot go on with our program and we regret we could not find any remedy. We are sorry mostly for all the people who follow us and wait during the special stages. This is what we regret most!

I wish to thank all the partners who helped me in creating this program. I also thank all my fans for their constant support”.

“Unfortunately, due to budget problems, we have been obliged to stop the program” said Pierfrancesco Zanchi, Aimont Racing Team manager “An important sponsor on which we counted, at last turned down its interest. I would like to thank personally all the partners that made this project feasible so far and in particularly Citroen Sport, PH Sport, Pirelli and the Italian Federation ACI CSAI”.

-GigiGalli.com

Gigi Galli's Citroen Xsara WRC

Gigi Galli's Citroen Xsara WRC prepared by Aimont Racing Team with technical supervision from PH Sport. Pirelli will sponsor the tires for the first 2 of 8 rallies.

My personal congratulations to Gigi and Giovanni for a great program this 2007. Good luck. Aim for another podium! -rcpax

Gigi Galli and Aimont Racing inks contract for 8 rounds in WRC

AIMONT RACING TEAM AND THE ITALIAN DRIVER GIGI GALLI DRIVING A CITROEN XSARA WRC FOR THE 2007 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP



On Thursday January 11th Aimont Racing Team and the Italian- rally driver Gigi Galli signed an agreement to compete together in 2007 in the WRC.
The program, with the help of Citroen Sport, consists in 8 world championship rallies in a Citroen Xsara WRC, with active differentials. The car will be followed technically by P.H.Sport and Pirelli will supply the tyres for the first two events. The eight rallies are as follows:

- Uddeholm Swedish Rally
- Rally Norway
- Rallye de Portugal
- Rally Argentina
- Rally d’Italia-Sardegna
- BP Ultimate Acropolis Rally
- Neste Oil Rally Finland
- Rally of New Zealand

Great satisfaction and lots of enthusiasm from both sides for a deal which is really important for the entire Italian and worldwide rally panorama. These are the words pronounced by Team Manager and Vice President of Aimont, Mr. Pierfrancesco Zanchi, after signing the agreement: “I am really satisfied. Finally, after much talk, we were able to close this fantastic deal in the WRC. We had been thinking about getting Gigi to drive in this years world championship for quite some time now and at last here we are! At this time we have 8 rallies planned and we are already working on expanding that. For all of us here at Aimont this is surely a very important experience and for Gigi it will be the possibility to be in the championship with a good program. I would like to thank all the people who helped us in making all this possible, starting with Citroen Sport, the French structure P.H. Sport, Pirelli Tyres, Xideko sport, Beta Utensili, Acerbis and Stilo”.



Adding to Team manager Zanchi' s own words we have those of the driver Gigi Galli: “For us the Xsara will be a completely new car . We can not hide the fact that we are quite proud of having realized this project that only a few weeks ago seemed almost impossible. I am very satisfied to have closed the deal with the Aimont Racing Team, who I consider one of the best team in the Italian rally panorama. Regarding the first two races I would say that the rally in Sweden is a race that we know quite well while , on the other hand, the one in Norway will be almost a completely new experience for all of us. The last two years, in Sweden, we run with WRC cars so I think we know how to deal with those cars on the snow surfaces. Now we have to capitalize those past experiences”.

“Emotions in this moment are so strong” – concluded Gigi – “We know there will be difficulties but we will do everything we can in order to continue to play a leading role in the world rally championship. I have been following this dream for a long time and we are definitely ready to take this chance now.”
The rally in Sweden will take place on February 8th in Karlstad where an unedited super-special stage will be held, opening this new and enthusiastic adventure for Aimont Racing Team, P.H. Sport, Gigi Galli and his co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini.

Gigi Galli's sponsors for this season:


-Gigi Galli

Gigi Galli back with Pirelli sponsorship

Gigi Galli will continue his relationship with Pirelli for at least two more FIA World Rally Championship events. Galli has entered the Uddeholm Swedish Rally and Rally Norway in a Citroen Xsara, but rather than using BF Goodrich tyres for these events, the Italian will ride on Pirelli rubber.

