Rally-SM: Decision in Valais 🎥
START TO THE RALLYE DU VALAIS The Rallye du Valais has been running since Friday morning. Clear favorite for the SM title is Ivan Ballinari on Skoda Fabia, contenders for the overall victory are two foreigners and the strongest Swiss. The rally can be followed in the livestream on Facebook. 76 teams started on Friday morning to the 59th Rallye du Valais, in advance [...]
76 teams started the 59th Rallye du Valais on Friday morning, 14 of them in the VHC category. Alone 15 teams fight with R5 cars for the overall victory. With 18 teams from abroad, the final round of the Swiss Rally Championship, which is part of the Euro Rally Trophy, Tour European Rally and the FIA RGT World Cup, is also quite well represented internationally.
Abbring and Basso first on the track
The Dutchman Kevin Abbring started the first stage in a Ford Fiesta R5 with start number 1. This comprises nine special stages, eight of which (Veysonnaz, Nendaz, Val des Dix and Nax Région) will be driven twice each.
The starting number 2 of last year's winner Giandomenico Basso from Italy is no longer stuck on a Hyundai R5 this year, but on a Skoda Fabia. No fewer than nine teams rely on the Czech brand, including Olivier Burri and his son Michaël.
Duel of father and son Burri
The father has already won the Valais SM round several times, most recently in 2012 on a Subaru Impreza N12. In 2013 (2nd) and 2015 (3rd), Burri sr. was the best-placed Swiss behind foreign professionals. With best times on the four stages of the first loop, the veteran underlined that he wants to be the same in 2018.
Michaël Burri won the Swiss classification last year as third overall and only competed sporadically this year. At the Critérium Jurassien, the junior took his first victory.
Return of Coppens and Toedtli
Mike Coppens is also back in rally action with a Skoda. At the beginning of June, the man from the Valais missed out on his possible first SM run victory at the Rallye du Chablais due to a navigation error that resulted in disqualification.
Jérémie Toedtli has also made himself scarce this year. Two years ago, Toedtli attracted attention in Valais at his first start with a Skoda Fabia R5 as third overall. He, too, is aiming for his first victory in Switzerland.
Ballinari has only the title in mind
Ivan Ballinari (Skoda), Steeves Schneeberger and Cédric Althaus (both Ford Fiesta) have their own race. One of these three gentlemen, together with his co-driver, can be celebrated as Swiss Rally Champion for the first time in his career on Saturday evening.
Ballinari leads the SM with 20 points ahead of Schneeberger and 31 ahead of Althaus. 35 points are possible for the best-placed Swiss, so the Ticino native is the clear favorite.
Ivan Ballinari: "I will focus my race entirely on Steeves and Cédric and therefore keep the risk as low as possible. Victory or a place on the podium would be nice, but the title would be more important to me."
Thomas Schmid or Jonathan Michellod?
Even more exciting is the decision in the Junior-SM between Thomas Schmid and Jonathan Michellod. Whoever finishes ahead of the other will be champion.
Since the man from eastern Switzerland leads the standings ahead of the man from the Valais, he would automatically be the champion if Michellod were to drop out, in which case he could cope with his own loss. However, the first SP kilometers on Friday show that Schmid's opponent wants to exploit the home advantage.
Rally center and circuit in the barracks Sion
The first stage ends on Friday after 5 p.m. with the service and the arrival of the first vehicles at the rally center, which is located on the barracks area of Sion. There, the second stage will start shortly before 8 a.m. on Saturday.
Attractive for the spectators is the circuit in the barracks Sion (Friday and Saturday from 12.40). Known from the mountain race Ayent-Anzère is the SP Anzère, which is run twice on Saturday (from 8.20 and 14.20).
The queen stage is the 32.65 km long SS12 Les Cols (Saturday from 9.50 a.m.) with gravel section over the Col des Planches, which will also be crossed a second time in the afternoon from 3.50 p.m. as the SS17 of the same name with a length of 22.72 km.
Live broadcast and livetiming on the Internet
Those who are not on site themselves can follow the action in the livestream on the Facebook channel of the Rallye International du Valais.
In Sion, there will be action on the circuit on both days.
https://www.facebook.com/idayit/videos/340965639808000/
The course of the race can also be followed via the live timing posted on the organizer's website.
