Rally: 48 teams fight for important points 🎥

48 teams with modern vehicles have registered for the traditional rally in the Jura. That is 30 fewer than last year, when the rally finally took place again after a two-year break from Corona.

Patrick Spart, one of the two vice-presidents of the Critérium Jurassien, along with Julien Grosjean: ""I called 100 rally drivers, but I couldn't gather more than 48 teams with modern vehicles. This makes us very worried not only for this edition, but also for the future. We would need at least 60 teams to be in the black."

Mike Coppen's contender for victory

From a sporting point of view, there are no absences to report at the top. Last year's winner Michaël Burri is missing. But the local hero has been driving with a French license for some time and is therefore not eligible for points in the Swiss championship. Last year's SM winner Mike Coppens would like to repeat his triumph of 2022.

The 43-year-old from the Valais with co-driver Christophe Roux is not only one of the contenders for victory in the Jura, he is also a hot title contender. Jonathan Michellod and co-driver Stéphane Fellay are also pursuing this goal. Like Coppens, last year's overall runner-up relies on a Skoda Fabia Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo. Unlike Coppens, Michellod has already completed a rally in Italy this year.

Jonathan Hirschi is top favorite

In addition to the two fast Wallisians, reigning champion Jonathan Hirschi is one of the top favorites in the Jura. If one of the top three fails, one of the local heroes Sacha Althaus (Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo), David Erard (Skoda Fabia R5), Steeves Schneeberger (Ford Fiesta R5) and Jean-Marc Salomon (VW Polo GTI R5) could step into the breach.

Last year's overall fourth-place finisher Sergio Pinto in his Alpine A110 Rally RGT should not be forgotten. The man from the Valais, usually the sole entertainer in the Michelin Trophy Alps Open in 2022, will face three opponents from France in his class in the Jura, two of them in an identical Alpine, one on a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup.

The first tests on Friday

13 drivers are entered in the Swiss Rally Cup. Among them are the top 3 of 2022: Philippe Broussoux, Claude Aebi (both Renault Clio) and Laurent Rossi (Peugeot 206 XS). Among the historic cars, 17 cars are on the grid in the VHC, which like the moderns race for time, and 12 in the VHRS, which tackle the 121.39 scoring kilometers in the Jura as a regularity competition.

The rally starts on Friday evening with the first stage from Courtemautruy to Les Enfers. The remaining ten special stages will take place on Saturday from 8 am. Further information is available on the Internet.

Swiss Rally Championship 2023

• March 31 - April 1, Critérium Jurassien
• June 1 to 3, Rally du Chablais
• July 8 and 9, Rallye de Bourgogne - Côte Chalonnaise (F)
• August 31 - September 2, Rally Mont-Blanc Morzine (F)
• September 29 and 30, Rally del Ticino
• October 26-28, Rally International du Valais

Sources: motorsport.ch, Video TeamMaxicorde
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