"I am obviously enthusiastic about the chance of continuing to compete thanks to, and with, Pirelli, a company that has actively supported me in recent WRC seasons," Galli said of the agreement. "The level of competitiveness of the Xsara WRC is always such as to enable me to fight for top placing, so I am confident about the Scandinavian rallies. In fact, last year on Pirellis, Daniel Carlsson and I battled for a long time in Mitsubishi Lancer WRCs for a place on the Swedish podium and I came close, taking fourth behind Daniel."

However, it remains to be seen whether or not Pirelli will simply supply the tyres for Galli's Scandinavian efforts or if he will again sport the red and yellow livery of the tyre maker.

-WRC.com

Gigi Galli's program for 2007

Gigi Galli has confirmed that he will compete in the FIA World Rally Championship in 2007, using a privately entered Citroen Xsara WRC car supplied by PH Sport.

Galli, who took in six events in the WRC last year, taking his maiden podium finish at the Rally Argentina, in a Pirelli-backed Peugeot 307, is hoping to begin his season on the Uddeholm Swedish Rally next month and he is planning to do around eight events in total, providing he can raise the necessary budget.

"At the moment we are trying very hard to put together a small programme," he confirmed exclusively to Crash.net Radio. "I am aiming to do maybe eight rallies, although it is still not confirmed 100 per cent. I hope to use a Citroen supplied by PH Sport from France. But on events it will be an Italian team that will run it - they will supply the logistical things and they will help me to arrange everything and do the recce and so on.

-story: Crash.net
-photo: WRC.com

Galli takes Bettega

Gigi Galli won the Memorial Bettega last weekend ahead of Toni Gardemeister and Chris Atkinson. Galli was again back in action with the Bozian Racing prepared Peugeot 307, with the bright yellow livery of Pirelli Competizioni. Setting the fastest times on three of the event's five stages, Galli competed with his 2007 season in mind.

"I am delighted with this second consecutive success at Bologna," said Galli. "After the optimum results achieved in the Peugeot 307 WRC on Pirelli in various rounds of the world rally championship this year, winning the Memorial Bettega is always very pleasing. The P Zero K6s gave me a tremendous amount of traction on both the loose and asphalt, which was most certainly not the surface for which they were developed, further proof of their quality. As far as I am personally concerned, I hope this victory will earn me a valid programme for 2007, like the one Pirelli Competizioni quickly put together this year."

-article: WRC.com
-photo: Race&Motion

Gigi Galli to drive a Peugeot 307WRC in Finland

After a vague entry for Gigi Galli in this year's Finland Rally, it is now confirmed that the Italian will once again drive a Peugeot 307WRC car. For this rally, the car will be provided and prepared by BSA and not Bozian Racing. Bozian prepared Gigi's Peugeot 307 in his previous rallies this year. His main sponsor is still Pirelli, and from the current announcement, this looks like a one-time event, but a spokesman from the company said final details of deal is still in the works. Neste Oil Rally Finland will be on August 18 to 20. Good luck Gigi!

Exclusive Interview - Gigi Galli

Gigi Galli has much to celebrate in the coming weeks. A FIA World Rally Championship podium in Rallye Argentina, returning to his home country for Rally d'Italia Sardegna, and continuing his season with a Pirelli sponosored Peugeot 307 are all high points for the driver who just six months ago was unsure of where the 2006 season would take him. Galli sat down for an exclusive interview after claiming his first ever WRC podium finish last weekend to tell us what the real differences between the Peugeot 307 and the Mitsubishi Lancer are, how he felt by capturing his first podium finish in a World Rally Car, and just how he plans to celebrate the victory. . .

How does it feel to finally make it to the podium for the first time in the World Rally Championship?

Gigi Galli (GG): It is a very strong feeling, for sure. We have been waiting for something like this for so long. And it is twice as good - what we achieved in Argentina - because I had never driven the 307WRC on gravel before, nor had we done any sort of test before going there. I had little idea of what the car was like from my debut in Corsica, which was on tarmac. Getting this third position in South America is a reward for the huge effort from everyone at Pirelli, my main sponsor, with some help by Peugeot Argentina. What else can I say? A result like this feels fantastic, so we have to do it again as soon as possible!

You were pretty close of a podium in the Üddeholm Swedish Rally; did you think that it was going to be in an event like Argentina that you could make it true?

