22th RALLY MONTE-CARLO ZENN / ZERO EMISSION NO NOISE
This 2022 edition of the 100% electric & hydrogen version of Rally Monte-Carlo makes another step forward by adopting a new philosophy with regards to power charging points. So that a strong recommendation of the Organizing Committee is validated: nightly charging parks are replaced by daily mobile charging points – in partnership with the LS Services company and the ISIOHM brand – in addition to fixed eborn network charging points all along the itinerary and Monaco On in Principality. This is another way to challenge the clearsightedness and wit of the crews, in order to face this brand new challenge.
The « Great Start » will be given this year from Valence, the emblematic city in the Drôme department and long-time partner of Automobile Club de Monaco over the past few years. The meeting point is set for Wednesday October 26 at 2 pm on the Champ de Mars Esplanade, where the first crews will be sent off for a first leg with 100% Drôme roads, including three regularity stages (SR) in the Vercors mountains, a real monument to start with!
Destination Ardèche for the 2nd leg and heading for Privas, the prefecture of the department, on Thursday October 27. It will be a day of contrasts, with four regularity stages and a whole lot of new features, as well as a bit of tradition in Antraigues-sur-Volane: a sweet stop in front of the famous Remise, still managed by the Jouanny family who will provide delicious apple tarts to the crews heading back to Valence via Privas.
The next day, Friday October 28, the 3rd leg will be 500-km long heading South to Monte-Carlo and will probably be a memorable one with four regularity stages on the menu, over three departments (Drôme, Vaucluse and Var), including Mont-Ventoux, the mythical giant of Provence.
The 4th and last leg, on Saturday October 29, will have a definite WRC tone, with a series of former traditional stages of Rally Monte-Carlo, in the departments of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Alpes-Maritimes, including famous passes such as Col de Bleine as a conclusion…
Provisional schedule
Publication of the Supplementary Regulation & Opening of entries: Friday August 26, 2022
Closing of the entries: Monday September 26, 2022
Publication of the Entry List: Friday October 7, 2022
LEG 1 : VALENCE / VALENCE – Wednesday October 26, 2022 – 180km
Start VALENCE, 2 pm – Esplanade du Champ de Mars
SR1 – Barbières / Bouvante – 36.03km – via Cols de Tourniol (1145m) and de la Bataille (1313m)
SR2 – Sainte-Croix / Beaufort-sur-Gervanne – 21.64km – via Col de la Croix (745m)
SR 3 – Gigors-et-Lozeron / Combovin – 16.78km – via Col Jérôme Cavalli (842m)
Arrival VALENCE – Esplanade du Champ de Mars
LEG 2 : VALENCE / VALENCE – Thursday October 27, 2022 – 300km
Start VALENCE, 7 am – Esplanade du Champ de Mars
Check Point PRIVAS – Parc Centre Aquatique Cap’Azur (Ardèche)
SR4 – Saint-Priest / Mirabel – 21.52km – via Col du Benas (795m)
SR5 – Seyras (Les Salelles) / Le Grimaldes – 16.57km – via Col de la Croix Blanche (890m)
SR6 – Sablières / Rocles – 21.90km
SR7 – Antraigues-sur-Volane / Saint-Andéol-de-Vals – 18,17 km – via Col de Genestelle (648m)
Check Point PRIVAS – Parc Centre Aquatique Cap’Azur (Ardèche)
Arrival VALENCE – Esplanade du Champ de Mars
LEG 3 : VALENCE / MONACO – Friday October 28, 2022 – 490km
Start VALENCE, 6 am – Esplanade du Champ de Mars
SR8 – Chastel-Arnaud / Crupies – 20.13km – via Col de la Chaudière (1047m)
SR9 – Beaumont-du-Ventoux / Sault – 29.96km – via Col des Tempêtes (1830m)
SR10 – Aiguines / Trigance – 29.21km – via Col d’Illoire (967m)
SR11 – Montauroux / Tanneron – 13.46km
Arrival MONACO – Terrasses du Solei
LEG 4 : MONACO / MONACO – Saturday October 29, 2022 – 320km
Start MONACO, 7:30 am – Les Terrasses du Soleil
SR12 – Le Fugeret / Thorame-Haute – 17.99km – via la Colle-Saint-Michel
SR13 – Lambruisse / Barrême – 23.44km – via Col du Défens (1230m)
SR14 – Ubraye / Briançonnet – 20.19km – via Cols de Laval (1100m) and du Buis (1196m)
SR15 – Saint-Auban / Andon – 15.03km – via Col de Bleine (1439 km)
Arrival MONACO – Les Terrasses du Soleil
Provisional schedule, stages and lengths until the official route is published.
