Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi take their first European victory after a solid and mature performance against two-time FIA ERC champion Hayden Paddon.

Katowice, October 13th, 2024 – Team MRF Tyres, with Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi (ITA) in the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, won the 8th Rally Silesia – Rajd Śląska, the final round of the 2024 FIA European Rally Championship, held in Katowice (PL) over the past weekend.

The Italian crew, who finished second in the previous championship round at the JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion, delivered an outstanding performance, allowing Mabellini to claim his first European career victory. This is a significant result, marking the first time in 13 years that an Italian has won a European rally outside of Italy. With this result, first win for MRF Tyres on FIA ERC tarmac, Mabellini finished the season in fourth place, missing out third by just a few points, while contributing significantly to Team MRF Tyres’ second-place finish in the teams’ standings.

Mabellini’s success was built over time, with strategic teamwork ensuring the right tire choices at critical moments. The Italian driver was in contention from the start, securing second place in the opening show stage and becoming the only driver to challenge former WRC driver Hayden Paddon, the two-time European champion. The turning point came on Day 2, with Mabellini’s victory on SS11, propelling him into the lead after an intense battle fought down to the tenths of a second.

The key moment came three stages from the end: after a mostly dry rally, changing weather conditions and the rain made tire choice crucial. Team MRF Tyres made no mistakes, with Mabellini driving with both speed and precision, showing maturity, and extending his lead from a narrow 1.9-second margin to an 18.3-second gap by the finish.

“I’m extremely happy. I want to thank Team MRF Tyres for believing in me from the start. We’ve worked hard together, and achieving this result is a huge satisfaction for all of us. A big thanks also to Virginia, who understands me perfectly, guides me, and without whom I wouldn’t be able to give my best, and to everyone who supported us from Italy. It’s been an incredible weekend, a season finale to remember. We’re enjoying this moment,” said Mabellini.

Also crossing the finish line in Katowice were Amaury Molle (B) and Alex Dubois (FRA) in the Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo. The Belgian driver returned after his accident at the Barum Czech Rally Zlín two months ago, delivering a consistent performance. Molle worked on regaining confidence and consistency, posting impressive times, including seventh on SS11, run in very uncertain conditions.

“It’s been a weekend full of positives. I know it will take time to fully regain my rhythm and the confidence to push at 100%, but I felt a great connection with the car, and Alex and I did a good job, improving stage by stage. We made a small mistake on the final test, but that doesn’t change our outlook on the weekend’s result. Thanks to Team MRF Tyres for this opportunity; now we have the winter to prepare and focus on our 2025 season,” said Molle.

Unfortunately, the other two Team MRF Tyres crews were forced to retire. Meirion Evans and Jonathan Jackson (GB), debuting with MRF Tyres in their Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, were performing well but had to stop after a crash on SS7, with no harm to the crew.

Simone Tempestini and Francesca Maior (RO), in their Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, retired on the first stage of Day 2. The crew were in third place overall after an excellent drive that saw them post strong times, and they were expected to challenge for a top-three finish.

For MRF Tyres, the work doesn’t stop. On Tuesday, October 15th the technical team will be in Italy with multiple Italian champion Paolo Andreucci to continue developing the 2025 tires. This ongoing process positions the Indian premium motorsport tire manufacturer to continue building on the excellent results achieved in the latter part of the 2024 FIA European Rally Championship.

Contact:
Vivek Ponnusamy
vivek@mentortyres.com
+61 424246611
+39 3483530931

Media contact:
press@mrftyreseurope.com

FIA European Rally Championship 2024 | Calendar
12-14 April V. Rally Hungary Gravel
2-4 May Rally Islas Canarias Tarmac
13-15 June Royal Rally of Scandinavia, Sweden Gravel
5-7 July Rally Estonia Gravel
26-28 July Rally di Roma Capitale, Italy Tarmac
16-18 August Barum Czech Rally Zlín Tarmac
30 Aug-1 Sep Rali Ceredigion, United Kingdom Tarmac
11-13 October Rally Silesia, Poland Tarmac