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Logic was perfectly respected at the end of an intense 7th E-Rallye Monte-Carlo, from start to finish: the top two finishers in the ecoRally Cup 2022, carrying race numbers 1 and 2 on their Kia E-Niro, finished top of the official overall classification published at midday on Sunday by Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM): Spaniards Eneko Conde and Lukas Sergnese win ahead of Italy’s Guido Guerrini and Poland’s Artur Prusak, two highly experienced crews who negotiated the many pitfalls of this 2023 edition to perfection.
Because of the risk of flooding in the valleys inland from Nice, this 7th E-Rallye Monte-Carlo was cut short of two regularity stages (SR7 and SR8 on Friday morning), but that didn’t change the final result. The Spanish duo were stronger, they were always at the front and they ended their week in style, with a victory (SR14) and a 2nd place (SR15) on the final Leg which took back 58 competitors on Saturday evening to Col de Turini, where it all began on Wednesday afternoon.
“I’m very happy to win this rally, it’s a dream for every driver in the world. It’s very special for us to win here in Monte Carlo. It was a very hard, very long race, and we had to remain very calm, because a mistake was always possible, in all the stages. Turini night is very special and my co-driver was very efficient. I’d like to thank all my team for this result. When we arrived here, it was to win, to make our dream come true”, reacted Eneko Conde.
“It was very different this year, with the secret course (up to an hour before the start each day). I really like this formula, we prepared our stages well, we talked a lot in the car, but we were a bit stressed. The points we gained here will enable us to go into the final round of the championship with a real chance of winning the ecoRally Cup again, as we did last year. There are only three candidates left for the title,” added Lukas Sergnese.
Behind this Kia 1-2, the last spot on the podium was the subject of an all-out battle and it was a Belgian team that came out on top: Bernard Heine and Valérie Piette, in their ID3 entered by the Belgian VW Club. It was a richly deserved result for them, as they won two stages, and a fine reward for Belgium, which made its mark on this 7th edition: five stage wins, including two for the Heine-Piette tandem, two for Eric Cunin and Alexandre Peeters, in another VW ID3 entered by Rent Speed Racing, and one for the ID4 GTX of Jean-François Devillers and Eric Chapa of the Belgian VW Club as well.
In terms of the 19 brands represented in this 7th E-Rallye Monte-Carlo, Volkswagen takes the lion’s share of honours, with 5 stage wins, ahead of Kia and Tesla (3), Nissan and Hyundai (1 each). And in the final Top 10 overall, there are 4 German cars, 2 Kias and 2 Teslas, one Nissan and one Hyundai, making a total of five car brands represented, out of19 manufacturers entering 36 different models this year.
It was another great rally, with no noise or pollution, and one more in the long series of innovative events organised by Automobile Club de Monaco for over a century. Thanks also to the support of a number of loyal partners and to the help of numerous volunteers who didn’t count their hours to make this 7th E-Rally Monte-Carlo a total success. We look forward to the 8th edition, at the end of 2024!
The Monaco ON network, an important partner of the 7th E-Rallye Monte-Carlo, offers over 300 charging points spread over 13 charging zones, from Fontvieille to Condamine areas, via Monte-Carlo and Larvotto. Ideally located, the charging points are completely free to use. The YourMonaco application indicates the number of charging points, their availability, type and power. The result is electromobility that is both easy and attractive!
© ACM / J-M. Folleté
The loop of stages in Italy on Saturday morning, a first for the E-Rallye Monte-Carlo, began with two fairly short regularity stages in the hills above Sanremo, contested on roads through chestnut forests. For drivers who have already driven in the Ardèche on a WRC, Historic or Electric Monte Carlo Rally, it was a little unsettling to be so close to Monaco.
In SR11, between Sanremo and San Romolo (9.454km), a new crew appeared at the very top of the results sheet: a Czech duo in a Hyundai Kona, made up of Pavel Baron and Martin Hruby, won this SR, the first victory for a Hyundai in this 7th edition; in second place, ex-aequo, the Italian Guido Guerrini, paired with Artur Prusak (winner in 2016 as a driver), narrowly missed out on a first success on home soil, in a Monte-Carlo, he who finished 2nd in the FIA ecoRally Cup last year ; And another well-known ACM team, Richard Frau and Antonio Caldeira, in a Renault Megane E-Tech entered by Synethis, completed the podium in this first SR on Italian soil. In the overall standings, Didier Malga (Tesla Model 3) was only 17th in this SR11, but he took back 100 points in one go from Conde Eneko (26th), moving back into the lead early in the morning.
