Female Rally Drivers After 1950: Italy in the 21st Century

Federica Lio

This post discusses the large number of Italian rally drivers who have begun their careers since 2000. For earlier Italian rally drivers, look here. Tamara Molinaro has her own post.

Sara Baldacci - started her career as a co-driver in 2004, and still navigates as well as driving herself. Her first rally as a driver was the Rallysprint Monteregio in 2006. driving a Peugeot 106. She returned to Monteregio in an MG ZR in 2011, to take part in the Ronde del Monteregio, and was 61st. In 2013, she had a bigger programme of events as a driver. One highlight was a class win on the Rally del Friuli Venezia Giulia. She was 42nd overall. That year, she used both a Citroen C2 and a Citroen Saxo, both running in class A6. In 2014, she spent most of the year in the co-driver's seat, but made at least two starts in Italian rallies. She came 49th in the Rally del Ciocchetto and the Rally Alta Val di Cecina, using a Clio and a Saxo respectively. In 2015, she rallied a Peugeot 208, and had a best finish of 35th in the Alta Val di Cecina. For 2016, she returned to the co-driver's seat. In 2021 she made a small comeback as a driver, rallying a Peugeot 208 and an MG ZR in Italian national events. She revisited the Ciocchetto rally in 2022, driving the 208, but did not finish. She finished it in 2023, coming 58th.

Luciana Bandini – active in Italian rallies since at least 2001. Her first car was a Peugeot 205, but for most of her career, she has driven a Renault Clio. Her career best finish is 21^st, in the 2015 Coppa Città di Lucca. That season, she went back to rallying a 205. In the same car, she achieved a class win in the Reggello e Valdarno Fiorentino Rally, and was 24^th overall.  Among the co-drivers she worked with in 2015 was fellow driver, Susanna Mazzetti.  She was competing against Barbara Lencioni for the Italian women’s title. In 2016, she rallied a Renault Clio Williams, and scored three top-twenty finishes. The best of these was a seventeenth place in the Rally Alta Val di Cecina. She continued to be competitive in 2017 in the Clio, and was 16th in the Rally di Reggello. 2018 started badly with a run of DNFs but she improved later on, picking up a best finish of 17th in the Rally di Casciana Terme. Casciana Terme was her best event in 2019 also: she was 24th. She later won her class in the Rally Il Ciocco e Valle del Serchio. 2020 was very similar for her, with a best finish of 30th in the Casciana Terme Rally, one of her usual scheduled events. She was 26th in the 2021 Rally di Casciana Terme, from 70 finishers, in the Clio. This was one of six rallies she did that year. The Clio came out again in 2022 for three events, including a 29th place (from 54) in the Rally degli Abeti e dell'Abetone. She did not finish her two rallies in the Clio un 2023.

Alice Binello - rallies a Renault in Italian asphalt events. She began in 2019, driving a Twingo. Her best result was a 51st place in the Rally Nazionale Il Grappolo. Her co-driver was her younger sister Alessia. In 2020, she drove a Clio, supported by Turismotors. She has entered two WRC rallies, the Alba events in 2019 and 2020, finishing both times and with a best finish of 105th. The Alba Rally was relegated to national status again in 2021 and Alice managed to roll her car, although she returned to the stages later in the year. Her year in 2022 was similar, including an accident on the Rally Trofeo delle Merende. She did two rallies in the 208 in 2023, finsihing both. She is from a rallying family; her and Alessia’s father Claudio also rallied in the 1990s and 2000s.

Monica Burigo - Italian Ladies’ rally champion in 2007, and winner of ladies’ prizes in Italian rallying since 1995. She has been involved in the major national scene since 2000, when she drove a Renault Clio in the Italian championship. After that, she switched to a Fiat Seicento, followed by another Clio, an Astra, a Subaru Impreza, a Saxo and another Clio. Her best result, 16th, came on the Rally Apennino Ligure in 2000. In 2008, she drove a Clio in European events, including the Mille Miglia rally, as well as doing some circuit racing in a BMW 1-series in Italy. In 2009, she moved away from stage rallying to compete in drifting in Japan, and in 2010, she combined drifting, appearances at car shows and a few rallies, some in a camera car. Since then, she seems to have concentrated on drifting, snow racing and record-breaking. 

