The Rhône-Charbonnières Rally, the starting point for the three all-female Rallye Jeunes crews

Le Rally The Rhône-Charbonnières Rally, the second round of the French Asphalt Rally Championship scheduled for this weekend, is about to make history even before it begins. For the first time, three all-female crews representing Rallye Jeunes will be competing, as the three 2026 winners will kick off their respective programs at this Rhône-Alpes event. For this current season, the French Federation of Motorsport (FFSA) and the FFSA Academy, with the support of several regional motorsport leagues, have chosen to place their trust in a total of nine winners, including Elona Ginet, Maëva Dupuy, and Priscillia Sabatier, a last-minute addition to the lineup replacing Léa Brière, who was initially slated to compete. Prior to this, the three young women emerged victorious (or nearly so, in Priscillia Sabatier's case) from the final held at Le Mans at the end of November 2025.

The beautiful story of Elona Ginet and Maéva Dupuy

For the first two mentioned, the story is particularly special, as Elona Ginet and Maëva Dupuy both hail from Réunion Island. Even better: they used to compete together there, Elona driving and Maëva keeping pace, and they notably shone last year on their island, with Elona Ginet being the reigning champion of the local championship, a feat she also achieved in 2023. This Rhône-Charbonnières Rally will therefore certainly be a moving experience for both of them. Elona Ginet will be partnered with Emma Bonnemort (co-driver of another 2026 Rallye Jeunes winner, Landry Ivens – Ed.) while Maëva Dupuy will be alongside her sister Margot, who is well-known on the mainland. Their brother Maxime had also distinguished himself on several occasions in Metropolitan France, notably during the 2021 French Rally Cup Final in Châteauroux where he took third place.

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Priscillia Sabatier, last-minute guest

For Priscillia Sabatier, things have moved quickly recently, and it wasn't until the beginning of this week that it was officially confirmed she would be participating. The driver from the Hérault region had impressed during the 2026 Rallye Jeunes final but hadn't managed to secure her place in the final. That's now been rectified, and she's already had the opportunity to drive in competition before this major career debut, at the last Rallye de l'Hérault, won by Léo Rossel and Guillaume Mercoiret. There, she drove a... Renault Clio Rally5 and finished 4th in that standings. It will be co-driven at the Rhône-Charbonnières Rally by Kelly Virazel, who, as a reminder, has already participated in several events in the past as a co-driver. All three crews will have the same car, namely a Peugeot 208 Racing is entered in Group F-RC6, the same group as their male counterparts competing in SMRC6. The full program for the three all-female crews has not yet been announced.