A tragedy struck during the Rally della Valle d’Aosta as 54-year-old driver Massimiliano Ponzetti lost his life
A weekend of celebration turned into tragedy in Saint Vincent: during the Rally della Valle d’Aosta, 54-year-old local driver Massimiliano Ponzetti lost his life after suffering a sudden illness while in transit between Special Stage 4 and the Regrouping area, as reported by our friends at MemasGP.
Ponzetti, competing in a Renault Clio alongside co-driver Mattia Pastorino, had just completed the previous stage in 36th position. The incident occurred around midday on state road 26 near the Fénis roundabout: after falling ill, he lost control of the car and crashed into a guardrail. Fortunately, no other vehicles were involved.
Emergency aid was immediate: the co-driver, unharmed, attempted to revive him, assisted by some spectators who fetched a defibrillator from a nearby stable. Despite desperate efforts lasting nearly an hour, there was nothing more that could be done.
In agreement with all teams, Race Direction and the Panel of Stewards decided to cancel the remaining special stages out of respect.
The entire GPKingdom team extends its heartfelt condolences to Massimiliano’s family.