Michela Campostrini - rallies Peugeot cars in Italy. She has been active since at least 2016. Her first car was a Peugeot 106, which she drove on and off between 2016 and 2021, along with three other 106s, usually run by Best Racing Team. The best result she achieved in a 106 was probably a 59th place in the 2019 Rally dei Colli Scaligeri, from 71 finishers. In 2022, she moved on to a Peugeot 208 in Rally4 spec. Her best result in it so far has been a 50th place in Rally della Valpolicella.

Monica Caramellino - active in Italian national rallies since at least 2014. Her car since 2016 was a Peugeot 208. Her best result in this car has been a 15th place in the 2017 Il Grappolo Rally Day. She continued to rally this car in 2018 but was not as successful. She fared bettwe in 2019 and had a best finish of 26th in the Rally Team 971 event. In 2014 and 2015, she rallied a BMW Mini Cooper, initially for the GO FAST Rally Team. She was less successful in this car, although she did many rallies in it. Her first WRC rally was in 2020: the Alba Rally, which was an emergency addition to the calendar. She finished in 85th position. Ealier in the year, she had finished sixth on the women-only Grande Sfida Trofeo R2 Lady, an event for Peugeot 208s. Her best finish in 2021 was a 33rd place in the Rally delle Palme, driving the Peugeot. In 2022, she did one rally each in the Peugeot and a Skoda Fabia R5. She used the Peugeot exclusively in 2023 and was second in the Grande Sfida Trofeo Lady. She favours sealed-surface events.

Anna Dusi – co-driver and driver active since 2001. As a driver, she has mainly competed in historic rallies in Italy. In 2014, she rallied a Fiat Ritmo and won her class twice, including a ninth place overall in the Rally Città di Modena Storico. In 2015, she tried out some more modern machinery, and was 26^th in the Rally Bianco-Azzurro in San Marino. The car was a Renault Clio. She tried out more small cars in 2016, a Peugeot 106 and a Citroen Saxo. Her best finish was a 38th place in the Rallye Due Valli, driving the Peugeot. In 2017, she only did one major event, the Rally della Romagna. She was 39th overall in the 106. As a co-driver, she has been part of a rally-winning team with Stefano Ciresola, in both historic and modern rallies. 

Corinne Federighi – young driver who rallies small cars in Italy. Her career began in 2014, in a Fiat 600, which was exchanged part-way through the year for a Renault Twingo, which she continues to use. That year, she concentrated on tarmac events. In 2015, she entered the Twingo R2 Trophy, and registered for the Italian ladies’ championship. After winning four Coupes des Dames, she was awarded the Italian Ladies' championship. The Targa Florio was one of the best rallies of her year, with fourth in the Junior class for drivers under 25, and 24^th overall, but she did even better in the Roma Capitale Rally, finishing fourteenth, and winning the Ladies' and Junior awards. She was third in both the Junior and Twingo championships. In 2016, she won the Coppa ACI Ladies' championship, driving a Renault Clio. Her best overall result was 22nd, in the Rally del Friuli Venezia Giulia. She was second in class. In 2017, she won the women's class of the Italian International Rally Cup. She earned one top-twenty overall finish, a 16th place in the Il Ciochetto Rally. In 2018, she was ladies' champion in the Coppa ACI rally series and also won the R3 class in the Clio. Her best finish was 23rd in the Due Valli event. She only did a couple of rallies in 2019 and unfortunately had to retire from both. 

Paola Fedi - a regular in Italian rallies between 2001 and 2004, and 2009 to the present day. She did not start rallying seriously until she was 30. Her car is always a Renault Clio of some description. At first, she used a Clio Williams, and was fourteenth in the 2001 Rally Salento. Later, her seasons were affected by various problems, and she did not often finish. In 2012, she drove two different Clios, a S1600 model and an R3, and had a good season, with one 17th-place finish in the Rally degli Abeti e Dell’Abetone, and two just outside the top 20, in the Monteregio and Maremma events. In 2014, in a S1600 Clio, she scored her first top ten: ninth in the Rally Elba Nazionale, with a class win. She came close again on the Rally del Casentino, in which she was twelfth. That year, she also drove a Renault Twingo in some rallies. In 2015, she was less active, driving the Clio in two Italian national events. She made a small comeback in 2020, driving the Clio in the Rally Day di Pomerance event. In 2021 and 2022, she drove the Clio and a Rally4-spec Peugeot 208 in a few Italian rallies. In 2023 she kept rallying the Peugeot, picking up two ladies' class wins.

