Critérium: Three-way fight for Carron's successor
SECOND SM RUN IN THE JURA After the retirement of champion Sébastien Carron, the tension in the Swiss Rally Championship is rising. With Ivan Ballinari, who is the first SM leader in 2018, Nicolas Althaus and Michaël Burri, three Skoda R5 drivers are in contention for victory in the Critérium Jurassien this weekend. The forecasts promise dry spring weather, so that on Friday and Saturday [...]
The forecasts promise dry spring weather, so that on Friday and Saturday at the 41st Critérium Jurassien the best conditions can be expected for the rally teams as well as for the spectators. Due to the good access routes, a visit to the second SM round in the canton of Jura is recommended especially for the German-speaking Swiss motorsport fans.
As much as one may regret Sébastien Carron's sudden retirement as a result of his accident at the "Pays du Gier" in March, the question of his successor is now open.
Ivan Ballinari comes to Saignelégier after his victory in France as the first SM leader 2018 with starting number #1 on the Skoda Fabia R5. In the last editions of this popular rally, he had always been the strongest opponent of winner Carron with the Ford Fiesta R5.
Return of Burri Jr, Althaus, Sieber and Schmiedlin
However, the Ticino native now has competition from Nicolas Althaus and Michaël Burri, who were absent from the SM season opener. Both are also driving a Fabia R5. Other R5 drivers are Steeves Schneeberger (Ford Fiesta), the runner-up from "Gier", Mike Coppens (Skoda) and local hero Jean-Marc Salomon (Ford).
Althaus has won the Critérium once in 2011, Burri jr. in contrast to daddy Oliver never before. Both know the area and the course very well, so you can expect an exciting three-way battle.
The same applies to the S2000 class consisting of three cars. Joël Rappaz, who is supported by Yokohama Switzerland, is challenged by the two German-Swiss drivers Daniel Sieber (both Peugeot 207) and Ruedi Schmidlin (Ford Fiesta).
For "Dada" it is the first ever start with such an agile and sonorous two-liter, for Schmidlin the first since the accident in the fall of 2016. After that he drove with co Erich Götte only with the Mitsubishi Evo X.
For Beat Wyssen from Spiez with daughter Janine in the passenger seat, the Critérium means the longed-for premiere with the Abarth 124 Spider Rally. The small beautiful sports car is in version R-GT so far unique in Switzerland. Another GT newcomer is William Winiger on a Porsche Cayman S.
All Romands chase Thomas Schmid
The Clio R3T Alps Trophy is also strongly contested with seven Renault teams from Switzerland and France. After the first race, the score is 1:0 for France thanks to the success of Styve Juif. For the young Frenchman, the Critérium is more or less a home game, as he lives on the other side of the border to the Jura. Still absent in March, junior Swiss champion Nicolas Lathion will make his debut at the helm of a Renault Clio R3T on Friday.
Eleven teams compete with their R2 cars in the Junior-SM. The French do not want to allow Thomas Schmid from St. Gallen, now again with Cornel Frigoli as co-driver, to again perform as superior as at the Pays du Gier - but this is exactly what he intends to...
A total of 67 teams have registered in the modern classes and eight in the historic classes. In addition, there will be around 30 teams from the Slowly Sideways squad, who will drive ahead of the field without timekeeping in their vehicles, some of which are steeped in history, or their replicas.
The paddock and rally center are located in Saignelégier. The first stage on Friday will start shortly before 6 p.m. in Develier and will lead over the Col des Rangiers. On Saturday it will be driven again as SS3 and 5. SS2 then includes the popular passage of St-Ursanne.
Eight more tests will follow on Saturday, before a Super Special in Saignelégier in the evening from about 6 p.m. (Slowly) will conclude the event.
