Technical and administrative scrutineering came to an end at midday on Wednesday, as planned, for 63 crews taking part in the 8^th E-Rallye Monte-Carlo. The battle can start, on the roads of the Alpes-Maritimes, Var, Alpes de Haute-Provence and across the Italian border. From now until Saturday, spectators will be in for a treat, since the field is very strong, as always.

For this 11^th round (of 12) of the Bridgestone FIA ecoRally Cup 2024, Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM) is particularly spoiled: 40 different models entered by 18 manufacturers. Here’s an overview of the forces at work, just a few minutes before the Grand Départ on Place du Casino, broadcast live on the ACM’s FaceBook and YouTube accounts.

Tesla is out in force

As every year, Tesla, the American pioneer of the electric car, is well represented: 15 cars entered, i.e. almost a quarter of the field, and all the models in the range invented by billionaire Elon Musk, from Didier Malga’s Model 3, winner in 2017, to the Model X and Model Y, not forgetting the Plaid variant.

On the European side, diversity is the order of the day, with German brands BMW and Volkswagen particularly well represented. The big Bavarian brand is fielding four cars, including an i4 for one of the Nice-Matin / Radio Vinci Autoroutes crews, an iX2 for Yacht Club de Monaco and an iX5 for Force Publique de Monaco. Another BMW will be entered by a Ukrainian crew.

Volkswagen as well

Its mass-market rival, historically based in Wolfsburg, can count on an armada of 12 cars (ID3, ID4, ID5, ID Buzz), thanks to two very involved clubs: the VW ID Drivers Club and the Belgian VW Club, which is entering an ID3 for Michel Decremer, winner of the last Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique in February, and an ID4 for Bruno Thiry, European rally champion in 2003.

To spice up the line-up, there’s nothing quite like Korean cars (12 in all), with a wide variety of models produced by Kia and Hyundai, Seoul’s two great rivals. On one side, Kia EV6s, notably for the 2023 winner, Spaniard Eneko Conde, and E-Niro cars, including that of Italy’s Guido Guerrini, currently 2^nd in the Bridgestone FIA ecoRally Cup. On the other hand, Hyundai Konas, starting with that of Czech Michal Zdarsky, championship leader with two rounds to go, and a Ionic 5 entered by Be Safe, the association that escorts Monegasque partygoers home early in the morning.

First outing for the R5

Last but not least, a number of French brands will once again be taking part in the E-Rallye, with Richard Frau’s new Renault 5 “Evolution” starring in the first official outing on the roads of the latest model from the Losange brand. There will also be a Zoé, two Mégane E-Tech, a Peugeot e208, a Citroën C4, a DS3, and a host of other European cars (Audi, Cupra, Fiat, Mini, Volvo, etc.), to demonstrate the vitality of the old continent’s automotive industry.

Technical checks are complete. Now it’s time for the e-Shakedown and the first two regularity stages, SR1 and SR2, which were kept secret until one hour before the start. The 8^th E-Rallye Monte-Carlo is underway!