Rohrl and the Audi S1 Quattro

The 1985 Sanremo Rally was due to be the debut event for the Lancia Delta S4, but much to the frustration of the Italian fans, the car was yet again delayed. So, the Peugeot 205 T16 E2 would clean up again right? Well, Audi had other ideas, Walter Röhrl had spent some time setting his car up for this event.

The rally was run over 43 special stages, 13 stages were to be run on the tarmac roads in the mountains behind Sanremo and another 30 stages would be held on the gravel roads of Tuscany.

The spectators in Italy were crazy, probably almost as crazy as the fans in Portugal. Röhrl set off flat out over the opening tarmac stages, swapping times with the Peugeot of Frenchman Bruno Saby.