Côte Fleurie, Côtes du Tarn, Vaison-la-Romaine, Meuse: the weekend program for the French Rally Cup

The first big weekend of the season, and of the year, for all the drivers of rally hoping to qualify for the French Cup Final, held this year from October 15th to 17th in Remiremont (Vosges), has arrived. This weekend, four events, three national and one regional, are being held across France, with well-known crews competing in each rally, all aiming to kick off the season in the best possible way.

Côte Fleurie Rally: The Normandy season kicks off!

More than 160 crews are already on hand near Deauville for the traditional start of the season in Normandy. Organized by ASACO Pays Normand, the Rallye de la Côte Fleurie promises an atmosphere similar to that of the last French Rally Cup Final held in Lisieux. Eric Brunson will undoubtedly be eager for revenge, having crashed out last October while in contention for the win. He'll face stiff competition, including Pierre Ragues, Anthony Langlois, Olivier Ural, Adrien Julien, and Laurent Bayard, to name just a few. The rally kicks off this Friday evening with the first two special stages, including the Lais de Mer stage in Deauville. Also noteworthy is the organizers' generous gesture of awarding car number 1 to Knapick, who is celebrating 60 years of competition.

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Rallye des Côtes du Tarn: Historic vehicles take center stage

Alongside the traditional Rallye des Côtes du Tarn, the historic rally will officially launch the French Historic Rally Championship. Nineteen crews will be present, but absent are the reigning champions Bertrand Fassio and Jean-François de Montredon, who have left for the European Historic Rally Championship, which begins next week in Spain. As for the modern entries, a fierce battle between local drivers is expected. Ayrton Lechartier will start with the number 1 on the doors of his Citroën C3 Rally2 and will face stiff competition. Patrick Rouillard, Jean-Michel Da Cunha, Jordan Berfa, Jérémy Puech, Nicolas Rouillard, Julien Casale, and Ghislain Barbier, third in the 2025 Final, are among those competing.

Meuse Rally: A French Championship atmosphere

There will also be plenty of action in Gondrecourt-le-Château. 107 crews are entered in the event, including several regulars from the French Rally Championship (CFR), which kicks off in Le Touquet at the end of March. This is a preparation rally, then, for Benjamin and Florence Stirling, for example, but also for Quentin Gilbert, Ludovic Godard, Yoan Corberand, and Quentin Vialatte. The ever-present Eric Mauffrey will also be there, and will have the important task of opening the road from the start of the rally this Saturday evening, as he will be sporting the #1 on his doors. Naturally, many local drivers will be looking to score points for the 2026 Final, which will be held in the Grand-Est league.

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Vaison-la-Romaine Rally: A clean sweep

As is often the case, Vaison-la-Romaine has a full field of entries this weekend. Reigning champion Yohan Rossel will not be competing, but many drivers will be eager to succeed him. Among the favorites are Frédérik Casciani, Laurent Lacomy, Pierre-Paul Baltolu, and the recent winner of the Rallye des Roches Brunes, Jean-Joseph Galeani. The historic rally field is also well-represented: it includes, for example, Stéphane Poudrel, Richard Doux, Christophe Vaison, and Daniel Rey, the father of 2025 French Rally Co-driver Champion Jeanne Rey. The rally will begin this Saturday morning.