Concern for those involved in Saturday’s accidents and the need to prevent similar incidents in future editions of Rallylegend were at the heart of remarks by Interior Secretary of State Andrea Belluzzi during the joint committee session on 12 October. A full assessment will only be possible once all data has been gathered, but Belluzzi already pointed to one area requiring attention: security across the territory, including areas outside the special stages.
“First of all, I believe I speak for everyone: our thoughts go out to the people and their families who, even now, are still fighting and suffering because of the accidents that occurred on Saturday.” Alongside this, the Secretary also expressed recognition for those who worked during the event: “Our thanks go to the volunteers, the police forces, Civil Protection and the organisers for the work carried out during the event.”
Belluzzi referred to two incidents involving vehicles striking people, one in Fiorentino and the more serious one in Fiorina, drawing a clear distinction from how the races themselves unfolded: “There were no accidents during the special stages and, for the first time, not a single special stage had to be suspended at this Rallylegend.”
The issue, therefore, concerns what happens outside the race routes. “Unfortunately, we’ve seen where work is needed: the accidents took place outside the special stage areas, within the territory of the Republic, and there was also damage to property. We need to work on security presence and on the overall impact.” The Secretary specified that this is an initial assessment, to be developed further after consulting the professionals involved in managing the event.
The figures presented to the committee are still partial. Between 8 and 11 October, Belluzzi reported that 136 gendarmes worked a combined 1,050 hours, with eight people identified and reports filed concerning property damage, the use of fireworks, assaults and the use of glass bottles in areas where they are prohibited. For the Civil Police, he cited 46 administrative penalties, two food seizures, the confiscation of 100 grams of cocaine, four young foreign nationals reported and expelled from the Republic, and six vehicle registration documents withdrawn.
The next step will be a review of the results and critical issues from this just-concluded edition, continuing the process begun with organisers in 2024. “We will do this again after this edition: we will assess what happened, the data, what went well and what didn’t, in order to work on improvements.”
Belluzzi’s stated goal is to keep the event in San Marino while making its impact on residents, services and businesses sustainable. However, technical assessments have been postponed until a complete picture is available.
“I am sorry for the accidents that occurred, because for the first time we might have been able to use different words, but I don’t think it would be appropriate to do so given a situation of such suffering. This means we shouldn’t celebrate too much the positive work that was nonetheless carried out, but instead strive to do better, so that these incidents don’t happen again and our territory can be enjoyed safely during those days as well.”