About Monte-Carlo E-Rally
This authentic road regularity competition, reserved to 100% Electric or Hydrogen propelled vehicles, is now very appreciated by constructors and other major players of the auto industry who wish to demonstrate, in the real world, the innovative and technological potential of their latest products. A new name was adopted in 2016, after Rally Monte-Carlo for Electric Vehicles (1995-1999), followed by Rally Monte-Carlo Fuel Cell & Hybrids (2005-2006), then Rally Monte-Carlo for Alternative Energy Vehicles (2007-2011) and Rally Monte-Carlo for New Energies / Rally Monte-Carlo ZENN (2012-2015). This is the 6th edition of E-Rally Monte-Carlo and it will count for the FIA Eco Rally Cup 2022.
Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) won the 79th Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix on Sunday, and the Mexican anthem resounded for the first time on the finish line, three hours after a start delayed by a huge storm. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) and Max Verstappen, in the other Red Bull, completed a podium all the more unexpected as Charles Leclerc, the local hero and big favorite, had his race wasted by a huge strategic error by Scuderia Ferrari. The Monegasque eventually took 4th place in this race which was promised to him.
Leclerc was in pole position on Sunday, shortly before 3:00 pm, after a deluge of stars on the starting grid. Then the sky darkened and the scenario for this glory day tipped into the unpredictable. The start was launched, more than an hour late, in slow motion behind the safety car. There were 75 laps to go and Leclerc was in the lead, on wet tyres, ahead of Sainz and the two Red Bulls, on a really wet track.
The first driver to switch to intermediate tires was Pierre Gasly, who had started at the back of the grid, and this choice initially paid off as the Frenchman moved up swiftly to 12th place. His example was followed immediately by Pérez, on lap 17. This was the turning point of the race because the Mexican got the right tires before his rivals. Leclerc imitated him, on the following lap, and the setbacks for the Scuderia began: three laps later, on lap 21, Sainz, who was in the lead, stopped in the Ferrari pit to put on slick tires, without ticking the intermediate tires box. But Ferrari, at the same time, asked Leclerc to do the same, despite having changed his tires three laps earlier.
The result was a traffic jam in front of the Ferrari garage, with a lot of time lost by Leclerc, and it was followed right away by an identical choice for the Red Bull drivers: slick tires on lap 22, to cover Ferrari’s strategy. The result appeared instantly. The Spaniard was 2nd, behind Pérez, and the Monegasque 4th, behind Verstappen, after the poor timing of this second stop. The order of the Top 4 never changed after this.
Then there was a miracle, when Mick Schumacher cut his Haas in half at the Swimming Pool. Schumi’s son came out unscathed but the red flag had to be waved, to give ACM marshals enough time to sweep away the debris and repair the TecPro barrier damaged by the American F1 car.
The last part of the race started at 5:15 p.m., for 45 minutes, without extra time, under the eyes of Zinédine Zidane and family. One of the numerous VIPs invited by the ACM, Alpine and other F1 teams, including Patrick Dempsey, Conor McGregor, Keylor Navas, James Foden, Ruben Dias, Mason Mount, LeBron James, GMK, but also Elon Musk, Khaby Lame, Jonathan Cohen, Squeezie, Naomi Campbell, Flavio Briatore, Claudio Capéo and Keith Harrington, among others.
This crazy race ended at 6:00 pm, in accordance with the 3-hour time limit written in the FIA regulations. It was Sergio Pérez’s third victory in F1, at the end of his 220th Grand Prix. He had already won in Bahrain in 2020, in a Racing Point, and Baku in 2021, in a Red Bull.
