Chesterfield's Seb Perez takes second spot in Italy

The 21 year old, alongside his team mate and car owner Andrew Siddal, made history by taking two podiums on the event, twice within a year.

Perez said “It was great to be back in Italy on the podium again and second now three years running Andrew and I really enjoy the combination of races and rally stages and our pairing works well, hopefully next year one step higher.

“The route was different to last year but just as demanding and exciting for both of us.

"A big thank you to the organisers for yet again a top class event.”

Due to the Covid pandemic the 2020 version of the event was put back to October 2020 that saw the dynamic duo perform just as well.

The Derbyshire race and rally driver took the passenger seat for the third year on the event to become co-driver/navigator to Siddal on the road special stages.

Perez’s forte was the Grand Prix sections, a selection of demanding Italian race circuits.

The pair’s office for the 4 day event was the red Cossack Ford Escort RS1800 MK2 LAR 800P, the historic rally car of the late rally ace Roger Clark.

In its day the car took second place in the 1975 Lombard RAC Rally.

The prestigious rally featured ten special stages and three circuit races, starting on the Adriatic coastal resort of Rimini and finishing in Modena, home town of Enzo Ferrari.

Siddal was at the wheel for day one with Perez in the passenger seat co-driving.

By the end of the day looped around Rimini the pair were fourth overall with Perez taking fourth over the line after seven laps of Circuit Misano.

Leg 2 saw a day of two demanding stages and a circuit race, Perez started proceedings with an 8 lap 4.9km race around Autodromo di Imola where he retained 4th spot with Siddal pushing on the other two road stages to seal 3rd in the rankings.

Day 3 saw the pair in a good position. Perez was first in the driving seat again excelling his circuit racing skills at Mugello Circuit to take a podium second place. Siddal continued piling the pressure with Perez reading the maps to keep the Escort in second to finish the day.

The Final day comprised of tests outside of Modena, three in all, with both Perez and Siddal in the mix and a possible first place on the cards.

The pair battled during the day to keep second place with an eighth place at SS10 Autodromo di Modena.

The Perez and Siddal duo took honours in the final rankings at the event in Modena taking second overall, second on the GP Circuit tests and third on the road section special stages. They also gained the Class Winners trophy.

This season Perez is competing on UK soil as well in a 1965 Porsche 911 historic racing car and in between the circuit racing he is taking on the MSA British Rally Championship in an M Sport Ford Fiesta R5 rally car for the first time.