The absolute national champion at Rally, Simone Tempestini, had an unexpected incident at Rally di Roma Capital, a stage in the European Rally Championship (ERC), having to abandon a violent impact with a cow suddenly on the route.
Tempestini damaged its bolid
The event spent on the eighth special test of the competition, in an area where access was extremely difficult, on the left side being a ramp, and on the right was the mountain. Unexplained, a cow entered the route right in front of the car piloted by tempestini. The impact was extremely powerful, the blow being on the left side, exactly near the pilot. Fortunately, Simone Tempestini escaped unharmed, but the damage suffered by the car was severe.
Although he tried to continue the race, the essential component affected, the radiator of the Skoda Fabia Rally2 car, did not allow the safe resumption for the tricolor crew. Forcing the participation would have seriously aggravated the technical damages, so the team made the decision to withdraw from the competition.
At the time of the accident, Tempestini held the 11th position and was in a good position to climb the top 10 of the ERC standings in the middle of the season. In addition, it would have brought essential points for MRF Tyres, the Romanian team, to continue its way to the title of champion this year.
“I am very sorry for the animal, but it was impossible to avoid it. It appeared immediately after a turn and I had no time to slow down. I had about 130 km/h at that time. Both I and Sergiu (no Sergiu Itu, Curotul) are fine, but unfortunately we had to stop here“, Said Tempestini, visibly affected by what happened.
The incident was a real shock, both for the team and for the organizers, and the local authorities opened an investigation to determine who is the owner of the animal and how he arrived in a forbidden area, with strict security rules.
Simone Tempestini and Napoca Rally Academy are now working against the stopwatch to repair the car in order to participate in the Sibiu Rally, scheduled for the end of next week, where he defends his five victories in the last five years. This is a key event in the national calendar and an opportunity for Tempestini to resume its course in the tenth title in the internal championship.
