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Early on Saturday morning, the organisers of the 8th E-Rallye Monte-Carlo gathered to analyse the weather conditions that could threaten the four Regularity Stages on the day’s programme. After a detailed study of the various parameters and taking into account government recommendations, the Clerck of the Course finally decided to cancel Leg 4. This brings the 8th edition of the E-Rallye to a close. However, the cars will remain under Parc Fermé until the Official Classification is published later this Saturday.
🚨 OFFICIEL / OFFICIAL 🚨
Sur décision du Directeur de Course, la 4e et dernière étape de ce 8e E-Rallye Monte-Carlo est annulée.
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By decision of the Clerk of the Course, the 4th and final Leg of the 8th E-Rallye Monte-Carlo has been cancelled. #ERallyeMonteCarlo… pic.twitter.com/xXHCDNdEql
— Automobile Club de Monaco (@ACM_Media) October 26, 2024
The prize-giving ceremony for the 8th E-Rallye Monte-Carlo will take place this Saturday evening in the Salle Empire at the Hôtel de Paris.
This 8th E-Rallye Monte-Carlo, the benchmark round of the Bridgestone FIA eco-Rally Cup, is once again an opportunity to see an excellent crew at work, Jérôme Aymard and Christophe Marques (Renault Mégane E-Tech). They finished 4th overall last year, just off the podium. They shone again on Friday, finishing several times in the Top 5 or Top 10 of the four regularity stages contested between the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var.
The Var is one of eleven departments in south-eastern France, most of them rural, where eborn has installed a public network of 2,800 charging stations since 2015. At the outset, there were five founding members, i.e. five departmental energy management syndicates, including those of Ardèche and Drôme, rally lands and “Monte-Carlo” meccas since the dawn of time, but also Haute-Savoie, Isère and Hautes-Alpes. Today, the eborn network belongs to 11 syndicates spread over two regions (Auvergne Rhône-Alpes and Sud/PACA).
At midday on Thursday, in the Colmars les Alpes regrouping park in the Alpes de Haute-Provence region, a few competitors were able to recharge their cars in a hurry, after two testing special stages (SR3 and SR4) between Valberg and Col des Champs, before setting off again to tackle the following stages. Despite the increasing autonomy of the vehicles, they were quite happy to be allowed to put a few Kws back into their electric motors.
Easy Charge (Vinci Group) in charge!
“Vinci group subsidiary Easy Charge has been chosen by the 11 unions to manage our 2,800 charging stations. We’re seeing a steady increase in the number of people using our charging stations, especially in tourist areas during the summer. This shows that we are responding to a growing demand from users, particularly foreign tourists, during school vacations. We were the first operators to offer contactless payment”, emphasizes Laurent Chareyre, Communications Director of Territoire d’Energie de la Drôme.
“The network is now complete, with an average of one charging point every 30 km, so our network will continue to expand on a case-by-case basis, depending on the particular needs of certain areas. We generally have two charging points per terminal, with a variety of power ratings. Most are “accelerated” charging points (22 or 24 kwH), perfect for rural areas, and we have a few hundred “rapid” charging points (50 kwH). But none on freeways, as they are not part of the public domain where energy is managed by local authorities (town halls, départements)”, adds Laurent Chareyre. “eborn is the first public charging network in France, and possibly in Europe”, adds Mr. Chareyre. As such, it has been a major partner of the Automobile Club de Monaco, since 2017.
They were around in the ’80s, they’re still here half a century later – well, almost: Stefano Modena, ex-F1 driver, and Bruno Thiry, talented rally driver, are doing more than just taking part in this 8th E-Rallye Monte-Carlo. In eye-catching cars, starting with the Italian’s superb Audi e-tron, with 70 F1 Grands Prix under his belt and 2 podium finishes: Monaco 1989, in a Brabham, then Canada 1991, in a Tyrrell.
Thiry the Belgian’s track record isn’t bad either. Belgian Rookie of the Year in 1988, he had to wait 15 years to become European Rally Champion, in 2003. And twenty years later, he’s back in Monaco, with a strange inscription on the doors of his ID3 from the Belgian VW Club, who kindly invited him: “Oufti ke tchouket”. Which means, in Belgian dialect, “F…, what a bomb!” No comment.
