April 13, 2026_ Among the many pleasant surprises offered by the Italian Baja di Primavera—primarily the record number of entrants, the excellent participation of rally drivers, and some interesting new entries—the "reawakening of the old" champion Lorenzo Codecà deserves particular mention (eleven championship titles to his name, no one like him). The first round of the 2026 Italian Cross Country Championship concluded with a podium entirely occupied by SSV competitors, with the Monza-born driver's Suzuki Grand Vitara T1, co-driven by Gilberto Menetti, taking fourth place. Menetti held off the Mitsubishi Pajero crew of Sergio Galletti and Daniele Fontana Sacchetti by just 2.5 seconds. Alfio Bordonaro and Stefano Lovisa's Vitara was 15.2 seconds behind, with the rest of the off-road crew just a few minutes behind.
"The rain was a precious ally," Codecà said, "because we arrived at the first round of the season with an engine that wasn't yet performing and went into protection mode. In extreme conditions, we were able to make the most of everything else, including a bit of luck."
Pummeled by the weather, the race was truly complicated at times. "I have to congratulate the organizers for handling the difficulties with their usual mastery. We were attentive and vigilant during the race, and Menetti kept me in line without forcing anything. The result was achieved thanks in part to the misadventures of some of our opponents, but there are always unknowns around the corner for everyone. These are tests of endurance, not just speed. The entire car package needs to function at its best, and Car Tech Racing did a fantastic job that restored my confidence like I haven't had in a long time".
The Artugna demonstrated a certain supremacy of the SSVs over the classic off-road vehicles. Will this be the case in Sardinia too? "They'll have an advantage in every race. They're not cars; off-road vehicles weigh twice as much as SSVs, a ton more. They have acceleration that we can't even dream of. Not even in Sardinia will we find long straights to exploit our higher top speed, but we'll have plenty of restarts. But that doesn't mean we're throwing in the towel. As for me, I'll do everything I can to maximize our available potential. We're working on the engine; on the island, we'll need all the horsepower."
Italian Baja Press Office
Photo Michele Barazzutti