Due to the difficult weather conditions and the risk of flooding on Friday morning, two regularity stages (RS) were cancelled by the Race Direction of the Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM). This left two on the programme for Day 3 of the 7th E-Rallye Monte-Carlo, and as soon as SR9 started (La Penne-Sigale, 13.098 km) the Belgian VW Club was back in the spotlight: a second win for Bernard Heine and Valérie Piette (VW ID3), after their initial win in SR2 on Wednesday. That also makes 3 wins from 7 SRs contested for Volkswagen in this 2023 edition.
As is often the case in this fierce rally, two crews shared 2nd place honours: the Tesla Model 3 in the SMEG colours, driven by Romain Haut-Labourdette with invaluable help from Yan Spano (see Thursday’s e-Briefs), on a par with Nadia Delvaux and Jean-Marc Piret (Peugeot E-208, number 53), who still sit in the Top 5 overall. The Franco-Belgian duo narrowly edged out Czechs Michal Zdarsky and Jakub Nabelek (Hyundai Kona), leaders of the Bridgestone ecoRally Cup 2023, by 10 penalty points. Whereas 2017 winners Didier Malga and Anne-Valérie Bonnel (Tesla Model 3) jumped in the overall lead, taking it away from Eneko Conde (Kia E-Niro). But not for long…
Following the Red Alert (rain – flooding) announced today by the Alpes-Maritimes Prefecture and the Monegasque Government, for Friday October 20, 2023 from 04:00 to 10:00, the Clerk of the Course of the E-Rallye Monte-Carlo took the following decisions*:
*Subject to the evolution of the rainstorm situation and extra-sportive decisions
Monaco, October 20, 2023
Three regularity stages (SR) on the menu for Day 2 of the 7th E-Rallye Monte-Carlo, with the overall classification lead on Thursday morning by a tandem of Belgians who shone on Wednesday afternoon (victory in SR1, 2nd place in SR3): Eric Cunin and Alexandre Peeters, in a VW ID3 entered by Rent Speed Racing.
The first RS of the day, between Saint-Sauveur sur Tinée and Beuil (21.553km), passed through the village of Roubion and the dreaded Col de la Couillole (1678m), all in the rain and on a wet road. In these tricky conditions, a highly experienced team came out on top, in a Kia E-Niro carrying number 2 : Guido Guerrini and Artur Prusak (winner in 2016 as a driver). The Italian-Polish duo beat Antoine Dechamps and Didier Noirhomme in their Belgian VW Club VW ID4. Then the crews headed almost immediately for SR5 (Valberg-Guillaumes, 13.226km), before a welcome regroup in Puget-Théniers at noon.
Great fans of electric rallies… and rallies in general, the Belgians got this 7th E-Rallye Monte-Carlo off to a flying start. The team of Eric Cunin and Alexandre Peeters, in a VW ID3, were the best in SR1 on Wednesday afternoon, between Lucéram and Lantosque (19.576 km). The stage was run under cloudy skies, but a few sunny spells did brighten up this very first round on Col de Turini, in a landscape that was particularly rich in autumn colours.
Just behind the Belgians, one of the clear favourites is already in position: Didier Malga, a former winner of this rally, took 2nd place in this inaugural special stage, in a Tesla Model 3. Rounding out the podium are the current Bridgestone FIA Eco Rally Cup leaders, Czechs Michal Zdarsky and Jakub Nabelek, in their Hyundai Kona.
Technical and administrative scrutineering ended at midday this Wednesday, as planned, for 60 crews entered in the 7th edition of E-Rally Monte-Carlo… which is also the 23rd Rallye Monte-Carlo Zenn (Zero Emission, No Noise).
Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM) paved the way in 1995 by organising the first regularity rally for electric, battery or hydrogen-powered cars. And the line-up for this 2023 edition is particularly strong, with all six previous winners of the event, a former European rally champion and even a former Formula 1 driver!
For this 8th round of the Bridgestone FIA ecoRally Cup 2023, the ACM had to turn down entries. And this year’s line-up matches the reputation of all the road and circuit events that it organizes: 60 crews, 15 nationalities and 36 different models entered by 19 manufacturers. A record for the event and a guarantee of total suspense right up to the end of the last night.