“Checo” immediately dedicated this win to Pedro Rodriguez, the legendary Mexican driver whose colors he wore on his helmet this weekend. Rodriguez won only twice in F1, in 1967 and 1970, and he finished 5th at Monaco Grand Prix in 1967. Pérez was not yet born. He is still 3rd in the World Championship, with 110 points, behind Max Verstappen (125) and Charles Leclerc (116). There are 15 more races this season, so everything is still possible, especially for Leclerc and Ferrari…
Charles Leclerc will start from pole position on Sunday at 3:00 pm, in his Ferrari, for the 79th Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, after emerging victorious from a perfectly managed qualifying session. He started it by posting a phenomenal time (1:11.376), in line with his faultless performance since Friday. And the session ended with a big blunder by Sergio Pérez, Max Verstappen’s lieutenant at Red Bull Racing.
This qualifying session, the most anticipated of the entire F1 season, began with Q1 interrupted two minutes from the end, when Yuki Tsunoda hit a safety barrier with his AlphaTauri: five drivers were then eliminated, namely China’s Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo), both Canadians Nicholas Latifi (Williams) and Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Thailand’s Alex Albon (Williams) and Frenchman Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri), who hoped better from this session but was trapped by the red flag.
There was another notable elimination in Q2, Australian Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren), accompanied in his misfortune by Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri), Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) and both Haas drivers, Kevin Magnussen and Mick Schumacher, five drivers grouped together in two tenths of a second. And four teams were to be doubly represented in Q3: Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes and Alpine, while McLaren could only count on Lando Norris and Aston Martin on Sebastian Vettel.
There were only 12 minutes of suspense left and the big crowd, in the grandstands and the VIP boxes, was not disappointed. Most of the spectators, in particular the Monegasques and Italians, were hoping for a pole position for Charles Leclerc. They were overwhelmed by a slightly unexpected 1-2 from the Scuderia, with the added bonus of an ideal scenario: by hitting the safety barrier just before the tunnel, on his own, in the last minutes of the session, Pérez prevented teammate Verstappen from finishing his ultimate attempt to beat Leclerc’s time.
So Leclerc kept his second pole in a row at Monaco Grand Prix, and the 14th of his career, with the added bonus of his great Dutch rival on the second row. It could hardly have turned out better for the Monegasque. The test of truth is still scheduled for Sunday at 3:00 pm. Leclerc will be the real favourite.
Ferrari and Red Bull went blow for blow in Free Practice 2, just to end Friday on a positive note, with a slight psychological advantage. The leading quartet moved for an hour, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, for the Scuderia, Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez, for Red Bull Racing, ensuring a colorful spectacle, without sparing their efforts. At the end of this first street brawl, a perfect teaser for a fierce weekend, the local hero, Monegasque Charles Leclerc, finished at the top of the time sheet, same as in FP1 earlier in the afternoon, with a time of 1:12.656, just ahead of his Spanish teammate and both Red Bull drivers in an unusual order, with the Mexican ahead of the Dutchman.
Behind the four untouchables, the places of honor were also hotly contested, between five different teams: McLaren, with Lando Norris (5th) all alone following Daniel Ricciardo’s big crash at the Swimming Pool, which caused a red flag to be deployed for several minutes, Mercedes with George Russell (6th), AlphaTauri thanks to Pierre Gasly (7th), Alpine represented by Fernando Alonso (8th) and Aston Martin, with Sebastian Vettel (9th) in the Top 10. So that Saturday promises to be thrilling with a qualifying session where no expert can reasonably predict a detailed result. It will happen Saturday from 4 pm in the streets of Monaco. And it will be hot.
Photo : © Philippe Magoni
He is eagerly awaited this weekend and has every intention of making a faultless run until Sunday. It’s off to a good start, with the best time in Free Practice 1 on Friday afternoon for Charles Leclerc, in his Ferrari, in 1:14.531, with a tiny margin ahead of Sergio Pérez’s Red Bull (1:14.570) and on Carlos Sainz’s other Ferrari (1:14.601). A fourth driver fell below the 1:15 lap mark, world champion Max Verstappen, 4th fastest in this inaugural session where he tried to find the limit and went straight at Sainte-Dévote, without damaging his Red Bull carrying number 1.
The good surprise came from McLaren who set the 5th (Lando Norris) and 7th times (Daniel Ricciardo). Between the two drivers of the English team, the best Frenchman of this FP1, Pierre Gasly, took 6th in his AlphaTauri. Even if we cannot rely on a first session to draw hasty conclusions, it is already clear that the Scuderia has prepared this meeting in Monaco well and that Mercedes, despite obvious progress in recent weeks, is not yet back at the top of the F1 hierarchy: George Russell (8th) edged out Lewis Hamilton (10th) and another world champion, Sebastian Vettel (9th), pointed his Aston Martin’s nose in the Top 10.