They are true sailors, prominent members of the Monaco Yacht Club, who have helmed a number of sailing boats, not only in the Mediterranean. Olivier Campana and Nicolas Milanesio have a fine “sailing” CV, to which an additional line could well be added on Saturday, in the electric rally section. They are second in the overall standings on Friday evening, with only 4 stages to go, and only 180 points behind the Spanish leaders. If Olivier and Nicolas manage to win this electric regatta on Saturday, with a victorious final tack, there’s one Monegasque who’ll be congratulating them warmly: Daniel Elena, the nine-time world rally co-driver champion, who knows a thing or two about navigation. As a child, Campana and Elena sailed small Optimist boats in the Bay of Monaco…
The regularity stages of this 8th E-Rallye Monte-Carlo have been dominated, on Friday, by two crews, one Spanish, one Monegasque. In RS10, which brought the 3rd day of racing to a close, the domination of Eneko Conde and Lukas Sergnese (Kia EV6 GT) continued: another 1st place, just ahead of the only rivals who still manage to keep up with the leaders: Olivier Campana and Nicolas Milanesio, two authentic sailors, in their BMW i4 entered by Yacht Club de Monaco.
Between La Penne and Col de Saint-Raphaël (12.9 km), the Spaniards further extended their lead at the top of the overall standings. And the 3rd place in this stage was taken, after a hard-fought battle, by Jérome Aymard and Christophe Marques. Two men in fine form this afternoon in their Renault Mégane e-Tech bearing the logos of the eborn public recharging network. One of the major partners of E-Rallye Monte-Carlo, since 2017, which owns 2,800 charging points in 11 departments of the South-East of France
In the chasing pack, the Belgians continued to liven up the fight, as three crews tied for 4th place on this last regularity stage of the day: the inevitable Michel Decremer and Jennifer Hugo (VW ID3), winners of Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique last February, as well as their compatriots Bernard Heine/Valérie Piette (VW ID7), from the Belgian VW Club, and Patrick van Remoortel/Bjorn Clauw (VW ID3), entered by the VW ID Drivers Club, another structure heavily involved in this E-Rallye Monte-Carlo.
A quatre spéciales de la fin, la situation est claire. La victoire ne devrait plus échapper, sauf incident majeur, au duo espagnol Conde-Sergnese, implacable depuis le départ mercredi, ou au tandem monégasque de « voileux », Campana-Milanesio. A condition de combler samedi, en l’espace de quatre spéciales, un retard de 180 points sur les leaders (760 à 940). Enfin, selon toute vraisemblance, quatre équipages belges, tous alignés par le Belgian VW Club, vont disputer la troisième marche du podium aux leaders tchèques de la Bridgestone FIA ecoRally Cup, Michal Zdarsky et Jakub Nabelek (Hyundai Kona). Quant à la Coupe des Dames, elle va se jouer entre la Belge Nadia Delvaux (Peugeot e-208), 20e, et la Néerlandaise Beitske Visser (Polestar), 23e. Suspense total, tant mieux.
The battle continued to rage at the top of the overall standings of the 8th E-Rallye Monte-Carlo on Friday in RS9, as Eneko Conde and Lukas Sergnese (Kia EV6 GT) finished in a perfect tie with Olivier Campana-Nicolas Milanesio, in their BMW i4 entered by Yacht Club de Monaco: 40 penalty points each, no jealousy, and thus a gap that continues to widen with their immediate pursuers. Between Briançonnet and La Rochette, on a special stage 19.1 km long, the Spanish and Monegasque crews did better than Didier Malga and Anne-Valérie Bonnel (Tesla), 3rd just ahead of one of the best Belgian crews of this 2024 edition: Michel Decremer and Jennifer Hugo (VW ID3), winners of Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique last February.
