Multi-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi and co-driver Carlo Cassina won the 2017 Monza Rally Show December 1-3 at the Monza Circuit, in Italy, in their Ford Fiesta RS WRC. It was Rossi’s sixth win, a record for the event, surpassing Rinaldo Capello, according to www.monsterenergy.com, Rossi’s primary sponsor.

According to Monster Energy, Rossi and Cassina overcame a 10-second penalty they received in the second stage when it was discovered their Ford was 15 pounds underweight. Rossi later explained that this occurred because his crew to add ballast to compensate for the removal of lights used during the previous night stage.

“This was one of the most hard fought Monza Rallies that I have raced at, because there were four cars able to win, and everybody was close right up until the end,” Rossi was quoted as saying. “Unfortunately the team made a small mistake with the weight of the car on Friday. We didn’t calculate for the lights on the front of the car. It was a stupid mistake! When I stopped after stage two and they said I was under weight and I got a 10 second penalty – I said it was over. But I gave it maximum attack and risked a lot, especially in the second to last stage. It’s a shame to not get the Master’s stage result, but for me the more important, so I’m happy! The Monza Rally Show is always great fun, because it’s a real race where you can drive these types of cars fast – but at the end you can enjoy it too with less pressure at the end of the season. All the team is very happy because after this week we start our winter holiday and there’s always a great atmosphere. To enjoy it, you still have to try your maximum, and the challenge is very difficult and the level his very high. Especially in the last few years the event has grown up a lot, and there are real rally drivers here now to have a lot of fun competing against. This is our unique team at Monza so it’s something special, and it wouldn’t be the same to do the rally alone. Of course driving with the Brivios and Uccio is very funny; because you can talk a lot about the technical things but at the same time still make a lot of jokes if you’re faster or slower than them! This year I also have my brother Luca because he came to me and said ‘I want to come, I want to come’ so I organised it. He’s fast, he’s enjoying it, and I think he’ll keep doing it in the future. We speak a lot, with Davide and Uccio but especially with Luca, to try and share the secrets. It’s his first experience with a rally car and he’s already fast so I’m happy and he’s happy. But the contract is that he can be fast but not as fast as me!”