French Gravel Rally Championship

Round one of the French Gravel Rally Championship, the Rallye Terre des Causses featured the debut appearance of Matteo Chatillon and Maxence Cornuau in the official Castrol Clio Rally3. 2023 Clio Trophy France Terre best Juniors, the promising duo continued their four-wheel drive apprenticeship and confirmed their incredible potential by more than holding their own against the best Rally2s and WRCs. Despite a puncture on SS6, the 3P Racing by ARL Sport crew won eight of the ten stages to finish just outside the overall top ten and lead a Rally3 top ten monopolised by Clios. Before their next appearance on the national scene at the end of May in Aléria, the pair will contest Rally Croatia in WRC3 from 18 to 21 April.

Matteo Chatillon : "I’m in love with this car, honestly ! It was my first gravel rally in the car, and the aim was to have fun. That’s what we did from start to finish, and it was just magical all weekend long. Thank you to Alpine Racing and all the people and partners involved for this wonderful gift. I don’t think there have ever been so many Rally3s in one event ; the more, the merrier ! We’re going to Croatia with confidence. It’s always a good sign to go fast on gravel, and I think this experience will help us as there isn’t much grip on the tarmac stages there. We look forward to it and will approach the rally the same way, hoping for an equally good result !"

Clio Trophy France Terre

The 2024 Clio Trophy France Terre season began with an intense, hard-fought battle right up to the final kilometres of Rallye Terre des Causses. Tom Pellerey and Hervé Faucher scored their first success in the trophy in their CHL Sport Auto prepared Clio Rally5 ahead of the duos of Benjamin Boulenc - Chloé Barozzi-Gauze and Faniry Rasoamaromaka - François Heer. Also victorious in the Junior category, the Vaucluse native takes command of the general classification and the race for an official programme heading to the next round at the Rallye Castine Terre d’Occitanie (3-5 May).

More information here.

Clio Trophy Spain Asfalto

The fifth edition of the Clio Trophy Spain Asfalto began with ten crews, including Juan Manuel Maña and David Fernández, who set the pace on the Rally Internacional Sierra Morena. The pair won ahead of Juan Carlos Fernández and Óscar Arranz. Clio Rally5 newcomer Javier Cañada finished on the podium for the first time this season alongside Aday Ortiz. With the win and five best times around Cordoba, Juan Manuel Maña leads the general classification heading to the next round, Rally Lisboa (June 7-8).

More information here.

French Rally Cup

Clio Rally3 kept winning in France with a class win at the Rallye de Neufchâtel-en-Bray with Victorien Houyelle and Céline Berquez, who finished sixth overall. Pascal Donnadieu and Laurent Delmas completed a one-two for Clio Rally5 on the same Normandy stages.

Clio Rally4 and Clio Rally5 scored a double win at the Rallye National du Pays de Lohéac, with Thomas Bordagaray and Antoine Loiseau, fourth overall, and Sylvain Alanore and Flora Mercière leading a lockout of the top four in Rally5. Still at Lohéac, Thierry Landais and Morgan Lefebvre (Clio Rally4) and Damien Le Boudouil and Théo Pallu (Clio Rally5) were victorious in the regional event. Thomas Vergines and Théo Jean also led their Clio Rally4 to the victory at the Rallye Dame de Chambrille.

Clio Rally5 also swept the top four spots, led by Jean-Jacques and Yann Ferrier on the Rallye Pays de Grasse Fleurs et Parfums. Laurent Reboul - Benoît Serres led an all Clio-Rally5 podium on the Rallye des Corbières as did Axel Delaporte - Clémence Marechal on the Rallye de l’Anguison. Nicolas Paviet-Roche and Hugo Gachet won ahead of five other Clio Rally5s on the Rallye du Pays de Faverges. In comparison, Silvio Cammarota and Eva Dolmazon won ahead of eight other Clio Rally5s on the Rallye du Pays d’Olliergues.

And elsewhere…

There were just as many successes outside France. Clio Rally4 excelled on the tarmac of the Além Mar Rali TAC (Portugal) with a P2-4 victory for Emanuel Garcia and Nélson Dinis in round one of the Azores Championship. Clio Rally4 also won in Italy, with Gian Maria Gabbiani and Roberto Briani leading a one-two finish at the Motors Rally Show Pavia, where Francesco Paccagnella and Valentino Tiraboschi set the pace among the 16 Clio Rally5s entered.

Meanwhile, Manuele Stella and Sara Refondini led a one-two finish for Clio Rally5 on Rally della Val D’Orcia, round two of the Italian Gravel Rally Championship. Staying in Italy, Francesco Zanella and Alessandro Forni led the model to victory on the Benacus Rally tarmac, as did Andrea Licata and Salvatore Giglio, leaders of a sweep of the top four on Rally Valle del Sosio.

Clio Rally5 also enjoyed success in Spain with José Vicente Luis and Alfonso Fumero Francisco on Rally Orvecame Norte, as well as in Belgium with Laurent Benoit and Éric De Bolle on the New Trois-Ponts Rally and Dre De Rycke and Glen Balcaen on the TAC Rally. Victory was also on the cards in Croatia, where sixteen-year-old Mitja Velkavrh won Class 3 and finished second in the Junior category on the Quattro River Rally Karlovac with Nina Velkavrh Gorenc.

Coming up

This week, the Italian Junior Rally Championship begins its new season on Rally Regione Piemonte (13-14 April) with a service park made up entirely of Clio Rally5s supplied by Motorsport Italia, following a spectacular launch ceremony in Rome.