Places of honour were taken by Jérome Aymard and Christophe Marques (5th), in their Renault Mégane e-Tech flying the colours of the e-born recharging network, a major partner of E-Rallye Monte-Carlo (2,600 charging points in the South-East of France). They were tied to Nadia Delvaux and Jean-Marc Piret (Peugeot e-208), which strengthens the position of the Belgian female driver at the top of the Ladies Cup, and at a well-established 18th place overall. The Belgian presence is as significant as ever, with 4 Belgian VW Club crews in the Top 6 after RS9, ready to take advantage of any of the leaders’ slightest loss of focus.
On Friday morning, between Andon and Le Mas (RS8, 16.8 km), the Principality, via its official team Daghe Munegu, once again placed a crew at the top of the results sheet. This is already the third time since Wednesday afternoon, after Jacques Pastor and Fulvio Gazzola (Mairie de Monaco) in a Kia EV6, and Olivier Campana-Nicolas Milanesio (BMW i4), entered by Yacht Club de Monaco and still holding on to 2nd place overall. Today it was the turn of Force Publique Monaco, thanks to the BMW i5 of Charly Minotti and Jérémy Ruiz. That’s one fireman (Ruiz) and one carabiniere (Minotti) for HSH Prince Albert II.
As always since the start of this 8th E-Rallye Monte-Carlo, Eneko Conde and Lukas Sergnese (Kia EV6 GT) were at the front (2nd in this SR8), a good way to continue their breakaway at the top of the overall standings. The gap widens with each regularity stage. And the places of honour went to Guido Guerrini and Artur Prusak (Kia E-Niro), the Italian-Polish duo (3rd) still aiming for overall victory in the Bridgestone FIA ecoRally Cup, against Czechs Michal Zdarsky and Jakub Nabelek (Hyundai Kona), their last rivals for the world title, who had to be content with 8th place in this SR8.
For once, the Belgians were less prominent than usual. The best performers were Michel Decremer and Jennifer Hugo (VW ID3), tied for 8th with Bernard Heine and Valérie Piette (VW ID7). But the Belgian VW Club immediately consoled them, offering them a box of various victuals (photo below) in the Briançonnet regrouping park, to help them regain their strength before the next two regularity stages. Because the fight will continue until the end between the Belgian and Monégasque teams.
The two strong men of this 8th E-Rallye Monte-Carlo are Spanish, they won last year, and their names are Eneko Conde and Lukas Sergnese. In their superb Kia EV6 GT, they set the counters running again on Friday morning, showing themselves to be the best in the SR7 and further consolidating their position as leaders of this 2024 edition. It was between Mons and Col de Valferrière, over 18 kms, and they took just 50 penalty points.
Behind them, the best Belgian crew, Antoine Dechamps and Bernard Verstraete, in a Volkswagen ID4 entered by the Belgian VW Club, took a fine second place to stay well inside the Top 10, ahead of the Tesla S of Philippe Préaudat and Christelle Austruy. On the RS7 honour roll, the “sailors” of the Yacht Club de Monaco, Olivier Campana and Nicolas Milanesio (BMW i4), secured a useful 4thplace for the overall classification, on a par with a former Formula 1 driver, Italy’s Stefano Modena, embarked in a powerful Audi e-tron (with Jack Richardson) which doesn’t leave spectators indifferent, on the roadsides and in the regrouping parks.
Another notable performance in this RS7 was that of Didier Malga and Anne-Valérie Bonnel (Tesla), the 2017 winners, who have launched a mad “remontada” since their disastrous Thursday morning in the Southern Alps. They took 6th place, tied with Michal Zdarsky and Jakub Nabelek (Hyundai Kona), the Czech leaders of the Bridgestone FIA ecoRally Cup, and with young Dutchwoman Beitske Visser (Polestar), who is still aiming for the Ladies’ Cup.
Two cars with remarkable number plates have already been spotted among the competitors in this 8th E-Rallye Monte-Carlo. Not only does the superb Lexus RZ 450 of the Belgian Gego Team bear the number 35, with Belgian drivers Alexandre Peeters and Romain Lahaye on board. It is also registered Lexus-1, which is perfectly legal, thanks to the kindness of the authorities in the Plat Pays! As for the blue Tesla in the colours of Fun Drive Monaco, a car rental agency, it has a Monegasque 007 plate, in memory of James Bond.
