Rallye du Chablais

Hirschi secures overnight lead in TER Rallye du Chablais

02.06.2023

Top 3 crews in a few seconds as Coppens drops to 2nd ahead of Michellod

 

The afternoon rain added to the challenge of 2023 TER – Tour European Rally Round 6, Rallye du Chablais. With the leading drivers in a few seconds, the afternoon loop saw a change in the leaderboard: after Stage 4 was cancelled, Jonathan Hirschi and Sarah Lattion set fastest times in the other 2 tests, reaching the overnight halt with a 2.1 second lead over Mike Coppens.

 

The 2021 TER winner in Chablais, sharing a Škoda Fabia Rally2 with Christophe Roux, lost a few seconds in the tricky conditions but remains within striking distance ahead of the long second day. On the third podium step, on a sister car, 2022 event winners Jonathan Michellod and Stèphane Fellay are only 7.2” from the lead, with everything still to play for.

 

Young Sacha Althaus is getting to grips with the Škoda Fabia Rally2. Codriven by Lisiane Zbinden, the 2-time winner of the TER Junior category in Chablais is fourth overnight, ahead of Yoann Loeffler who is bagging R5 experience, with Hervé Faucher on the Citroën C3 Rally2.

 

In a great fight for sixth place, Thibault Maret shares a Škoda Fabia R5 with Christophe Cler; the two are only a few seconds ahead of Roger Tuning team mates David Erard and Sarah Junod at their maiden event on a Volkswagen Polo GTI. Using another Polo, Joël Rappaz with François Forclaz is eighth for his first seasonal event, and is pulling away from the Škoda Fabia Rally2 of Stefano Mella and Daiana Darderi.

 

The 2018 TER 2WD winners Alex Filip and Gabriel Lazar are tackling their maiden season event: leading the TER 2WD category, they close the provisional top ten.

00:00 - BREAKING: Coppens retains overnight lead in updated Rallye du Chablais standings. Provisional classification after SS6 now is: 

1st - Coppens 29:45.0
2nd - Hirschi +4.9
3rd - Michellod +5.1

 

 

Photo: Baptiste Aebi