The 2026 Maramures Rally, the debut stage of the new season of the National Rally Championship, brought to the start some of the strongest crews in Romanian motorsport. In a weekend full of challenges, Simone Tempestini, together with co-driver Francesca Maior, once again demonstrated determination, speed and experience, managing a spectacular evolution on the routes around Baia Mari.
Behind the wheel of the Porsche 997 RGT, Tempestini started the day strong on Saturday, managing to take the lead of the rally from the first special stages. With an excellent pace and a precise approach, the crew built a significant advantage, confirming its status as the favorite and showing a high level of control on the technical stages of the rally.
The fight for the first position was intense, and Simone continued to push, returning to the lead in the second part of the day. Unfortunately, an unforeseen moment would change the course of the competition. A technical problem with the acceleration system led to a significant loss of time, forcing the crew to improvise in order to continue the race.
Even in these conditions, Tempestini did not give up. Sunday brought a spectacular comeback, with the driver adopting an offensive rhythm and winning important special stages. Determination and experience had their say, and in the end the crew managed to climb to second place in the general classification, completing a remarkable performance in the context of the difficulties encountered.
The results of the other drivers completed the podium, but Simone Tempestini’s evolution was one of the most spectacular of the weekend, marked by speed, ambition and the ability to come back after a difficult moment.
The 2026 Maramures Rally confirms once again the high level of competition in the National Rally Championship and maintains Simone Tempestini as the protagonist of the season, ready to fight for new victories in the following stages.
