Seven into one: the battle for the FIA ERT titles concludes in the Swiss Alps

The crews that have successfully reached the top step are all geared up and ready to take up the ultimate challenge on the Valais roads in southern Switzerland.

In the main ERT class, two of the event’s favourites will go head-to-head in a dramatic R5 battle: 25-year-old Swiss talent Jérémie Toedtli, from Neuchâtel, in a VW Polo GTI, and the Czech Ondrej Bisaha, leader of the Central Rally Trophy, who will fight for the top spot in his Hyundai i20 after his third place in the 2018 ERT final in Portugal.

Switzerland’s Beat Wyssen lines up with his R-GT Abarth 124 Spider Rallye for the ERT2 title. The driver from Bern will also aim for victory in the last round of the R-GT Cup.

The ERT3 category will be the most uncertain, with a fierce battle between six drivers. Czech René Dohnal (Peugeot 208) and Italian Enrico Oldrati (Ford Fiesta) will fight against four Swiss: Aurélien Devanthery, Sacha Althaus and Jonathan Michellod – all with Peugeot 208s – and Clément Piquerez (Citroën C2). Oldrati, Piquerez, Althaud and Michellod are also competing for the ERT Junior laurels.

Introducing the Rallye International du Valais

For its 60th edition, the Rallye International du Valais features a spiced-up itinerary with a mix of innovation and continuity: three legs, covering more than 200 competitive kilometres and 18 special stages in total, kick off on Thursday evening with three speed tests including the classic “Les Cols”. On Saturday and Sunday, the fans will enjoy two full days of epic action through the majestic Alps mountains around Sion.

All the information about the Rallye International du Valais can be found at riv.ch.

European Rally Trophy: seven Regional Rally Trophies – One Grand Final

There are seven regional zones that score points for the FIA European Rally Trophy, which brings together the top regional rally drivers and co drivers from all over Europe for the season finale in on Rallye International du Valais in Switzerland, on 17-19 October.

Find more information on the FIA ERT page on fia.com.

European Rally Trophy: The Classes Explained

For the very first time, the Rallye International du Valais (RIV) hosts the ERT final, with the top crews from the 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 features both classic stages and some new speed tests that will spice up the itinerary around Sion, with the Alps providing a breath-taking backdrop to this thrilling finale.
The European Rally Trophy is divided into four classes - ERT, ERT2, ERT3 and ERT Junior.

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Photo credits: Jérémie Toedtli / Alexandre Chioso, photo by Ludovic Carnal, Project-Diffusion