Laura Maria Galliano - active in Italian rallies since 1991. She has driven a number of usually small cars, including a Renault Twingo and Clio between 2010 and 2016. Her most commonly-rallied car is a Peugeot 205, which she first used in 1992 and last used in 2021. Her best event is the Rally Pietra di Bagnolo; she scored her best finish of twelfth in the 2012 running, driving the Clio. It was also one of the first rallies she finished in 1991, driving an Opel Kadett. In 2018, she tried out a Suzuki Swift for a few rallies, scoring a fourteenth place in the Rally Bianco Azzurro. After a quiet 2020, she rallied both a Peugeot 205 and a Volkswagen Golf in Zone 1 National events. A BMW 318 and 125d were added to her stable of cars for 2022, although she went back to the Peugeot in 2023. Her best result was 23rd in the Il Grappolo historic rally.

Barbara Lencioni - has been rallying in Italy since 2007, always driving a Renault Clio. In 2009, she put herself on the map and won the National and International Ladies’ cups for Italy. In 2010, she did not do as well, and was plagued by retirements, and she missed most of 2011, due to pregnancy. However, she came back in 2012. In 2013, she was more competitive in the overall standings, achieving a top-twenty position (19th) in the Rally di Valdinievole. She was second in the S1600 class, and finished quite strongly in class on other rallies that year. In 2014, she rallied a Jolly Racing Team Clio, in the S1600 class. Her best finish was 27th , in the Rally Casciana Terme. She made a small comeback in 2018 in the Coppa Citta di Lucca Rally, but did not finish. As ever, she was co-driven by Alessandra Benedetti. 

Federica Lio - erstwhile co-driver who has switched to the driving seat full-time. She drove a Fiat 600 Abarth in Italian and European rallies in 2010, including the IRC-counting Rallye Sanremo, in which she was 37th. She also competed in the car in 2009, and was 60th in the Sanremo rally. Previously, she only drove occasionally, and navigated for a series of drivers in both historic and modern machinery. Her normal co-driver is Serena Giuliano. They were 44th overall in the 2011 Rallye Sanremo, in the Fiat. In 2012, they competed in the Fiat Sei 100 Cup, rallying mainly in Italy. She was second in the championship. She continued rallying the 600 in Italy in 2013. Her best finish was 33rd, in the Rallye Sanremo. In 2014, she achieved her first top-ten finish, a fifth place in the National section of the Sanremo Rally. Her other results were solid, but less spectacular. In 2015, she was third in the Italian womens' championship, winning the Coupe des Dames in Sanremo. She was 36th overall, and also won her class. Her best result was 29th, in the Valli del Giarolo Rally. Her car was again a Fiat Seicento. In 2016, she did some rallies in France, in a Fiat Seicento. Her best finish was 33rd, in the Jean Behra National Rally, and she also won her class in the Escarene National Rally. Her programme was the same in 2017, although it was the Jean Behra event in which she won her class this time. She did one event in 2019 in the Seicento, the Ronde della Val Merula, finishing 76th. The Seicento came out again for the 2020 Sanremo Rally, but the event was stopped. 

Michela Lorigiola - started rallying in 2019, usually driving for the Hawk Racing Club team. She normally competes in the Raceday Ronde Terra series and her first rally was the Rally delle Marche in November 2019, driving a Ford Fiesta R2. At the start of 2020, she continued with the Fiesta, but when rallying recommenced after the coronavirus outbreak, she had upgraded it to a Skoda Fabia R5. This gave her a first top ten, eighth place in the After Corona Rally Party in Croatia. Her co-driver is Carlo Covi, who sometimes drives the car while Michela navigates.

(Maria) Gabriella Mainiero - Italian driver who appears to have begun her career in the navigator’s seat, in 1998. More recently, she has driven Mitsubishi Lancers and a Renault Clio in the Italian championship. In 2005, she had a best result of 30th in the Rally Internationale Oltrepo, and that year, she was frequently in the top five of her class. In 2007, she took part in the Italian rounds of the IRC, with a best finish of 40th in Sanremo,driving a Lancer Evo 9. In 2008 and 2009, she repeated this programme, taking in the revived Targa Florio, Mille Miglia and Costa Smeralda rallies. She was the Italian Ladies’ champion in 2005, 2008 and 2009. Using a Lancer Evo IX, she drove in major rallies in 2011, including the Mile Miglia and Rally del Friuli de delle Alpe Orientali. 

