2024 Alpine Elf Rally Trophy in the starting blocks

• Season four of the Alpine Elf Rally Trophy kicks off this weekend at the Rallye Rhône Charbonnières (18-20 April).
• Organised within the FFSA French Rally Championship, the season-opener will feature 11 crews and their A110 Rallies.
• 2022 and 2023 title winners Grégory Fontalba and Pierre Roché will face increasingly determined competition to dethrone them.

The Alpine Elf Rally Trophy is a testament to the A-arrow brand’s unwavering commitment to rallying, a discipline in which Alpine won the inaugural World Championship in 1973. Since its inception in 2021, the competition dedicated to the A110 Rally has enjoyed growing success, offering a framework in which young and experienced drivers alike can showcase their talent on France’s finest special stages.

A season of stability

The Alpine Elf Rally Trophy, now a fixture on the French motorsport landscape, is about to launch its fourth edition, still under the impetus of Alpine and Groupe Signature. Stability is the watchword of this new campaign, and it ensures that the talent of each crew remains at the heart of the show.

- Advertisement -

Strictly identical to last year, the six-round calendar echoes the rich history of the A-arrow brand. After the opening round at the Rallye Rhône Charbonnières, the competitors will head for the Rallye Antibes Côte d’Azur and the Rallye Aveyron Rouergue Occitanie. Following the summer break, the Rallye Mont-Blanc Morzine will host the return to action before the protagonists meet again on the Rallye Cœur de France, followed by the season finale at the Rallye du Var.

On the competition front, the five best results will determine the final general classification. The same categories remain: ‘Challenger’ for drivers born in 1975 or later unless they have FIA or FFSA priority status, and ‘Gentleman’ for drivers born earlier who meet the same criteria.

A plethora of contenders

Reigning champion Pierre Roché begins his title defence this weekend on a round that this French Rally Championship frontrunner knows well, although it will be the first time behind the wheel of the Alpine A110 Rally.

The Team FJ leader knows that he will face some formidable competition. His main rivals should include 2022 title winner Grégory Fontalba, determined to reclaim the crown, and Challenger Ludovic Godard. Runner-up to Pierre Roché last year, the PH Sport by Minerva driver and 2023 RGT class winner in the French Rally Cup Final is eager to exact his revenge.

Other competitors are keen to join the frontrunners. Jérémy Crétien hopes to draw on his experience and that of the Code Racing Development team to aim higher, as does Sérgio Pinto, twice winner of the Michelin Alps Open Trophy with the Alpine. Two new Challengers well known to the service parks also figure on the bill: Matthieu Fassio, who takes over from his father Bertrand at RGT, and the versatile Yann Clairay, who just got his first taste of the A110 Rally with Code Racing Development at Le Touquet.

Grégory Fontalba won’t be the only Gentleman in contention for overall victory. Fabrice Bect, who already won a round overall as well as the category title in 2022, could be a tough customer with Team FJ. This is also the case for Jean-François Mourgues, the 2001 French Gravel Rally Champion, who is now looking for more podium finishes since joining Chazel Technologie Course.

The list of contenders is completed by Éric Giannini, eager to back his progress with convincing results, and Guy Bertrand, who returns to the trophy after accumulating success with the Alpine in the French Cup since 2020. The field will also expand as the season progresses, with other drivers launching their campaigns later in the year… Following in the footsteps of a certain Pierre Roché last year, with all the success he enjoyed!

Other stakes to aim for

To ensure that all participants are treated equally, the organisers will provide technical and mechanical support to the entire service park at all the rounds on the calendar, thanks to a dedicated team. A spare parts sales service will also be on hand at each event.

In addition to the unanimously recognised qualities of the Alpine A110 Rally, the prize scheme will continue to contribute to the growing appeal of the Alpine Elf Rally Trophy. Thanks to the support of Elf and Michelin, more than €8,000 will be up for grabs at each rally. The eventual winner will take home €5,000 in prize money and €5,000 in parts vouchers. The winners of the Challenger and Gentleman categories will also receive a set of Michelin tyres at each round and a €5,000 parts voucher at the end of the season.

Lastly, all crews entered in the Alpine Elf Rally Trophy automatically qualify for entry in the FFSA French Two-Wheel Drive Championship. Last month, Raphaël Astier, Cédric Robert, and Quentin Gilbert secured an Alpine A110 Rally podium on the Rallye du Touquet. All three will be present in the Rhône region next week to try to ensure the model’s 30th victory on the national scene from 31 starts… unless one of the contenders from the trophy joins the battle!

2024 Calendar