One Renault Zoé, two Renault Zoé, three Renault Zoé… Gone are the days when you could count on the fingers of one hand the few different models of cars entered along the route.
In line with the evolution of the automobile market, the E-Rallye Monte-Carlo reflects its electric acceleration. 63 crews, 40 cars from 18 brands, 17 nationalities departing from Place du Casino this Wednesday afternoon: the event organized by the Automobile Club of Monaco has the feel of an electric car show in a natural environment.
As for the media team hired by the ACM, this 8th edition is also one of acceleration. With two cars in the race, the Nice-Matin/Radio Vinci Autoroutes team is multiplying.
My faithful co-pilot and fellow journalist Virginie Decorte is forming a 100% female crew this year with the sparkling Ilona Laffite. At 19 years old, the youngest member of the e-Rally is determined to make her famous surname shine in the special stages of the e-Rally.
For my part, I am teaming up with an electric rally pro, Frédéric Mlynarczyk, whose track record is much more extensive than mine, still desperately blank.
A secret route
To try to shine, our two crews have high-performance cars: the pretty Mini Countryman Electric n°16 for the ladies, the sporty BMW iX2 30 n°15 for our male duo.
1:04 p.m. sharp. We finally collect the road book for the first stage in the lobby of the Hôtel de Paris. To further spice up an event which is nevertheless not without its difficulties, the route has in fact been secret since the 2023 edition. Each day, it is revealed to the competitors just one hour before departure. A constraint which requires assimilating the course, its subtleties and its pitfalls at high speed.
2:14 p.m. A little intimidated by the grandiose decor of the Place du Casino and the crowds attending the start, we set off for 140 kilometers.
On the menu: passing through the calibration zone, always strategic in regularity rallies, a 2 km “e-shakedown” special to get the hang of it on the Col de l’Orme side, then two real specials.
Jams and hassles
With a few mix-ups between the Col de Braus and Peira-Cava, our new duo gradually finds its feet and begins to acquire automatisms.
No major error, but a slightly disappointing 36th place. More satisfying, the second zone of regularity allows us to find our rhythm.
Challenging and endless (26 km), it notably includes the formidable descent of Turini. Our ranking (13th) sounds like encouragement for the next three stages.
For their part, Ilona and Virginie avoided any missteps for this first day despite a few problems. They set the 54th and 52nd times of this stage in the form of a dress rehearsal before the second which promises to be particularly copious this Thursday: 314 km on the program and four special stages on roads which will remain secret until the last moment.
Only one certainty: it will be a long day for the crews…and for the batteries of our electric mounts.
