Rally: Burri, Coppens or Michellod?

For the first time in the history of the Swiss Rally Championship, the Rallye du Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise is part of the SM calendar. For the rally with its hub in Chalon-sur-Saône (between Dijon and Lyon), 15 teams have registered in the Modernes category. In the VHC, i.e. in the historic class, four representatives from Switzerland are at the start.

Old master Olivier Burri at the start

Jonathan Hirschi will not be taking part. The overall leader, who won the first two rallies that count towards the 2023 Swiss Championship, has to forgo the start at the Rallye du Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise because he is in action at the Nürburgring. Hirschi's absence means that second-placed Jonathan Michellod with co-driver Stéphane Fellay and his Škoda brand colleague Mike Coppens from the Valais (this time with Jérôme Degout, who is familiar with the area, as co-driver) are moving into focus.

But that doesn't make them the only contenders for victory. Old master Olivier Burri is also competing. The four-time Swiss champion, who last competed in Burgundy in 2015, is taking part with his Hyundai i20 N Rally2 and could take important points away from the two title contenders Michellod and Coppens if he wins.

Thibault Maret is one of the chasers

Lurking behind this trio are Sacha Althaus/Lisiane Zbinden and Thibault Maret/Florian Barral, two teams that have intact chances of making the podium. Althaus has already finished third on the podium at the Critérium Jurassien and the Rallye du Chablais this season. Thibaut, who is only 22 years old, achieved his best result to date at the Chablais with fourth place and is seen as a promise for the future.

Also at the start with a Rally2 is Stefano Mella. He will be driving a VW Polo GTI R5. Sergio Pinto will also be fighting for Swiss championship points in Burgundy. In his class, the Michelin Trophy Alps Open, the man from the Valais faces two competitors from France and is in fourth intermediate place in the Rallye-SM before the third round.

Michaël Volluz in action as co-pilot

Michaël Volluz is also making his comeback. The co-driver of Jonathan Hirschi, who suffered burns in a fire incident at the Rally Monte Carlo, is in action as co-driver of Laurent Bérard on his Honda Civic Type R. The duo will compete against Clio drivers Claude Aebi and Olivier Ramel in the Michelin Trophy Alps 2WD and the Swiss Rally Cup.

Who has a chance against Pascal Perroud?

The SM victory in the historic class VHC can (under normal circumstances) only go via Pascal Perroud. The BMW M3 driver from Lake Geneva has won the first two rallies. His opponents in Burgundy are Claude-Alain Cornuz (Ford Escort RS 2000), Nicolas Jolidon (BMW 325i) and Steve Gaspardi (Opel Corsa). In the VHRS, which is all about even driving, there is only one Swiss on the grid: championship leader Laurent Pernet (BMW 325ix).

The rally gets underway on Friday, July 7, with the shakedown starting at 11 am. The first of a total of twelve stages starts on Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. in Buxy. On Sunday, July 9, action is on the agenda from 9 a.m. onwards. A total of 440.1 kilometers will be covered, of which 158.2 kilometers will be classified. For more information, visit www.rallye-bourgogne-cote-chalonnaise.fr.

Dates Swiss Rally Championship 2023

• July 8 and 9, Rallye de Bourgogne - Côte Chalonnaise (F)
• August 31 - September 2, Rally Mont-Blanc Morzine (F)
• September 29 and 30, Rally del Ticino
• October 26-28, Rally International du Valais

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