FIA ERC

Just days after Clio Rally5’s maiden title in France, its big brother Clio Rally4 with Jean-Baptiste Franceschi, Anthony Gorguilo and Toksport WRT won both the FIA ERC3 and FIA ERC3 Junior crowns in the European Rally Championship.

In addition to winning the European crowns, Clio Rally4 confirmed its status as a reference in the two-wheel-drive ranks in its first year of competition with another win, this time with Anthony Fotia and Arnaud Dunand. Already impressive on his European debut in Hungary, the 2020 Clio Trophy France title-winner led from start to finish in the Canaries to win both in the FIA ERC3 and FIA ERC3 Junior categories despite a ten-second penalty.

2020 and 2021 Clio Trophy Spain winners, Jorge Cagiao and Amelia Blanco put a third Renault in the top five in FIA ERC3, as did Argentina’s Paulo Soria and co-driver Sergiu Itu in FIA ERC3 Junior in his debut with Clio Rally4.

Also on Rally Islas Canarias, Marcos Martín and Armando Rivero Alvarado dominated their class to take a podium monopolised by Clio Rally5s, winning ahead of Sebastián & Adrián Gil and Manuel Hernández & David Bethencourt. The first two crews also finished the top ten of the Canary Islands Championship season finale, behind the Clio Rally4 of Sergio Fuentes & Alain Peña.

More information here and here.

FIA WRC

Winners of the Clio Trophy by Toksport WRT organised in conjunction with the FIA European Rally Championship with Clio Rally5, Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi triumphed on their return to the World Rally Championship on the FORUM8 ACI Rally Monza.

On home soil, the duo continued their learning of Clio Rally4 by immediately joining the leading group of the RC4 class and two-wheel-drive category. After taking the lead on Friday’s SS5, the Italian team went on to win a string of stages right up to the finish to win by more than three minutes.

With the Clio Trophy by Toksport title, Andrea Mabellini will contest three rounds with Clio Rally4 and Toksport WRT in the 2022 FIA ERC season.

NGK UAE Procar Championship

After the victories of Kenny Murray and Eduardo Miranda in the NGK UAE Procar Championship Clio Cup class and Jérémy Loisel and Ahmed Al Melaihi in the Clio Cup races at the Dubai Autodrome, the competitors headed to Yas Marina for the second meeting of their season.

Jamie Day took pole position to beat Alex Bukhantsov and Jonathan Simmonds in an opening round that saw championship leader Eduardo Miranda retire. A few hours later, Alex Bukhantsov became the sixth different winner in six races when he won ahead of Jamie Day and polesitter Kevin Day.

Next round : Dubai Autodrome (27-28 January)

More information here.

Elsewhere...

Clio Rally5 also had a successful weekend in the French Rally Cup, with Pascal Demons & Florian Millot on the Rallye du Grand Sénonais, Julien Anthérieu & Faustin Frutoso on the Rallye du Fenouillèdes and Jérémy Brissiaud & Emmanuel Brissiaud on the Rallye de Brocéliande.

Second in the Clio Trophy Belgium, Benoit Verlinde was the fastest in his class at the 6 Uren van Kortrijk with his co-driver Stijn Delmeire and Clio Rally5. In Italy, Paolo Moricci and Paolo Garavaldi also won their class, taking a podium finish monopolised by Clio Rally5s on Rally di Chiusdino.

Coming up

This week, Romain Di-Fante could give Renault its fourth rally title in just a fortnight as the native of Nice will start the Rallye du Var (26-28 November) with the lead in the two-wheel-drive category of the French Tarmac Rally Championship with Clio Rally5.

Clio Trophy Turkey will conclude its inaugural season on the Istanbul Rally (26-28 November). Çelik Çağlayan and Nebil Erbil will battle for the title, while Tuncer Sancakli, Mehmet Besler, Menderes Okur and Can Altinok will fight for third place in the final general classification.

The FIA NACAM Rally Championship will also conclude with Rally Montañas (25-27 November). After the first three rounds, Patrice Spitalier leads the NACAM Junior Cup ahead of Gerardo Rejón and Gustavo Uriostegui in a top-three dominated by Clio Rally5s.

Pictures : FIA ERC / DPPI