The good news is that we won’t have to wait too long, only for Friday’s FP2 session at 5:00 pm, to find out if these trends are confirmed…
It’s a battle royale that promises to take place in the streets of the Principality for the 79th edition of Monaco F1 Grand Prix, with four ace drivers spread in three top teams: Max Verstappen, the reigning world champion and new leader of the 2022 World Championship, at Red Bull Racing, Charles Leclerc, the local hero, in his Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell for Mercedes.
One cannot expect any other driver to bother these top drivers who have accumulated 131 wins in F1, including 103 alone for the seven-time British world champion, 24 for the Flying Dutchman and 4 for the Monégasque. This 79th edition is more enticing than ever, between Sir Lewis and three spearheads of the new generation. Only Russell has never won in F1 but he has just finished in the Top 5 six times in a row this year, although he did not drive, by some length, the best single-seater on the grid.
To decide between the stars of modern F1, a little more eco-responsible and much less expensive for the teams, with a capped budget, a new format has been set up this year in Monaco: three days of F1, all inclusive, counting Friday morning for media duties and Friday afternoon for two free practice sessions, crucial to prepare for qualifying on Saturday afternoon.
It is indeed an extraordinary 79th Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco that is scheduled, in front of fully booked grandstands and VIP boxes, after two years of coronavirus, masks and sanitary constraints. It is also the beginning of a new era for Formula 1, in Monaco and elsewhere, around Verstappen, Leclerc and Russell, but also Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo in their McLarens, and two former world champions who could reconnect any time with their past glory, Fernando Alonso (Alpine) and Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin), thanks to their huge experience: 340 Grands Prix contested (32 wins) for the popular Spaniard, crowned in 2005 and 2006, 283 GPs (and 53 wins) for the German four-time world champion.
On the French side, Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) and Esteban Ocon (Alpine) will again be on the lookout if an opportunity arises, as in Monza or Hungary during their one and only success in F1, to date. The first two wins for a French driver in F1 since Olivier Panis in 1996… in Monaco!
On Sunday, talent, strategy and a bit of luck, an essential ingredient in the Principality, will determine the name of the winner. It will be much the same recipe for the supporting races, with a particularly exciting menu: the future champions of Formula 2, the young wolves of the Formula Regional Europe by Alpine and the overpowered coupes of the Porsche Supercup, ready to delight, one more time, lovers of old-fashioned thrills.
In this new-format Monaco Grand Prix, support races will be the only stars on track on Thursday. With a handful of famous surnames for young drivers who want to make a name for themselves: Enzo Fittipaldi, Eduardo Barrichello, Sebastian Montoya, Jack Doohan, Liam Lawson, Marino Sato. One thing is certain, even if the format has changed, it will still be very hot on track, all along this very special weekend, in the streets of the Principality!
The demonstration was announced in the program of the 13th Grand Prix de Monaco Historique, but the content of the event had been kept secret.
Jacky Ickx‘s presence in the paddock throughout the weekend, as well as the visit of Charles Leclerc planned for this Sunday, should have served as clues for the spectators. To the delight of enthusiasts, both drivers, the Belgian with an XXL résumé, and the Monégasque from the Scuderia, offered a real journey through time, for a few minutes, at midday, as the sun shone again over the port of Monaco.
Leclerc took charge of the Ferrari 312B3 (ex-Niki Lauda) entered in the E Series for Claudia Hürtgen by the Methusalem team. In 1974, this single-seater triumphed in Spain and the Netherlands, allowing the Austrian to claim his first two F1 wins, then Clay Regazzoni won in Germany and the Scuderia finished second in the Constructors’ World Championship, behind McLaren.
“When I was four, we were playing with toy cars in a friend’s apartment, that’s my first memory of Monaco Grand Prix,” Charles Leclerc said after this very special parade lap. “I took these streets on a bus to go to school when I was a kid and I always dreamt of winning this race. It’s really exceptional to see all these old cars today, at Grand Prix de Monaco Historique, it’s fun and it’s beautiful to see“, the Scuderia driver added.
For his part, Ickx recalled some good memories at the wheel of his 312B2, registered in the D Series and entrusted this weekend to Jürgen Boden. With this car, the Belgian was on the second step of the podium in the Principality in 1971, before winning in the Netherlands and Germany later in the season.
