Victorious in RGT, Grégory Fontalba and Stéphan Hermet won their third title with Alpine.

Co-drivers of Raphaël Astier and Mireille Vidueira, Denis Giraudet and Jeanne Rey offered Alpine two more national titles.

In keeping with tradition, the Alpine ELF Rally Trophy concluded with the unique decor of the Var region. Although Raphaël Astier clinched the title upon arriving in Sainte-Maxime, the suspense remained intact in the RGT class between Grégory Fontalba and Mireille Vidueira.

ASTIER UNSTOPPABLE, FONTALBA UNFLAPPABLE

Winner of the last four rounds, Raphaël Astier set the tone from the opening special stage on Friday morning. The Ardèche native set the reference time ahead of Grégory Fontalba and Mireille Vidueira, and continued his impressive run in the Bormes-les-Mimosas, Vaudrèches and Collobrières tests. The CHL Sport Auto driver then did it again in the afternoon.

It was more of the same on Saturday. Raphaël Astier completed his grand slam with a fifth consecutive victory behind the wheel of the A110 Rallye GT+. Behind him, Grégory Fontalba held off Mireille Vidueira to win the RGT category and claim his third Alpine ELF Rally Trophy title, after those in 2022 (Overall) and 2024 (Gentlemen).

ALPINE SHINES AGAIN IN THE VAR

In addition to dominating the ELF Alpine Rally Trophy, Raphaël Astier excelled once again on the national scene with the A110 Rallye GT+, as did a special guest: Sébastien Loeb.

The duo achieved a remarkable one-two result in both passes in Bormes-les-Mimosas, followed by two more stage wins in Collobrières. Trapped in a ditch in SS13, the nine-time World Rally Champion watched as Raphaël Astier continued to battle at the front until the final kilometres. Fourth at the finish, Raphaël Astier contributed to three new victories for Alpine: GT+, two-wheel drive and Michelin Premium Trophy. Each time, he finished ahead of Cédric Robert, an iconic figure in French rallying who was also competing in an Alpine for his final appearance in the French Rally Championship.

This performance allowed his co-driver, Denis Giraudet, to join him on the list of winners of the French Two-Wheel Drive Rally Championship. Mireille Vidueira's navigator, Jeanne Rey, also won the women's title.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2026

After five successful editions of the Alpine ELF Rally Trophy, Alpine and Signatech will reaffirm their ongoing commitment to the A110 Rally and the A110 Rallye GT+ next year, with Signatech providing on-event presence and technical support to accompany and showcase the crews that have placed their trust in the brand since 2020.

QUOTES

Raphaël Astier: "We didn't plan to compete in Rallye du Var, but the opportunity came at the last minute. It was a pleasure to return to these roads, which I hadn't driven on for some time, especially with Sébastien Loeb also at the start. We got to compete against him several times over the weekend. Even though he was slightly ahead, we showed that on new stages, we could be within a tenth of a second of each other. We know the car better, but we also know his record, so we're delighted. We also scored valuable points to help Denis secure the co-driver title. It was a good weekend, and I hope to continue racing in the Alpine for a while!"

Grégory Fontalba: "It wasn't obvious at the start of the season that we would win another title this year, given the crews competing. That pushed Stéphan and me to work hard on our notes and raise our game to drive very fast, without ever putting ourselves in danger. We've improved our reference times year after year so we're pleased with our five years in Alpine. The atmosphere in the Alpine ELF Rally Trophy is fantastic. It's more about helping one another than competing, and we're all here to improve."

Mireille Vidueira: "It would have taken a miraculous scenario to snatch the RGT title away from Grégory Fontalba. I really wanted to win on merit, just as he did. I've improved a lot this season. The start of the year was tricky because the Alpine A110 Rallye is a powerful rear-wheel drive car that you have to learn to control. I still have a few steps to take, but I'm extremely pleased with my progress. I'm also happy for my co-driver Jeanne, who has become a French Champion."

Rallye du Var
1. Raphaël Astier – Denis Giraudet (GT+) 2h01m44.8s
2. Grégory Fontalba – Stephan Hermet (RGT) +12m39.6s
3. Mireille Vidueira – Jeanne Rey (RGT) +18m11.3s

Alpine ELF Rally Trophy final classifications
Overall
1. Raphaël Astier 100 points
2. Grégory Fontalba 72 points
3. Mireille Vidueira 57 points
4. Florian Bernardi 27 points
5. Fabrice Bect 24 points
6. Pierre Roché 20 points
NC. Francis Michel 0 points
NC. Guy Bertrand 0 points
NC. Jean-Luc Roché 0 point

GT+ Category
1. Raphaël Astier 100 points
2. Pierre Roché 20 points

RGT Category
1. Grégory Fontalba 95 points
2. Mireille Vidueira 71 points
3. Florian Bernardi 35 points
4. Fabrice Bect 30 points
NC. Francis Michel 0 points
NC. Guy Bertrand 0 points
NC. Jean-Luc Roché 0 point