This year is a special one for Roberto Dapra. After spending the last 2 years on the European stage, last week he and co-driver Luca Guglielmetti made their debut on the mountain passes of Monte Carlo and thus the world stage beckoned in WRC2 form. The 2023 ERC4 champion and Junior ERC runner-up was in a strong seventh position in class and fifth among the WRC2 Challenger contingent when he stopped on SS12. The 22-year-old Italian restarted on Sunday and completed the Wolf Power Stage as the fourth fastest WRC2 Challenger driver, despite his lack of experience in Rally2 machinery and the challenging Tarmac event.
Daprà is now planning to contest at least 4 further WRC2 events in Croatia, Portugal, Poland and Latvia with
either the Acropolis Rally Greece or the Central European Rally for his seventh and final WRC2 round of the year.
Speaking about the experience he gained on the ERC with relation to his upcoming WRC2 campaign Dapra said,
In ERC we have done the rallies in Poland and Latvia and [we know some of the stages] and that’s one of the reasons why we make the big step to WRC2. We have the possibility to have some pacenotes of the stages and driving for the second time on the rally is so much better than the first time so [the experience from the ERC] will be very important.
Daprà is realistic about the short term future adding,
I don’t want to say I will arrive first, second, fourth or the last one. I just want to drive to have fun and improve. When all works well and you drive good, the times come by themselves. I just focus on 100 per cent of me on the rally, prepare the rally watching the onboards and do the physical preparation and everything you need to drive a Rally2 car.
Daprà is also contemplating a programme in the Italian championship – which includes the ERC-counting Rally di Roma Capitale from 26 - 28 July on its calendar – in an effort to build up his knowledge of Rally2 competition.
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