The last weekend the rallying world had its thrilling final act, the Wales Rally GB, formerly known as RAC, from November 5th to 9th, with all the world championship titles up for grabs. The drivers World Rally Championship became a matter between three drivers, after doctors excluded Peugeot driver Richard Burns after he fainted. Citroën drivers Carlos Sainz and Sebastien Loeb acted with the gravel revived Xsara, whilst Petter Solberg tried to overtake the Citroën leaders with his Subaru Impreza. Even the constructors World Rally Championship was still opening for Peugeot and Citroën brands.

What was most important, from an IItalian point of view, was the conclusion of the Junior World Rally Championship, with the French youngster Brice Tirabassi defending a seven points gap over Suzuki works driver Salvador Canellas and the Italian names out of the last fight for the title after Andrea Dallavilla in 2001 with R&D Motorsport's Fiat Punto and even Dallavilla in 2002 with Vieffecorse's Citroën Saxo.

Brice Tirabassi became the new 2003 Junior World Champion. Although he retired halfway through this event, his nearest rival Salvador Canellas had a lot of gearbox troubles and was too far behind to climb to the second place he needed in order to take the title. Tirabassi had a bad event, both he and his non-championship teammate Simon Jean-Joseph had shock absorber troubles and it took all of Brice's skills to hold fourth place while he was still running. For a large proportion of the event Suzuki's four cars suffered gearbox problems and there was a three way battle between Daniel Carlsson, Kris Meeke and Mirco Baldacci.

The Punto drivers at the starting line were only three, after Ligato's withdraw. The Top Run Argentinian driver Marco Ligato commented: "Finally I was ordered not to start the event. The plaster was removed from my arm a few days before the start of the rally, but the doctor said I needed a week before I would regain full strength in the wrist and that I should not start. The Top Run team is present, however, looking after the Punto of Massimo Ceccato."

Apart Top Run's flag exposed by Ceccato, Massimo Cecchettini was at the start with Balbosca's Punto and Hi-tec's Punto driven by the Sanmarinese driver Mirco Baldacci. The latter had a chance to show his skill on the Welsh gravel, after his experience in 2002 and a partial participation in the British Rally Championship, which runs events that are not much different from the British round of the World Championship.

In fact the first stage, Thursday night's prologue in Cardiff, had the fastest time jointly claimed by Mirco Baldacci and local ace Kris Meeke at the wheel of the Palmer's Opel Corsa. The confirmation of the names of the Junior battle player's come from the first Friday's stage, the 23.1 km Brechfa stage, where Meeke heads the Swedish Daniel Carlsson and Mirco Baldacci. The whole first leg had alternative best times from these drivers, apart the championship leader Renault's Tirabassi, who fixed the best scratch on Rheola's SS6. On the second repetition of the Cardiff night Super Special Mirco Baldacci doubles the best time of the previous day and files all the Junior crews. After the first leg, Calrsson is currently first heading Meeke by 8 seconds, and Baldacci at 12.1 adrift.

During the second leg, Mirco Baldacci slid off and lost the narrow contact from the two provisional adversaries, with a gap of 1'03" over Carlsson, who won almost all the stages with his rocking Suzuki Ignis, with Meeke in second position at 25"9 from the Swede. On the Cardiff super stage SS15 Luca Cecchettini had to abandon due a mechanical failure.

On the final day Meeke went off the road. This development gave Suzuki a heaven-scent chance to order their drivers to adjust their penalties, to promote Canellas up to second position, but they declined to do this. As a result Tirabassi gained the title and Carlsson won the rally. For much of the event there was a high degree of reliability among the JWRC runners Early retirements included the two Pumas of Abdo Feghali (gearbox) and Guy Wilks (crankshaft pulley). Later on there were more misfortunes. The McRae pupil's retirement upgraded Mirco Baldacci to second in the standings, a demonstration of solid performance during the long Welsh weekend, pacing the rhythm of the lightining Daniel Carlsson. Kosti Katajamaki retired after his steering failed, and then on the final day Urmo Aava had a problem with a driveshaft. Massimo Ceccato was able to complete the event in the last position as sixth and this gave him three important points of the Junior championship, terminating the Super1600 series in 11th overall position.

Our Sanmarinese Mirco Baldacci ended the experience in 4th overall position, with a superb performance at Sanremo with the class victory and the second standing in the long-awaited Wales Rally. The Sanmarinese driver is going to repeat for the third time in his rally career the Junior World Rally Championship, when he will be likely the Fiat works driver with the best support from N Technology.

• Entry List
• Leg 1 (11/6-7)
• Leg 2 (11/8)
• Leg 3 (11/9)
• Stage Winners

by Marco Tenuti