Susanna Mazzetti - regular navigator to Alessio Santini since 2010, who now competes as a driver in her own right. She began in 2013, driving a Renault Clio S1600. Her best result was 29th, in the Rally degli Abeti d Dell’Abetone, and she also won the S1600 class. That year, she was also her local ladies’ champion. In 2014, she continued in the same car, driving mostly in Italy Rallyday events, with Rita Ferrari as co-driver. She had one finish, a 50th place in the Rally del Carnevale. This is in addition to her navigation duties, which included a win with Alessio Santini. She continued to rally the Clio in 2016, and earned a second in class in the Rally Terra Sarda, finishing 28th overall. In the same car, she earned her first top-twenty finish in 2017, coming 18th in the Rally Alta Val di Cecina. She was 24th in this event in 2018. In 2019, she was twelfth in the same rally in the Clio, one of two top-20 finishes that year. The other was a 17th place in the Abeti e dell'Abetone event. Her programme for 2020 featured three rallies but she only finished one, the Rally Day di Pomerance. She was 33rd. Her main car for 2021 was a Skoda Fabia R5, although she used three different versions. She was 19th in the Rally Casciana Terme. She rallied the Skoda exclusively in 2022 and was 20th in the Rally delle Abete e dell'Abetone. She scored another top 20 in the Skoda in 2023, finsihing 18th in the Rallye di Reggello - Citta di Firenze event. 

Rebecca Mei - driver and co-driver active since 2013. For her first season, she used a Fiat 600 Sporting in some Italian rallies, co-driven by Giulia Antongiovanni. Her best finish was 33rd, in the Rally Ronde dei Colli Luni. In 2014, she initially continued with the Fiat and scored her first top-twenty finish - 17th in the Rally il Ciocco e Valle del Serchio. She then started rallying a Renault Clio Williams, and was fourteenth, second in class, in the National Elba Rally. This was her best result of the year. She also drove a Citroen Saxo in 2014, but it was not as successful. As a navigator, she usually sits alongside either Simone Mei, her father, or Lorenzo Bonuccelli, in a variety of smaller cars.

Silvia Micheletti – mainly a co-driver, active since 2001, although she has driven some rallies of her own, between 2003 and 2008. One of her first rally cars was a Lancia Delta HF Integrale, but she has had better results in more modern machinery. In 2004, she did a full season of rallying in Italy, in a Peugeot 206. Her best finish was 29^th, in the Rally Tutta Terra Toscana. After that, she competed only sporadically, although she continued to navigate for different drivers. Her last rally as a driver was the 2008 Mille Miglia, in a Fiat Punto. She did not finish.

Vanessa Polonia – began rallying at the age of 18, and having done a few rallies in a Peugeot 106, jumped straight into the Monte Carlo Rally, a few months later, in 2009. She was 29^th, third in class, in a Suzuki Swift. After that, she returned to Italian rallies, and the Peugeot 106, a car she still used in 2015. For several seasons, she rallied around Italy, often in the Alpe Adria Rally Cup. In 2014, she had a best result of 30^th overall, in the Rally di Majano, second in class. In 2015, she was one of the leading drivers in the Italian women’s championship, after a Coupe des Dames in the Rally Il Ciocco e Valli del Serchio. Her best overall finish was 23^rd, in the Rally Day Cittá di Maniago. She was fifth in the womens' championship. 

Lorella Rinna - active in Italian rallies since at least 2015. Her normal car is a Renault Clio and she has used several different versions of this vehicle since 2015. Her best season in it was 2017, when she had a best result of 20th in the Rallye di Roma Capitale. She also won her class in the Rally Due Valli. In 2018, she rallied a Mini Cooper, finishing fourth in the Italian R1 Cup with class wins in the Sperlonga and Palladio events. She returned to rallying a Clio in 2020.

