Simone Tempestini Wins Argeș Rally in Thrilling Finish

Simone Tempestini clinched a dramatic victory in the Argeș Rally after a nail-biting duel with Norbert Maior, which was decided in the final special stage. This win solidifies his position as the provisional leader of the national rally championship after the first three stages.

The Napoca Rally Academy driver edged out Maior by a mere 0.5 seconds after completing 133 kilometers of special stages, finishing the competition with a total time of 01:13:38.9.

Before the final stage, the Transfăgărășan power stage, Maior held a 9.5-second lead. However, Tempestini excelled in the last, longest special stage of the rally, which was 10 seconds faster than Maior, turning the tables in his favor.

"It was one of the most intense rallies I've experienced. I pushed to the limit on Transfăgărășan and tried to recover every second. Winning by just half a second after such a long weekend gives you some interesting feelings," Tempestini said after the race.

Maior acknowledged the heartbreaking nature of the loss, especially after leading most of the rally. "It's tough to lose a rally by 0.5 seconds after so many kilometers, especially after leading the final stage. There's disappointment, but at the same time, we offered a beautiful spectacle and a duel that will stay in the fans' memories," he said.

This is Tempestini's third win in the Argeș Rally in the past four years, and he now leads the national championship after the first three stages. Next week, the 10-time national champion will head to Sweden for the second stage of the European Rally Championship.