The Rallye du Touquet is set to kick off the French Asphalt Championship on March 13, 2025, drawing almost 250 participants across various events. Organizers report 177 entries within the modern rally category alone, promising thrilling competition over the three-day event.
This year marks the debut of 17-year-old Eliott Delecour, son of renowned driver Franois Delecour, who will be driving a Peugeot 208 Rally4 as part of the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup. His participation has garnered much attention, with onlookers sighting potential similarities to his father, who was vice-champion of the world back in 1993.
Other notable contenders include Simon Salaun and Tom Vanson, who will also be piloting the Peugeot 208 Rally4, as well as seasoned competitors like Yoann Bonato driving the Citron C3, Eric Camilli, and Hugo Margaillan, both behind the wheels of Hyundai i20 vehicles. Further adding to the roster, Stéphane Lefebvre will be racing with the brand new Toyota Yaris Rally2 model, making its first appearance at this championship.
On March 15, competitors will tackle one of the rally's signature challenges, the long 29.97 km special stage between Hucqueliers and Parenty, which is set to be contested twice. This demanding section has been redesigned to bring back the classic long stretches familiar to rally fans from the 90s.
The event begins with shakedown sessions on Thursday, March 13, from 10:00 to 16:00 at Clenleu, which allows fans to experience multiple passes of the cars throughout the day. A series of verifications will take place later from 17:00 to 22:00 at Le Touquet, followed by a press conference scheduled for 18:45.
The action continues with the first stage set to launch at 9:00 on Friday, March 14, from Le Touquet, culminating later with the parc fermé arrival at 20:54. The second stage will commence early on Saturday, March 15 at 7:00.
A total course length of 572.2 km has been established for the rally, which includes 12 special stages totaling 189.2 km of timed segments. The stage schedule for Friday features eight exciting events: ES1 (Créquy > Saint-Michel sous Bois) measuring 15 km at 10:28, ES2 (Verchocq > Wicquinghem) at 12.5 km, and others culminating with ES8 (Camiers > Longvilliers) at 19:14.
Saturday will continue the momentum with another four stages, including the morning's ES9 (Lépine > Boisjean) at 8:23 and the much-anticipated ES10 (Hucqueliers > Parenty) at 9:46. This intense lineup is set to set the tone for potential showdowns between the leading competitors.
With round after round of tension, the Rallye du Touquet promises not just to perform as the launching pad for the French Asphalt Championship but also as a display of both seasoned and upcoming rally talent, all competing on the picturesque backdrop of Le Touquet. Fans and competitors alike are eager to see how this year's championship will unravel, with predictions of tight races and exhilarating performances across the board.
Whether following the established pros like Bonato and Lefebvre or watching new stars emerge like Delecour, rally enthusiasts can look forward to three days filled with excitement and competition coinciding with the beautiful Cape scenery of the French coastline.