The Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique 2026 has begun with a challenging and captivating first leg, combining technical roads, changing weather conditions and strong competitive spirit.
More than a week after a dramatic modern Rallye Monte-Carlo, snow once again made its presence felt on the Historique routes. From the very first Regularity Special Stage, several crews were caught out by icy sections on the western slopes of the Vercors massif.
With the new format of the Monte-Carlo Historique, now run on closed roads, competitors were able to push harder, taking greater risks and extracting the maximum from their historic cars.
Widespread enthusiasm
While mechanical reliability was tested and a few harmless off-road moments occurred, these incidents were largely the result of the new regulations: closed roads and higher target averages.
For 2026, these changes have been warmly welcomed by the vast majority of competitors.
“It’s fantastic”, “I’m delighted”, “It made me want to come back”. At the Valence regrouping, the mood was unanimous: excitement and relief at finally competing on closed roads.
Campana take control
From SR 3 onwards, Olivier and Lydia Campana (Volkswagen Golf GTI No.116) moved into the overall lead and retained it until the end of the first leg after SR 6. The Monegasque pair managed a day full of surprises with impressive consistency.
Among the key incidents, Bruno Saby / Christophe Marques were forced to stop early due to a mechanical failure on their Renault 5 Turbo No.38. Problems also affected defending champions Michel Decremer / Jennifer Hugo (Opel Ascona No.100) and the Austin Healey 3000 MkIII No.29 of Trevisan / Trevisan Fischer.
Italian crews after the first leg
At the end of SR 6, marking the conclusion of the first leg, Italian crews feature prominently in the overall standings.
Max Tosetti and Marco Bernardelli are the top-placed Italians, holding an impressive eighth overall position, thanks to consistent and accurate performance.
Strong runs have also been delivered by Fabrizio Rossi / Marco Frascaroli and Mario Piantelli / Fabio Cambie, while Olindo Deserti / Marco Torlasco and Pietro Tenconi (Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV) sit within the top 30 overall, underlining Italy’s competitive presence.
Heading to Ardèche
The rally now moves towards one of the most iconic regions of the Monte-Carlo: Ardèche. Two Regularity Special Stages are scheduled next, followed by a regrouping in Vals-les-Bains and a passage control at the legendary La Remise restaurant in Antraigues-sur-Volanne, a true Monte-Carlo landmark.