GG: Honestly, it was difficult for me to imagine this situation for a while, particularly after Mitsubishi's decision to retire from the sport. In the snowy roads of Sweden, I fought hard with local ace Daniel Carlsson. As I had some problems in my gearbox and he was driving so fast, he just took third place. Here, we chose a steady pace that was vital, together with not making any mistakes.

Which was the secret for you to be so fast on a car you only drove twice before, and in your first rally on gravel with?

GG: I think I was helped by the fact that the 307WRC is a very well balanced car. However, I need some more time to reach 100% of its potential. The basis is good and it shows that a group of experienced and talented engineers have worked on the vehicle.

How would you compare this Peugeot with the other World Rally Car you drove, the Mitsubishi Lancer?

GG: I must admit there is not much difference between them. Probably, in this car you can see there has been more testing and development. There are many details that make it reliable. We had not one mechanical problem in two complete rallies, which was extremely important to finish third last weekend.

What was so special about Argentina?

GG: I guess I was very happy to celebrate this result in a country where you can find such a huge number of fans supporting the competitors, not only in the stages, but also in the road sections! They show how enthusiastic they are all the time. No doubt motorsport is a passion there.

Now on to your country's event, the Rallye d'Italia Sardegna. . .

GG: Ah, that is something! My target there will be to repeat this work or even go for a better performance. We keep confident because we will be driving at our home round.

Do you think there will be a party in your town of Livigno at your arrival?

GG: In Livigno I have many supporters following my career. I am sure we'll celebrate this together with a lot of people that has helped me to be where I am today.

Is this the most important result to date for you - the one making you more satisfied than ever?

GG: Certainly, this is a moment in my career that I feel like a "payday", as we went through many efforts in the past. However, I do not want to stay right here. I still have higher achievements to accomplish...

Gigi Galli wins his first ever podium

Gialuigi "Gigi" Galli, the "the Italian Flying", has scored his first ever podium finish in the WRC at the 2006 Rally Argentina. This year has been both a mix of success and frustration for the Italian driver. Earlier in the year, he was surprosed by a big blow to his career when Mitsubishi Motors announced that it would skip the 2006 and 2007 seasons of the WRC while the company focuses on matters internal to Mitsubishi Motors vehicle sales. Gigi was promised a full season drive and is to contest all the 16 events of the 2006 WRC.

Early at the start of the WRC 2006 season, Gigi was able to do Monte Carlo and Sweden. In Sweden, he finished fourth in a Lancer WRC05, just a few seconds behind Daniel Carlsson, who was also driving a Lancer WRC05. His third drive of the season in Corsica was met with a lot of challenges. Gigi was given official support by Pirelli to do Corsica, Argentina and Sardegna. And just after his second outing with his new car, a Bozian Racing prepared, yellow liveried Peugeot 307 WRC, Gigi scored his first ever podium in Argentina, placing 3rd in the overall standings. Gigi (3rd), together with Solberg (2nd) and Atkinson (8th), gave Pirelli 3 places in the points finish line-up.

Gigi did not win any stage in Rally Argentina 2006. I bet he was driving very cautiously, keeping in mind to finish the rally without any error. He would never risk an off or a mechanical failure in what turned out to be his best ever rally result. We will see more of Gigi at his home rally in Sardegna in two week's time (May 19-21).

Gigi Galli will be in Rally Argentina

After a successful rally at Tour de Corse, The "Italian Flying" will contest Rally Argentina this coming April 28-30, 2006. Gigi finished 10th in Corsica, just outside the points, losing 9th place to Stephane Sarrazin (Subaru WRT), but that position is better than expected. The car he drove, a yellow Peugeot 307 WRC, was all new to him. You just don't drive a different car at the WRC and expect to win. Gigi learned about the car "meter by meter", and he did Corsica at his own pace, not being pressured to beat Sarrazin. The goal at that time was just to finish, and finishing in 10th place in a different car is something of an achievement.

We see more action from the Italian duo at Rally Argentina this coming weekend. For us here in Asia, we get to see the action via cable on AXN a week after that. A points finish in Argentina is not impossible. Pirelli has been hard at work developing their P-Zero tires, and Gigi is there to showcase its potentials.