The Monte-Carlo Rally will return to the region at the end of January with a demanding new route that will officially kickstart the FIA World Rally Championship.
The 93rd edition of the Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo is set to take place between Monday, 20th January and Sunday, 26th January. It marks the opening round of the FIA World Rally Championship and is organised each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM).
Following reconnaissance sessions scheduled from Monday to Wednesday, competitors will get a chance to assess their performance under race conditions with the Shakedown stage along the Route de la Garde in Gap, which has been part of the rally since 2017, on the afternoon of 22nd January.
The official start of the rally is planned for Thursday, 23rd January at 2.30pm, with a departure from Monaco’s iconic Casino Square. The first leg features a full dusk schedule and includes three special stages, all taking place in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Hautes-Alpes: from Digne-les-Bains to Chaudon-Norante, Faucon-du-Caire to Bréziers, and Avançon to Notre-Dame-du-Laus.
On Friday, 24th January, the teams will be tested across six stages through the Hautes-Alpes and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. The day includes two loops of three stages: Saint-Maurice to Aubessagne, Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes to La Bâtie-Neuve, and La Bréole to Selonnet.
The action will shift to the Drôme on Saturday, 25th January, with a total of 131 timed kilometres. It will be the most challenging day of the rally. Competitors will face two loops of three stages: La Motte-Chalancon to Saint-Nazaire-le-Désert, Aucelon to Recoubeau-Jansac, and La Bâtie-des-Fonts to Aspremont.
The final day of racing on Sunday, 26th January will bring the rally back to Monaco, with three stages totaling 51 kilometres. These include Avançon to Notre-Dame-du-Laus, Digne-les-Bains to Chaudon-Norante, and the Power Stage from La Bollène-Vésubie to Peïra-Cava. The event will conclude with the traditional prize-giving ceremony at Casino Square in Monaco from 4.15pm.
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Photo source: ACM.mc