Paolo Andreucci

Paolo Andreucci is an Italian rally veteran and one of the best Italian rally drivers in recent years. He won the Italian Rally Championship eleven times between 2001 and 2018.

Since 2001, his navigator is Anna Andreussi, who became his wife in a meantime. They form one of the most popular pairs in the European rallying, widely known as UcciUssi.

Italian rally legend Paolo Andreucci

World Rally Championship debut in 1989

Born in April 1965, Paolo Andreucci started his rally career in the later 1980s. He competed in a Renault 5 Turbo and Fiat Uno Turbo before switching to Lancia Delta Integrale in 1989.

Driving a Lancia Delta Integrale N4 car, he made a WRC debut at Rally de Portugal in March 1989, finishing 8th overall and second in Production class. A couple of months later, Andreucci retired in his second attempt at Acropolis Rally. His navigator in both events was Carlo Cassina.

Variety of rally cars during the 1990s

During the 1990s, Andreucci was driving a variety of cars in national rally events, but also participating in the Italian rounds of the European Rally Championship or World Rally Championship.

He contested in a Lancia Delta Integrale, Peugeot 309 GTI, Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, Peugeot 106 XSI, Renault Clio Williams, Peugeot 306 S16, Renault Clio Maxi, Renault Megane Maxi, Ford Escort RS Cosworth, Subaru Impreza WRX and Subaru Impreza S4 WRC.

Paolo Andreucci and Paolo Amati at 1993 Rally dell'Isola d'Elba in a Peugeot 106 XSI

Regular entrant at Rallye Sanremo WRC event

Andreucci recorded his next WRC start at 1993 Rallye Sanremo, retiring in a Peugeot 106 XSI. Next year, at Rallye Sanremo, he drove Renault Clio Williams to 13th place overall and second in 2-Litre WRC competition.

In 1995, Rallye Sanremo was a part of the 2-Litre WRC competition and Andreucci finished tenth in a Peugeot 306 S16. In 1996, he finished 12th at Sanremo in a Renault Megane Maxi. Driving a same car, he retired a year later and again in 1998.

Andreucci's Subaru Impreza WRC at 20000 Rallye Sanremo

ERC front-runner in a Subaru Impreza WRC

A Subaru Impreza S4 WRC was Andreucci's first World Rally Car. He was using it in 1999 both in the Italian and European Rally Championship. Scoring four wins over the season, he finished in the third place both in the national and European championship.

In 2000, he raced in a Subaru Impreza S5 WRC. He was a rally winner three times in the Italian championship but he lost the championship title to Piero Longhi. In the ERC classification, Andreucci was third again. In two seasons with Subaru, Andreucci recorded two DNFs at Rallye Sanremo as WRC round.

Paolo Andreucci and Anna Andreussi are rallying together since 2001

2001 - first year with Anna and first championship title

In 2001, Andreucci spent a part of the season with his old navigator Alessandro Giusti and another part with his new navigator Anna Andreussi.

His race car was a Ford Focus RS WRC. He won two rallies and captured his first national rally title. In the European Rally Championship standings, he was fourth. Andreucci competed also at Rally Sanremo, a part of the World Rally Championship, retiring after an accident.

Andreucci spent four seasons in a Fiat Punto S1600

Anna as a full-time navigator since 2002, first joint title in 2003

In 2002, Anna Andreussi became Paolo's full-time co-driver, navigating him in all but one rally event that year. They competed in a Fiat Punto S1600, scoring no wins and finishing second in the Italian championship. A pair Andreucci – Andreussi stayed in a Fiat Punto S1600 in 2003, winning their first championship title together after they triumphed in three rounds.

They stayed in a Fiat Punto S1600 for two more seasons. In 2004, Paolo and Anna finished third in the Italian championship. They were 10th in the Italian WRC round at Rallye Sanremo. In 2005, Paolo finished just fifth in the points, not scoring either one win.

Andreucci's Fiat Abarth Grand Punto S2000 in 2006

Third championship title in a Fiat Abarth Grande Punto S2000

In 2006, Paolo and Anna switched to Fiat Abarth Grande Punto S2000, won seven times and dominantly took the Italian Rally Championship title. A victory at Rallye Sanremo put them to the second place in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

Two seasons without championship titles followed in 2007 and 2008. Andreucci was driving Ralliart Italia's Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX in that period, finishing third in points in 2007 and second in points in 2008.

Paolo Andreucci is using Peugeot cars since 2009

Four championship titles in a row in a Peugeot 207 S2000

The most successful period in Andreucci's career started in 2009 when he switched to Peugeot 207 S2000, driving it for Racing Lions team. He and Anna captured four consecutive championship titles with that car.

In 2009, they won three rallies. In 2010, they won four times, including a victory at Rallye Sanremo as IRC round. In 2011, they dominated in the championship with seven victories. One more dominant season followed in 2012 with five wins.

In 2013, Andreucci was combining two Peugeots in two different classes - four-wheel-drive Peugeot 207 S2000 and two-wheel-drive Peugeot 208 R2. Despite that handicap, he managed to finish the season in the second place.

Paolo Andreucci and Anna Andreussi are competing in a Peugeot 208 T16 since 2014

Four more championship titles in a Peugeot 208 T16

A new Peugeot 208 T16 came to Paolo's garage in 2014 and he continued his victorious streak, taking his 8th championship title. He and Anna won in four rallies. In 2015, they confirmed a domination with four rally wins and one more championship title in a Peugeot 208 T16. They also competed in the Italian WRC round at Sardinia, finishing 8th overall and second in WRC2 class.

In 2016, Andreucci has won four rallies but he lost a championship title to Giandomenico Basso by just two points. In 2017, a duo 'UcciUssi' was back on the top, winning their ninth title together and Paolo's tenth championship title. In 2018, four wins in a Peugeot were good enough for one more national championship title, eleventh in a career.

In 2019, Paolo took a little break, participating in selected rounds of the Italian gravel rally championship, winning once and adding three more podiums to finish second in the championship. In all those rallies he had a new navigator, Rudy Briani.

Victory at Rallye Sanremo at the start of the season 2018

Photos: Ucciussi FB, David Bonaventuri, Petr Sagner, Petr Eliaš, Petr Šedivec,Giuseppe Depalmas, Petr Fitz/ewrc-results.com,