Spain’s Eneko Conde and Lukas Sergnese (Kia E-Niro), last year’s winners of the FIA ecoRally Cup, will be up against the Czech team hoping to succeed them on the world stage, Michal Zdarsky and Jakub Nabelek (Hyundai Kona). There will also be two genuine stars, Belgian Bruno Thiry, European rally champion in 2003, and Italian Stefano Modena, a former F1 driver (70 Grand Prix contested, 3rd in Monaco in 1989). Also entered are all six former winners of this E-Rallye Monte-Carlo, the most prestigious round on the world calendar as it uses some of the legendary stages of its WRC version: Poland’s Artur Prusak (2016), now Guido Guerrini’s codriver in a Kia E-Niro, Didier Malga (2017), Alexandre Stricher (2018), Frédéric Ozon (2019), all three of them with a Tesla Model 3, Frédéric Lansiaux (2021) in a VW ID3 and Jacques Pastor (2022) in a Kia E-Niro. That’s a lot of candidates for victory at the end of the 1,000 km scheduled from 2pm on Wednesday to midnight on Saturday.
New for 2023, each daily route will be kept secret until one hour before the start, when the roadbook for the day is given to the competitors. Then, the menu of the day will be posted on ACM’s website and social networks when the first crew starts the day. As always, there will be several special stages to complete at night. And two main objectives remain the same: to respect the average speed set by the organisers, in each timed section, while managing the energy required to get back to Parc Fermé at the end of the day’s loop. Crews will then have a whole night to recharge their batteries on the numerous charging points of the Monaco On network, in the streets and parking lots of the Principality.
The race is on!
Copyright ACM / Philippe Magoni
Overview of the different media that will be following the event daily.
Press & Radio : For the 5th year in a row, the media crew made up of Denis Carreaux (Editor-in-Chief of the Nice Matin Group) and Virginie Decorte (VINCI Autoroutes Radio Presenter) are among the entries. Immerse yourself in the heart of the E-Rallye! On board their BMW i5 (No. 17), the daily adventures of the 2 journalists will be chronicled on Radio VINCI Autoroutes (107.7 FM) and in the columns of Nice-Matin, the event’s media partners.
Website & Social Media : Follow the event in full on the official Automobile Club de Monaco accounts (Facebook / Instagram / LinkedIn / Twitter / YouTube / TikTok). Also find articles, routes, results, photos & videos ons and reaction the website www.acm.mc.
Newsletter: Subscribe to the E-Rallye Monte-Carlo newsletter, and receive every evening the summary of the day in images and videos, enhanced with articles on the daily life of the 60 crews involved.
Local press: In 2023, the E-Rallye will be taking place in and around the Principality of Monaco. The press and local channels will be present to cover this 7th edition.
Sportity: Download the Sportity mobile app on your smartphone and enter the code ERAMC2023 to follow the live results and receive the Race Direction’s decisions.
This enthusiastic response is the reward for all the considerable efforts made by the Organising Committee of Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM) in the field of electric mobility, with absolutely no pause since the creation of the very first Rallye Monte-Carlo for Electric Vehicles. “For this 7th edition of the ‘zero emission’ version of Rallye Monte-Carlo, innovation is back in line with the spirit advocated since the very first edition, in 1995. For this 2023 edition, we have decided to change the venue, so that E-Rallye Monte-Carlo returns to its traditional autumn quarters in the Principality of Monaco. Centralising the event on Monegasque soil means we can offer our competitors a symbolic and prestigious postcard, as well as enjoying the destination for 5 days…“, insists Jacques Rossi, Chairman of the ACM’s New and Electric Energies Commission.
As the 8th round on the Bridgestone FIA ecoRally Cup 2023 calendar, E-Rallye Monte-Carlo 2023 promises to be a blend of modernity, prestige and intensity. “This 7th edition will be an opportunity for competitors not only to cover some 1,000 kilometres of the hinterland, but also to take a trip to Italy, and in fact to Dolceacqua. The Organising Committee wanted this to celebrate the twinning between the Italian town and Monaco, which will be solemnly concluded on November 3, five centuries to the day after the syndics of Dolceacqua swore their loyalty to Augustin Grimaldi, Lord of Monaco. The route has been kept secret for the very first time since the event’s inception, but it will include visits to some of the most legendary places in the history of Monte-Carlo. The 60 crews taking part, and in particular the two stars of the 2023 event, Stefano Modena (former F1 driver – 70 GPs contested – 3rd of the 1989 Monaco Grand Prix) and Bruno Thiry (2003 European Rally Champion), are also sure to appreciate these roads…“, explains Eric Barrabino, ACM General Commissioner.
Nestled in the heart of Carré d’Or, the Terrasses du Soleil will host the Parc Fermé, the Rally’s headquarters, at the foot of prestigious Casino de Monte-Carlo. Last and not least, there will be no need to organise a specific recharging park, as the capacity and development offered by Monaco On, with 334 charging points spread in public car parks and on the streets, will enable all competitors to recharge their vehicles easily, within the time limits imposed by the organisers…
