The
organizers of Rallye Monte Carlo announced the route of their event which will
be held on January 21-25.
Reconnaissance
runs will be conducted from Sunday, January 18 through Tuesday, January 20.
Participating crews will then engage in a modified shakedown session on January
21 at 14:01. Measuring 4.80 km, the trial route – first introduced in 2017 and
extended for this edition – now integrates the Rabou’s road in Gap, host city
from 2014 to 2021 and again from 2024.
The
official start of the 94th Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo is set for Thursday,
January 22 at 14:00 from the podium ramp installed on Quai Albert 1er in
Monaco. This initial leg features three special stages, totaling 61.58
kilometers. Held in the departments of Alpes-Maritimes and
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, the stages « Toudon / Saint-Antonin » (SS 1 – 22,90 km
– 15h35), « Esclangon / Seyne-les-Alpes » (SS 2 – 23,48 km – 18h03) and «
Vaumeilh / Claret » (SS 3 – 15,20 km – 19h51) promise the potential for major
surprises right from the start.
Two
departments, Drôme and Hautes-Alpes, will host the second day of rallying, with
a total of 129.38 kilometers against the clock. This leg comprises a
three-stage loop repeated twice, including « Laborel / Chauvac-Laux-Montaux »
(SS 4/7 – 17,84 km – 08h36/14h58), « Saint-Nazaire-le-Désert / La
Motte-Chalancon » (SS 5/8 – 29,00 km – 10h04/16h26) and « La Bâtie-des-Fonts /
Aspremont » (SS 6/9 – 17,85 km – 11h22/17h44). This second leg, packed with
technical challenges, is simply the longest of the entire rally.
While
shorter in length, Saturday’s mostly Alpes-de-Haute-Provence-based stage
remains equally demanding. It features a total of 78.22 kilometers of timed
sections, including the band-new « La Bréole / Bellaffaire » via the Garcinets
pass (SS 10/12 – 30,10 km – 08h05/12h05), run twice, and a daytime reprise of «
Vaumeilh / Claret » from Thursday evening (SS 11 – 15,20 km – 09h18). In
contrast to the 2025 edition, this year the return to Monaco happens Saturday
afternoon and wraps up with a super special stage – currently under
consideration – the first since 2008 (SS 13 – 2,82 km – 17h45), set on the lower
section of the iconic Monaco Circuit.
Rallye
Automobile Monte-Carlo will culminate with a thrilling final showdown across
two legendary mountain stages, each repeated twice and totaling 71.62
kilometers. Crews will tackle « Col de Braus / La Cabanette » (SS 14/16 – 12,48
km – 08h00/11h10) and « La Bollène-Vésubie / Moulinet » (SS 15/17 – 23,33 km –
09h05/13h15), with the second run of the latter serving as the Wolf Power Stage
– a decisive moment where drivers can gain crucial championship points. The rally
will officially conclude with the final podium and awards ceremony held at Port
Hercule, beginning at 17:00.
Photo Credits: M-Sport
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