Emerging young rally star Mirco Baldacci is set to return to the Fiat ranks next year as the Turinese car manufacturer ratchets up its rally activities.

Baldacci, who in fact previously drove a Hi-Tec Fiat Punto Abarth on the FIA Junior World Rally Championship, switched this year to the all-conquering Suzuki team for a full series campaign that saw him turn in a string of highly promising performances, as well as gaining the young Italian invaluable experience on the many surfaces used by the word series.

Last week Baldacci return to the Fiat ranks when he tested a 2005-specification Punto Abarth Super 1600 for N-Technology on the famous Madonna del Colletto, a high altitude Alpine pass regularly used by the Monte Carlo Rally.

Baldacci, at the wheel of one of the horde of yellow-liveried factory-entered Suzuki Ignis Super 1600 rally cars, was eventually classified in fifth place in the JWRC this year with 23 points, the San Marinese driver having scored points on the Monte Carlo, Turkey, 1000 Lakes, Sardinia and Catalunya Rallies. Luck really seemed to desert him this year, as he led many of the events, and rarely ran outsite of the podium positions before encountering problems.

Notable moments of the season included him revelling in the appalling conditions to lead the JWRC category on the Wales Rally GB, before rolling out on the final morning. He also entered the Telstra Rally Australia in a GpN Mitsubishi Evo 7, finishing a promising fourth in class on what was his first visit to the event.

For the 27-year-old, 2005 will now see him return to the driving seat of the Super 1600 class Fiat Punto Abarth, a car with which he made his rallying name, and which he knows very well.

Baldacci actually embarked on his rally career, with co-driver Maurizio Barone, back in 1998, and it was just two years later that he blasted his way into rallying's consciousness after claiming four class victories out of four Italian Rally Championship events contested, in an A7 category Renault Clio Williams. He concluded that excellent season by taking part his first WRC event, the San Remo Rally, in the same Clio Williams.

2001 saw a limited WRC programme at the wheel of a Group N Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6, dovetailed with an Italian programme in a Rubicone Corse Opel Astra which yielded three class victories.

The next year Baldacci arrived on the JWRC scene in a Super 1600 specification Vieffe Corse-entered Citroen Saxo VTS, interspersing this programme once again with appearances on a number of non-clashing Italian rounds.

Having now made a name for himself on the rally scene, last year saw him switch over to a Hi-Tec Super 1600 Punto, along with new co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini, to once again contest the JWRC.

A seven round programme saw a string of retirements, but culminated in a winning the JWRC category on his 'home' event the rally San Remo, while second place, and fifteenth overall, beckoned the Wales Rally GB.
 

Despite the series of event non-finishes he was still classified in a very satisfying fourth place, having picked up 20 points over the course of the season.

A single appearance in Italy that year with the Hi-Tec run Punto on the Rally Prealpi Trevigiane Terra, alongside a new co-driver, Simone Scattolin, culminated in Super 1600 victory, while two experience-gaining British Rally Championship outings on the Pirelli and Scottish Rallies, saw two top-five Super 1600 finishes.

Now, with a valuable year's experience driving the factory Suzuki Ignis under his belt, Baldacci switches back to the Fiat ranks.

With N-Technology having embarked on a late season development programme with the Punto Abarth, that most notably saw star drivers, Paolo Andreucci and Giandomenico Basso turn in stunning performances on the WRC Sardinia and Catalunya Rally's, Baldacci should be in prime position to challenge for the 2005 JWRC title.

While the Fiat Punto Abarth has consistently proved it has great potential, the statistics are lacking. In the four years of the JWRC (2001-04), which totals 28 events, the Italian car has claimed only two wins, Dallavilla in 2001 on the San Remo Rally, and Baldacci, in 2003, on the same event. The 2005-specification Punto is now expected to finally turn that potential into solid results, with both greater speed and reliability now being available.

Meanwhile a young driver stepping up to the JWRC next year is Italian hot-shot Matteo Gamba, who will compete with the full support of Fiat.

Gamba began rallying in 1998, and has since driven a Super 1600 Fiat Punto Abarth in the Under-27 category of the 'Trofeo Fiat Abarth' on the CIR Italian Rally Championship.

This steep learning curve ended with him claiming honours in the Under-27 championship his year, and, with Marco Ruffini alongside, he turned in a string on impressive performances. Next year Gamba, regarded by many as a rally star of the future, will contest the JWRC at the wheel of a Fiat-supported Punto Abarth, his prize for scooping the title.

Meanwhile Fiat are using the JWRC platform as part of the gradual build up to their exciting 'new Super 2000' contender, which will conform to the regulations of the low-cost, next generation 'Regional Rally Car' initiative.

This new rallycar, currently under development, will arrive in early 2006, shortly after the next road-going Punto is launched in just under a year's time.