The demonstration lasted about ten minutes, the Ferrari engines roared and many spectators were moved. Then Leclerc and Ickx posed for the official photo on the starting grid. A snapshot for history, with Charles and Jacky, worthy representatives of two generations of drivers, to the delight of many photographers.
In order to pay tribute to Colin Chapman, the founder of Lotus, 40 years after his passing in 1982, the organizers of Grand Prix de Monaco Historique launched 34 cars of the legendary brand entered in this 13th edition, on Saturday, for a memorable lap of honour, after a photo shoot around Clive Chapman, Colin’s son, and several heirs of the most brilliant engineer in the history of F1.
It was a moment of grace, one more, on this circuit of Monaco where Lotus has so often triumphed: 7 wins in the most glamorous GP on the calendar, between the two initial successes of Stirling Moss (1960, 1961) and the ultimate triumph, achieved by the incomparable Ayrton Senna in 1987, with a Renault engine in his back. “It’s great to see how the Automobile Club of Monaco wishes to honor the memory of my father“, said Clive Chapman Friday in the paddock, in front of the tent sheltering his Lotus Classic Cars team.
MONACO. 30 March 2022 – Formula E, the FIA and the Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM) today revealed the track layout for the 2022 Monaco E-Prix, Round 6 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
The 19-turn, 3.337 km track will see the all-electric cars climb the hill at Sainte Dévote and travel through the iconic Place du Casino, Mirabeau, Grand Hotel Hairpin and Portier sector.
DS TECHEETAH’s Antonio Felix Da Costa claimed victory last season in one of the most exciting races in the history of Formula E with an audacious overtake at the exit of the tunnel on the final lap of the race.
The 2021 edition marked the inaugural outing on the full Circuit de Monaco for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. A race that recorded 28 overtakes between the top six runners alone. The 2021 track incorporated a modified chicane at the T11, which will disappear this year to make way for the traditional track when it comes to the best of motorsport.
This change of layout to align with the highest standards of motorsport shows once again how Formula E continues to progress.
Frederic Espinos, Sporting Director, Formula E: “The 2021 Monaco E-Prix remains one of the finest races in Formula E history with an unprecedented number of overtakes. Our drivers love driving in street circuits which is why Monaco, one of the most iconic circuits in the world that all drivers know inside out, is particularly suitable to showcase the unique style of Formula E motorsport. We can’t wait to see the 2022 race and the drama that will unfold on the streets of Monaco.”
Javier Maffioli, Formula E Head of Event Operations at the FIA: ”Using the full Monaco track layout successfully last year was a major step forward for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. This year, we are taking the final step, removing the minor modifications that were made for Formula E, so that we can to see our drivers and cars performing on the historical layout. This is another major achievement for our discipline and we look forward to another exciting race on the streets of Monaco.”
Christian Tornatore, General Commissioner, ACM: ” I hope that on the occasion of this 5th Monaco E-Prix, television viewers and spectators will be able to attend a race just as competitive as last year’s, which to this day remains and will remain in the annals of international motorsport.”
Since February 25th, the Principality’s nights have been punctuated by the repair of the asphalt on the roads used by the Monaco Circuit.
In 2022, many sectors are concerned : Pitlane, Avenue d’Ostende, Boulevard Albert 1er, Avenue des Spélugues, Tunnel Louis II, Darse Nord / Route de la Piscine, Rascasse and Antony Noghès Corners.
In total, almost 2/3 of the circuit will be equipped with new asphalt. In figures, this represents more than 2754 tonnes of asphalt laid.
The objective is to give a new tarmac to the streets and the track, to offer a surface in line with international standards, with the particular challenge to use roads exposed to the Principality’s traffic all year round.
At least 2 nights are necessary per sector. Carried out by teams from the Direction de l’Urbanisme and SIVIA’M, the work is divided into 2 phases: planning of the upper part of the asphalt, and application of the new asphalt the following night.
This work is necessary in order to be in time for the Spring events (Monaco E-Prix, Grand Prix de Monaco Historique, F1 Grand Prix de Monaco). End of the work scheduled for March 16th.
Let’s have a look on the pictures of the asphalt repair work on the Monaco Circuit.
Copyrights : Direction de la Communication – Michael Alesi