French Rally Championship

Benjamin Stirling, the Clio Trophy France Asphalte title holder, impressed on his debut in the official Castrol Clio Rally3 in the French Rally Championship.

On the Rallye Le Touquet Pas-de-Calais, the Alsatian scored his first stage win in the category right from SS1. Despite a first day being cut short by a transmission issue, the Sébastien Loeb Racing driver and co-driver Florence Stirling returned on Saturday to monopolise the fastest times in the Rally3 class, which the Clio Rally3 of Thomas Anacleto and Marie Stirling won.

Also competing, Thomas Chauffray and Anthony Hamard were less successful as their first day ended on SS3. After an amazing team work from GMC Compétition to repair their car, the duo was back on the road the following day before retiring after a double puncture on the final loop.

Benjamin Stirling : "This first rally with Clio Rally3 was a delight when the roads were greasy and wet, even more so in dry conditions. We had no instructions other than to enjoy ourselves, but we were surprised to be in the lead after the opening stage and to have set all the fastest times on Saturday. We’re extremely pleased with that, especially given the number of Rally 2 cars in the field. It was a gratifying performance, and we’re proud to have done more than flirt with the experienced drivers. We also made progress in learning how to use and manage the four-wheel drive to our full advantage in these conditions and other areas, such as cornering speed. Friday got off to a good start, and Saturday was even better, so we’re looking forward to the Rallye Vosges Grand Est, although we will have a long wait until June !"

Clio Trophy France Asphalte

Three hundred and sixty-four days after victory crashed out of the Rallye Le Touquet Pas-de-Calais lead, Arthur Pelamourgues exacted his revenge by scoring his first Clio Trophy France Asphalte success on these same roads. Co-driven by Bastien Pouget, the Fun Meca Sport driver won the opening fixture of the calendar ahead of the duos of Yoan Corberand - Pauline Compozieux and Jean-Claude Pietri - Jean-François Muselli. The native of Rodez also won the Junior category and now leads the general classification heading to the next round, the Rallye Vosges Grand Est (14-16 June).

More information here.

German Rally Championship

Clio Rally3 excelled on the other side of the Rhine, with Carsten Mohe and Alexander Hirsch winning the RC3 category by more than three minutes. They finished ninth in the ADAC Rally Erzgebirge to kick off the 2024 German Rally Championship season. On the same tarmac stages, Sweden’s Simon Andersson and Jörgen Jönsson and Germany’s Max Schumann and Kevin Lennartz gave Clio Rally4 two double podium finishes in RC4 and 2WD.

Italian Rally Championship

Clio Rally5 successfully started the Italian Rally Championship on Rally Il Ciocco e Valle del Serchio, with Gabriele Catalini and Maicol Rossi leading a sweep of the top six. Third behind Filippo Tonarelli and Federico Riterini, Maira Zanotti and Tania Bernardi finished third in the Women’s category, between two Rally2s. Gabriel Di Pietro and Andrea Dresti also finished third in two-wheel drive in their Clio Rally4.

Uruguayan Rally Championship

Five Clio Rally5s took part in the Rally de Piriápolis (Uruguay) on the other side of the Atlantic. Brazilians Luis Eduardo Stedile and Carlos Enrique Morales and Uruguayans Jorge Alfaro and Martín Villete put in superb performances to finish one-two in RC4N and a double podium finish overall in the opening round of the Uruguayan Rally Championship.

French Rally Cup

The three rally versions of the Renault Clio scored further successes in France on the Rallye de Haute-Provence. Clio Rally3 won its category in the hands of Bernard Taffin and Mylène Arnaud, while Jean-Jacques and Yann Ferrier led a one-two result for Clio Rally5. Meanwhile, the duos of Bastien Burle - Maxence Papaleo and Claude Benedetto - Patricia Benedetto delivered a double podium finish for Clio Rally4.

And elsewhere…

Clio Rally3 won in Belgium with Timothy and Clementine Van Parijs in the 3G category of the Short Rally van Moorslede. The pair made a strong showing, mixing it up with the Rally2s to finish just off the overall podium in an event where Clio Rally5 claimed a one-two finish led by René Degroote and Danny De Busschere. There were two other successes in Belgium, with the Clio Rally5 of Valery Revillod and Frans Verbeke in RC5 on the Rallye des Ardennes and that of Thomas Vandersteen and Dorian Bouvart in 4/12 on the B-Short Mémorial Balou. Lastly, victory was also on the cards in Spain with the triumph of the Clio Rally5 of Jose Luís Moreno and Miriam Antelo in the Q3F3 class on Rallysprint Culebrín-Pallares and Italy with that of Alessio Piredda and Nicola Tocco on Rally Sulcis-Iglesiente.