Rallye Antibes Cote d'Azur

Yoann Bonato takes overnight lead of TER – Tour European Rally round 5 in Antibes

19.05.2023

The 4-time French Champion is ahead of Margaillan and Ciamin.

 

The crews of TER – Tour European Rally round 5, Rallye Antibes - Côte d'Azur, tackled changing weather conditions on Friday afternoon's loop of stages.

 

With 2 fastest times over drying roads, the 2022 event winners Yoann Bonato and Benjamin Boulloud increased their pace and secured overnight leadership by only 1.3 seconds over their Citroën team mate Hugo Margaillan, with Laëtitia Marsault. The 2019 French Junior Champion began the day with two stage wins, then engaged in a fight over tenths of a second, only losing the position on the event's longest test, in which Bonato made his mark in both passes.

 

The final step of the provisional podium is for the Volkswagen Polo of local hero Nicolas Ciamin, codriven by Yannick Roche. After being second fastest in SS 1, they struggled to match the leaders' pace but are holding on to third.

 

Young Pierre Paul Baltolu, sharing a Renault Clio Rally 5 with Margot Dupuy, is an impressive 4th overall, and solid leader in the TER Junior.

 

A day-long battle is opposing two crews driving Škoda Fabias R5: Aldo Calabrini, codriven by Stefano Tiraboschi, took the upper hand after SS5 over Stefan Göttig and Michaela Alexy.

 

In the TER 2WD, the Peugeot 208 Rally4 of Dirk Schram, codriven by Antonello Moncada, took the category lead after SS5, when Allison Viano and Christelle Bou-Meunier's Renault Clio Rally4 lost time due to a puncture. The 3-time French Ladies' Champion retains second place and the TER Ladies' Trophy leadership.

 

Rallye Antibes Côte d'Azur came to an early end for 2019 TER – Tour European Rally Champion, Luxembourg's Steve Fernandes, tackling his first event with the new Hyundai i20 R5. With Belgian Florian Volvert calling the pacenotes, they had to retire after the opening loop of stages when they were in 4th place.

 

Bad luck also for Germans Thomas Lorenz and Tim Rauber: 5th overall after 2 stages as they were discovering the Škoda Fabia R5, they crashed in the third test and had to retire on the following road section.