The final of the European Rally Trophy will take place in Switzerland in ten days on the 17-19 October. For the very first time, the Rallye International du Valais (RIV) will host the ERT final, with the top crews from seven regional European championships converging on the Swiss canton to decide who will be declared the best of the best in 2019.

The 60th edition of the event will feature both classic stages and some new speed tests that will spice up the itinerary around Sion, with the Alps providing a breathtaking backdrop to this thrilling finale.

The European Rally Trophy is divided into four classes - ERT, ERT2, ERT3 and ERT Junior.

ERT: This is the overall classification in each of the eligible rallies, which is dominated by Class R5 cars. These are defined as cars conforming to the 2019 Appendix J, Art. 261 and are Touring Cars or Large Scale Series Production Cars, with a supercharged Petrol engine and 4‐wheel drive.  At least 2500 identical examples of these cars must have been manufactured in 12 consecutive months and homologated by the FIA in Touring Cars (Group A).

Class R5 cars are powered by a 4 cylinder 1.6-litre turbocharged engine and using a five-speed gearbox. The combined minimum weight of the car with only one spare wheel and crew (driver + co‐driver) is 1390 kg. Cars eligible for this class are the Ford Fiesta, Citroën’s DS 3 and C3, Peugeot 208 T16, Škoda Fabia, the Hyundai i20 and the VW Polo GTi R5.

ERT2: This class is for Group N Four Wheel Drive (4WD) cars that conform to the 2019 Appendix J, Art. 254. Group N is defined as large scale series production touring cars. At least 2500 identical examples of these cars must have been manufactured in 12 consecutive months and homologated by the FIA in Touring Cars (Group A).

Group N cars can have normally aspirated or supercharged engines with a maximum size of 3 litre with two valve per cylinder or 2.5 litre for engines of more than two valves per cylinder or supercharged engines. The ERT2 class is the place to see the Mitshubishi Lancer and Subaru Imprezza in action.

Cars fitted with R4 Kit (VR4K), conforming to 2019 Appendix J, Art. 260E and R-GT cars, conforming to 2019 Appendix J, Art. 256, can also participate in the FIA ERT 2 Trophy.

ERT3: This class is for Group R cars that are Two Wheel Drive (2WD) complying with Art. 260 and Art. 260D, Super 1600 cars, Group A kit cars with a corrected cylinder capacity of less than 1600cc, 2WD Group A cars up to 2000cc and 2WD Group N cars up to 2000cc.

ERT Junior: A special class for the rally stars of tomorrow.  Drivers must have been born after 1st January 1992 and must drive a car conforming to Class R1 or R2 regulations.

Class R1 cars can use normally aspirated (up to 1600cc) or turbo charged (up to 1067cc) engines, must be 2WD and have a minimum weight of 1030kg. 

Class R2 can also use normally aspirated (between 1390 and 1600cc) or turbo charged (between 927 and 1067cc) engines, are also 2WD and have a minimum weight of 1080kg.

The FIA European Rally Trophy

The European Rally Trophy is made up of competitors from seven regions, which are the Alpine Rally Trophy, the Balkan Rally Trophy, the Baltic Rally Trophy, the Benelux Rally Trophy, the Celtic Rally Trophy, the Central Rally Trophy and the Iberian Rally Trophy.  The top five competitors in each class from the seven regions are eligible to enter the 2019 European Rally Trophy final.

With competitor registration for the European Rally Trophy final having closed on Sunday 6 October, the entry list will be unveiled in the upcoming days. 

The Rallye International du Valais gets underway on Wednesday 15 October with reconnaissance over two days. Scrutineering and admin checks take place on Thursday 16 October, with the start of the first leg of the rally taking place on Friday 17 October and concluding on Saturday 19 October.

For more information on the 2019 European Rally Trophy CLICK HERE.

For more information on the Rallye International du Valais visit the website HERE.