Filippo Marchino's Citroën C3 Rally2 is carrying a special livery in Monte Carlo, all for an important cause
Words by Alasdair Lindsay, Head of Digital Strategy
A Citroën C3 Rally2 in a World Rally Championship service park is standard enough. One fully wrapped from roof to side skirt in a Jamaican livery is not.
It gets even more intriguing when you look closely at the side: the flags on the rear passenger windows aren’t that of Jamaica, but one American flag and one Italian. What on earth?
The reason is a devastating one – but an idea borne of optimism and hope.
Last October, Hurricane Melissa battered Jamaica with 185mph winds, razing houses, hospitals and critical infrastructure to the ground. A total of 32 people died – but the United Nations estimated that 1.5 million people were materially impacted by the category-five storm.
The fundraising effort continues today. Look closer at the black, yellow and green Citroën and you’ll find a website on the door: https://supportjamaica.gov.jm.
Marchino is competing for himself, but raising awareness for others
Driving the car on the Monte is Filippo Marchino, a lawyer specializing in taking large firms to court in personal injury cases. This will be his eighth WRC start and before now, he had always run a striking combination of blue hues to promote the One Drop Foundation, which works to provide access to clean water and sanitation where it does not currently exist.
But speaking with Jamaica’s motorsport federation, Stephen Gunter, about the hurricane planted an idea in his head.
“I was flabbergasted by how much devastation actually happened,” Marchino told DirtFish. “It just occurred to me: we have a platform, why not help?
“The struggle of people that have been through such devastation is something I see in my work. So I realize the fact that people have an initial reaction of empathy from the general public, but then that disappears. People forget. People that suffered the injury or suffered the devastation feel alone. They feel abandoned. They don’t feel empathy from others. And obviously they sometimes don’t have the resources.
“This was a way of getting a bunch of birds with a single feed. It helps raise awareness, make them feel connected, brings them joy, right? Because everybody loves the fact that an Italian guy and an American guy are racing a Jamaican flagged car.”
The Jamaican campaign doesn't end at the conclusion of the rally on Sunday
Just as Marchino’s day job feels a bit Erin Brokovich, this exercise has a few shades of Cool Runnings about it. What’s an American lawyer in a Jamaican-themed car doing competing on the ice of Monte anyway?
His uncle Vittorio Colombo was Jolly Club founder Mario Angiolini’s business partner. Turns out he was born into a passion for rallying. He first appeared in the WRC five years ago at the Monza Rally.
Most importantly, his Jamaican campaign doesn’t end at the finish line of the Monte this Sunday. One of his driver suits – which, again, are full-on Jamaica-spec – will be auctioned off for the aforementioned fundraising effort. The other is being gifted to the country’s prime minster Andrew Holness in May. And it appears it’s garnering plenty of interest back “home” too.
Gunter, who planted the seed of the idea in Marchino’s head, says the WRC is about to become front page news in Jamaica: “Our largest media house, which owns several radio stations as well as the largest television station and newspaper on the island, is working with Filippo.
“There’s quite a buzz, the excitement of pairing motorsports with the recovery effort nationally for the hurricane, people never thought of anything like this before. The uniqueness of the effort has captured a lot of attention.”
It’s already capturing attention over in Jamaica. When Marchino and co-driver Pietro Ometto head off from Monaco tomorrow, it’ll be getting plenty of eyeballs in France and beyond too.
Words:Alasdair Lindsay
Tags: Monte Carlo Rally, Monte Carlo Rally 2026, WRC, WRC 2026
Publish Date January 21, 2026 DirtFish
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