Clio Rally3

On Sunday 15 January, the Clio Rally3 will be unveiled at the Pas de la Casa Circuit in Andorra. The first four-wheel-drive Clio was developed jointly by the teams at Viry-Châtillon, the Manufacture Alpine Dieppe Jean Rédélé and the BWT Alpine F1 Team’s Enstone factory. The model has completed its development programme after more than 4,500 kilometres of testing. Clio Rally3 is now in its FIA Rally3 homologation process with its debut scheduled for the spring.

More information here.

Clio Cup Italia

The Autodromo di Vallelunga hosted the Supercorso organised by the Scuola Federale ACI Sport. This four-day programme was for six young karting hopefuls who had distinguished themselves during the season. Between several physical and psychological preparation sessions, they discovered driving on a race track behind the wheel of a Clio Cup, supervised by a tutor who analysed their approach and technique both on and off the track before trying out single-seaters. Born in 2007, Nicola Latorre was the winner of the 19th edition of this operation.

More information here.

FIA NACAM Rally Championship

Gustavo Urióstegui arrived at Rally Montañas in the lead of the FIA NACAM4 and FIA NACAM4 Junior classes and secured both titles by winning both categories in the season finale. The Mexican competitor and co-driver Alan Loyola finished sixth overall and fifth in the Mexican Rally Championship. Clio Rally5 scored its second consecutive double on the North American continent after Patrice Spitalier’s triumph in 2021.

Rallye Sólo Renault Group

An innovative event highlighting Renault’s ambitious sporting strategy in Spain, the inaugural Rallye Sólo Renault Group saw Jorge Cagiao and Amelia Blanco win on the Rallye Malerreka roads. Already winners of the 2WD Trophy in the Supercampeonato de España de Rallyes, the duo beat several rear-wheel drive cars and S2000s with their Renault Recalvi Rally Team’s Clio Rally4. Rally Team Spain Beca U24 winners Unai de la Dehesa and Alain Peña also won the final Clio Trophy Spain event with Clio Rally5. Several models from Renault’s racing history were also present, including a Renault 5 Copa driven by Antonio Sainz and the iconic Renault 5 GT Turbo.

French Rally Championship

The final round of the FFSA French Tarmac Rally Championship, the Rallye du Var, saw Clio Rally5 complete its grand slam in its category with a ninth victory in as many events thanks to Sylvain Rouquette and Marjorie Mercier in Sainte-Maxime. Meanwhile, Pauline Dalmasso - Marine Delon (Clio Rally4) and Manon Massarotto - Mathieu Coppa (Clio Rally5) also finished on the podium, with Pauline Dalmasso finishing runner-up in the 2022 French Women’s Rally Championship.

Elsewhere...

In the French Rally Cup, Clio Rally5 claimed two one-two finishes led by Jérôme Janny - Clément Gutierrez and Martial Moreau - Émilie Perrinaud on the Rallye de Nancy and the Rallye du Grand Sénonais. Meanwhile, Grégory Florin and Nicolas Dubois also won with Clio Rally5 at the Rallye de Picardie.

In Italy, Clio Rally5 monopolised the sharp end of the order with Andrea Saredi - Alex Colombo on the Ronde Valli Imperiesi, Roberto Pellè - Mattia Righetti on Rally Città di Schio and Igor Iani - Nicola Puliani on Rally 2 Laghi - Rally dell’Ossola. Clio Rally4 also triumphed in its class in the latter event with Damiano De Tommaso and Manuel Dal Santo.

In Belgium, Jeroen Catelin and Charlotte Deryckere led a one-two for Clio Rally5 in the 3G class of the Uren van Kortrijk. Meanwhile, Kobe Pauwels and Robin Buysmans took Clio Rally5 to fourth overall and victory in the 4/12 class at the Rallye Sprint de Thirimont.

Clio Rally4 excelled in the Czech Republic, with Václav Tošner and Jiří Lasovský taking a podium finish in the Pražský Rallysprint. Óscar García Rojas and Moisés Gómez Ruiz finished sixth overall and won their class on Rally Ciudad de Valencia (Spain) with Clio Rally5. Lastly, Luís Morais - Hugo Magalhães (Clio Rally4) and Joaquim Bernardes - Sérgio Silva (Clio Rally5) won respectively in X5-16 and P2-4 at the Rali de Viana do Castelo (Portugal).

Coming up

This week, the Clio Cup Middle East will officially launch its inaugural edition with a pre-season collective test on Thursday, 1 December, at the Dubai Autodrome. The first of six race weekends will be at the same track from 9-11 December.