Chablais: Great field even without Loeb 🎥
THIRD SM RACE No fewer than twelve R5 teams have registered for the Rallye du Chablais, which starts on Friday. Among them are returnees Sébastien Carron in a VW Polo and Jérémie Toedtli in a Skoda Fabia. In recent years, Sébastien Loeb, a close friend of OC President Eric Jordan, has been at the start of the Swiss championship round in the Vaud region several times [...]
In recent years, Sébastien Loeb, a close friend of OC President Eric Jordan, has been at the start of the Swiss championship rally in the Chablais region of Vaud and Valais several times. For 2019, the prominent patron of the Rallye du Chablais has had to pull out due to his increased involvement with Hyundai in the World Rally Championship. As previously reported, Ari Vatanen, the 1980 world champion, will be back as the lead driver in the field of 14 VHC crews.
Without Hotz and Schneeberger
However, the Swiss rally elite will take center stage, led by defending champion and SM leader Ivan Ballinari and challenger Michaël Burri, both in Skoda Fabia R5s. Unfortunately, Grégoire Hotz is already missing after two rallies. After the harmless accident at the Critérium Jurassien, where the rented Skoda Fabia R5 was damaged, the man from Neuchâtel put his ambitious SM plans on hold for financial reasons and has returned to the Pirelli rally tire business for the time being. Last year's winner Steeves Schneeberger also fits in the Chablais.
Return of Carron, Toedtli and Perroud
But other familiar names are returning. Three-time champion Sébastien Carron has caught rally fever again. Like Cédric Althaus, who was absent in the Jura, the man from Valais is bringing a Volkswagen Polo R5 to the start of a Swiss race for the first time.
After a long forced break, Jérémie Toedtli and Pascal Perroud are also back with two Skoda Fabia R5s. The same goes for Mike Coppens, who retired at the start of the season in France and missed out on his first tangible victory last year due to a navigation error by his co-driver.
Other Swiss drivers in the top class are local hero Joël Rappaz in a Ford Fiesta, Jonathan Scheidegger, who switched from a Citroën DS3 RT3T to a C3 R5, and all-rounder Jean-Marc Salomon (second in the Bure slalom) in a private Fiesta. The R5 dozen is completed by two Frenchmen in another Citroën C3 and VW Polo respectively.
Gillet in the Porsche GT3
Although they will be competing with WRC cars, the "oldies" Philippe Roux (Citroën DS3) and Gérard Nicolas (Ford Focus) are unlikely to have anything to do against the R5 armada. Olivier Gillet is much more likely to achieve a top result in his first appearance this year with a Porsche 997 GT3 R-GT, as he has done in the past. For many fans, he is the number 1 anyway.
Thomas Schmid only at the Valais final
The third SM round also counts towards the Clio Alps Trophy and the Junior SM. Unfortunately, Junior Champion Thomas Schmid's entry in a Renault Clio R.S. IV did not work out for budget reasons. The driver from St. Gallen now wants to compete in a small rally in France in the fall in preparation for the Valais (prize for winning the title), where no new tires and racing fuel are required.
Twice seven special stages (= 176.42 kilometers)
The Rallye du Chablais, which is being held for the 16th time, starts on Friday at 10 am in Aigle. The first stage, which finishes in Aigle at around 7 p.m., consists of two special stages over Col de la Croix, La Tour d'Aï and Les Avants.
On Saturday, the SS Les Rives, Portes du Soleil (with the start show in the Champéry parking lot), Collonges (spectator circuit) and Bex-Lavey are each on the program twice. The finish will be at the rally center in Aigle from 17:24.
Details of the competitions, the starting list and further information can be found on the organizer's homepage.
