Rally Sanremo will remain an all-asphalt event this year after initial plans to run it as a mixed-surface rally fell through.
The organizers of round 10 of this year's Intercontinental Rally Challenge had hoped to take the event back to gravel stages in Siena as well as using the asphalt roads for which the rally has become better known in recent years. But Automobile Club Sanremo president Sergio Maiga said this scheme had to be abandoned for financial reasons.
"Maybe we could have carried out the idea to bring Rallye Sanremo back to Siena, but in order to do that we would have been obliged to reduce costs in sectors like safety, where we are not willing to accept any compromise," he said.
"Furthermore we wouldn't be able to solve any of the economic problems that a race, like the one we had in mind, would have entailed for the teams that will take part in the event and, even more, for the several private drivers who are always showing their affection to our race.
"A leg on gravel and another one on asphalt would have made necessary a change of car setup during the race and therefore an increase in costs."