Winner of Group N in the Promotion category at the 1988 Monte-Carlo Rally in a Renault 5 GT Turbo, Richard Frau is back at the Monte-Carlo a few years later, still in a Renault 5. But everything has changed, not least the engine, since it is the 100% electric version, recently unveiled at the Paris Motor Show and christened “Evolution”, that the driver from the south of France is bringing into competition. On Thursday evening, he was 56th overall, carrying number 60.
A little surprise for the competitors on Thursday afternoon at the finish in Entrevaux after the RS6: Jean-Luc Filippi, also known as “the doc”, an historic steward of Automobile Club de Monaco, offered fruit and delicacies on a small ACM tray, in the manner of ushers in the cinemas of the last century. Many appreciated the gesture before heading back to Monaco.
Day 2 of this very lively 8th edition of E-Rallye Monte-Carlo ended on a high note, and RS6, between Ubraye and Entrevaux (23.4 km), did not disappoint the 62 competitors. It ended with a Tesla one-two, and even a French one-two, as Christian Grimaldi (who’s not from Monaco…) and Jean-Baptiste Loty (Tesla Model S) did slightly better than Didier Malga and Anne-Valérie Bonnel (Tesla Model 3) on this difficult but dry road.
As in the previous regularity stage, Olivier Campana and Nicolas Milanesio, in their BMW i4 flying the colours of Yacht Club de Monaco, shone: they finished tied 2nd with the Malga-Bonnel tandem (winners in 2017) and they consolidated their 2nd place overall behind the very regular Eneko Conde and Lukas Sergnese (Kia EV6 GT). The Spanish winners of the 2023 edition, who finished 6th in this RS6, continue to race at the front, without making any major mistakes. On Thursday evening, however, they only had a lead of 30 points over Campana and Milanesio, with 8 RSs remaining on the menu until Saturday evening.
One Kia vs 5 VWs?
We’re not even halfway through this 2024 edition, and one scenario seems to be taking shape: the Spanish title holders’ Kia EV6 GT is more than ever a candidate to repeat success in the Principality, but the battalion of Belgian Volkswagens has not yet said its last word – far from it. There are five in the Top 10, after 6 out of 14 RSs.
As for the last two crews in contention for the world title, that of the overall winner of the Bridgestone FIA ecoRally Cup, they are currently a little behind: Michal Zdarsky and Jakub Nabelek (Hyundai Kona) in 5th place, Guido Guerrini and Artur Prusak (Kia E-Niro) in 8th. So nothing’s decided yet…
Happiness never comes alone. After the Italian-Monegasque Pastor-Gazzola team in RS3, it was a 100% Monegasque duo, consisting of Olivier Campana and Nicolas Milanesio, in a BMW i4 in the colors of the Yacht Club de Monaco, who best managed RS5 in the early afternoon, on the famous Colle Saint-Michel between Thorame Haute and Le Fugeret: only 40 penalty points, over a distance of 18.4 km, with a very narrow climb and a beautiful descent to Annot.
They weren’t the only ones to almost perfectly respect the average imposed by the organizers, as they finished 1st ex-aequo with Bulgarians Kalin Dedikov and Nikolay Kitanov (Kia EV6) and Frenchmen Christian Grimaldi and Jean-Baptiste Loty (Tesla S). Ahead of the other Tesla of Didier Malga and Anne-Valérie Bonnel (4th), in much better form than in the morning, and the Belgians Bernard Heine and Valérie Piette (5th), who had just won the SR4 in their VW ID7 Tourer.
Once again, Eneko Conde and Lukas Sergnese (Kia EV6 GT), the 2023 winners, were up to the task, taking a cautious 7th place to salvage their overall lead in this 8th edition, ahead of RS5 winners Campana and Milanesio. For the moment, the provisional podium is occupied by Belgian Bruno Thiry, European Rally Champion in 2003. He is starting to appreciate this form of modern and silent rallying, even if he finds it a bit slow, compared to the best part of his career.
