History 2000s

2006 Rally Italia Sardinia (Italy)

Overview Route Results Cars Challenges

Overview

Event Name: 2006 Rally Italia Sardinia (Italy)

Date: May 5–7, 2006

Start Location: Olbia, Sardinia

Finish Location: Olbia, Sardinia

Total Distance: ~1,043.32 km

Competitive Stages: 349.02 km

Surface: Gravel (narrow, rocky, Mediterranean)

The fourth round of the 2006 WRC season brought crews to the rugged island of Sardinia, where blistering heat, tight stages, and loose gravel made survival as important as speed. Sébastien Loeb’s measured aggression and flawless tire management gave him the edge over Marcus Grönholm in a rally that punished the smallest mistakes.

Route

Monte Lerno: Fast but narrow, lined with unforgiving rock walls and blind crests.
Coiluna – Loelle: Alternating between wide open blasts and tight technical sections, requiring constant rhythm changes.
Terranova: Loose gravel over hard base with dust lingering in the air — a co-driver’s nightmare.

Sardinia’s stages were a mix of technical hairpins and high-risk straights bordered by jagged rocks. Notable stages included:

Midday heat softened the surface, creating ruts that unsettled cars at speed. Clean lines and careful braking were essential to avoid punctures and suspension damage.

🏆 Results

Overall Winner
Sébastien Loeb & Daniel Elena · Citroën Xsara WRC – Kronos Racing
2nd Place
Marcus Grönholm & Timo Rautiainen · Ford Focus RS WRC 06
3rd Place
Dani Sordo & Marc Martí · Citroën Xsara WRC – Kronos Racing

Loeb’s ability to keep the car tidy through Sardinia’s roughest sections proved decisive. Grönholm kept the pressure on but lost time in dust and rocky hairpins, while Sordo impressed with his first podium finish in WRC.

Navigation & Challenges

  • Dust Clouds: Reduced visibility in close stages made precise pacenotes critical.
  • Rock-Lined Roads: Even small mistakes risked punctures or terminal damage.
  • Heat Management: Cars and drivers battled high cockpit temperatures, affecting concentration and reliability.

Loeb’s Sardinia win proved once again that precision could outmatch outright speed in the WRC, and it strengthened his grip on the 2006 championship battle.

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