Silvia Rocchi - driver and co-driver active since 2010. She has sat beside a number of Italian and Swiss drivers, and earned top-ten finishes. As a driver, she has mostly used a Renault Clio, sticking to asphalt rallies in the Lombardy region, which stretches into Switzerland. 2016 was her best year, and she was partnered by the experienced Swiss navigator, Tania Canton. Her best result was a 40th place in the Ronde Gomitolo di Lana, and she was third in class. She won that year’s Lombardy Ronde Women’s Cup. In 2017, she only did one major event, in the Clio. She and Tania retired from the Coppa Valtellina. Her only outing in 2020 was the women-only Grande Sfida Trofeo R2 Lady, which she won in a Peugeot 208.

Giovanna (Jenny) Rubini – has rallied on and off, in and around Italy, since 2000. Her first car seems to have been a Renault Clio. Since her first major rallies in 2000, she has driven a Subaru Impreza, Autobianchi A112 Abarth, Ford Fiesta and SEAT Ibiza, among others. The SEAT is her most recent car. In 2014 and 2015, she has rallied it in San Marino, and she was 27^th in the 2015 Rally Bianco-Azzurro. Her best overall results have been two 21^st places, achieved in 2014. One was in the Impreza, at an Imola rally event, and the other was in the San Marino Rallylegend event, in a VW Golf. As well as driving, she has also done some navigating in modern and historic rallies. 

Silvia Spinetta - driver and co-driver, active since at least 2011. As a driver, her usual car is a Peugeot 106, and since 2015, this has often been run by the Scuderia Monferrato. Silvia’s best events are the shorter rallies, and her best overall result was a 42nd place in the 2015 Rally del Colli del Luni. As a navigator, she has helped Simone Miele to at least two wins, as well as sitting alongside Elisa Spinetta, presumably her sister, who has also co-driven for her on occasion.

Giulia de Toni – winner of the Italy Rally Talent contest in 2014, despite having never done any rallying before. That year, she participated in four rallies in Italy, using a Peugeot 106, a Renault Clio and a Peugeot 208. She was third in the Rally Talent section of the Bologna Motor Show. Her prize in 2015 was a supported drive in a Peugeot 208. Her best finish has been 37^th, in the Rally Il Ciocco e Valli del Serchio, and she was also 40^th in the Rallye Sanremo. She was second in the Italian womens' championship. Her usual co-driver was Sofia Peruzzi. In 2022, she made a comeback in a Peugeot 208 Rally4, finishing 44th in the Targa Florio Rally. More rallies in Italy's International Rally Cup followed in 2023.

Sabrina Tumolo - active in Italy since at least 2002, when she drove a Renault Clio Williams in events including the Rally Cittá de Schio. She continued with this car in 2003. In 2010, she was still using this car in Italian national rallies, as well as a Peugeot 205, although it is not clear whether she has competed continuously. In 2007, she is also recorded as rallying a Citroen C2. In 2011, she was very active in the Italian championship again, and was named Italy’s top female driver. She remained active between 2013 and 2015, driving the Clio still. Her best finish was 23rd, in the Rally Cittá di Modena. In 2016, she rallied three different cars: a Mini Cooper, a Clio and a Peugeot 106. She was ninth in the Rally Day della Romagna in the Clio. 2017 was quite similar for her; she drove both cars again, and was most successful in the Clio. She won her class in the Rally della Romagna and Rally Ronde Colli del Monferrato e del Moscato. For 2018, she stuck with the Clio. She won her class on the Benacus Rally and was 16th overall. She continued with the same car in 2019 and won the Ladies' award on the Citta di Modena Rally. Away from rallying, she is also involved in the business side of motorsport. In 2020 she only did one rally, the Rally Due Valli in October. She did not finish. Back in the 208 in 2021, she competed in three events, earning a best result of 41st in the Rally del Bardolino. 

Lucia Zambiasi – active as a driver in Italian rallying, between 2000 and 2006. She switched between three cars: a SEAT Ibiza for the 2001 season, Opel Astras, and a Renault Clio Williams. She was probably most successful in the Astra, which she used at the beginning and the end of her career. Her best overall result was 26^th, in the Rally di Cagliari in 2000. She was driving the Astra, and was fourth in class N3. During her career, she also scored top thirty finishes in the Piancavallo and Targa Florio rallies, among others. After retiring from the driving seat in 2001, she stayed involved in rallying as a navigator. This was something she had always done on and off, but she now competes almost full-time in the Italian historic championship.

(Image from http://www.formulaitalia.info)