Tour de Corse

The Tour de Corse - Rallye de France is a rally first held in 1956 on the island of Corsica. It was part of the World Rally Championship from the inaugural 1973 season to 2008. The name "Tour de Corse" refers to the fact that in the early days it was run around the island; nowadays it only features roads around Ajaccio. The rally is held on asphalt roads, and it is known as the "Ten Thousand Turns Rally" because of the twisty mountain roads.

Several drivers have been killed during the event. Attilio Bettega, driving a Lancia Rally 037, died during the fourth special stage of the 1985 rally, Zérubia-Santa Giulia. In 1986, exactly a year later, Henri Toivonen and his co-driver Sergio Cresto died in their Lancia Delta S4 during the 18th stage of the event, Corte-Taverna.

The first running of the rally was won by the Belgian female driver Gilberte Thirion in a Renault Dauphine. Two drivers have won the event a record six times; Bernard Darniche (1970, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1981) and Didier Auriol (1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995). The only non-French drivers to win the event more than once are Sandro Munari, Markku Alén and Colin McRae. Sébastien Loeb won the last four WRC runnings of the event.

Winners

Season Driver Co-driver Car
2011 Thierry Neuville Nicolas Gilsoul Peugeot 207 S2000
2010 Rally cancelled
2009 Pascal Trojani Francis Mazotti Peugeot 307 WRC
2008 Sébastien Loeb Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC
2007 Sébastien Loeb Daniel Elena Citroën C4 WRC
2006 Sébastien Loeb Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC
2005 Sébastien Loeb Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC
2004 Markko Märtin Michael Park Ford Focus RS WRC 04
2003 Petter Solberg Phil Mills Subaru Impreza WRC2003
2002 Gilles Panizzi Hervé Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC
2001 Jesús Puras Marc Martí Citroën Xsara WRC
2000 Gilles Panizzi Hervé Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC
1999 Philippe Bugalski Jean-Paul Chiaroni Citroën Xsara Kit Car
1998 Colin McRae Nicky Grist Subaru Impreza WRC
1997 Colin McRae Nicky Grist Subaru Impreza WRC
1996 Philippe Bugalski Jean-Paul Chiaroni Renault Mégane Maxi
1995 Didier Auriol Denis Giraudet Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205
1994 Didier Auriol Denis Giraudet Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD
1993 François Delecour Daniel Grataloup Ford Escort RS Cosworth
1992 Didier Auriol Bernard Occelli Lancia Delta HF Integrale
1991 Carlos Sainz Luís Moya Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165
1990 Didier Auriol Bernard Occelli Lancia Delta Integrale 16V
1989 Didier Auriol Bernard Occelli Lancia Delta Integrale
1988 Didier Auriol Bernard Occelli Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
1987 Bernard Béguin Jean-Jacques Lenne BMW M3
1986 Bruno Saby Jean-François Fauchille Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 E2
1985 Jean Ragnotti Pierre Thimonier Renault 5 Maxi Turbo
1984 Markku Alén Ilkka Kivimäki Lancia Rally 037
1983 Markku Alén Ilkka Kivimäki Lancia Rally 037
1982 Jean Ragnotti Jean-Marc Andrié Renault 5 Turbo
1981 Bernard Darniche Alain Mahé Lancia Stratos HF
1980 Jean-Luc Thérier Michel Vial Porsche 911 SC
1979 Bernard Darniche Alain Mahé Lancia Stratos HF
1978 Bernard Darniche Alain Mahé Fiat 131 Abarth
1977 Bernard Darniche Alain Mahé Fiat 131 Abarth
1976 Sandro Munari Silvio Maiga Lancia Stratos HF
1975 Bernard Darniche Alain Mahé Lancia Stratos HF
1974 Jean-Claude Andruet Michèle 'Biche' Espinosi-Petit Lancia Stratos HF
1973 Jean-Pierre Nicolas Michel Vial Alpine-Renault A110 1800
1972 Jean-Claude Andruet Michèle 'Biche' Espinosi-Petit Alpine-Renault A110 1800
1971 Rally Cancelled
1970 Bernard Darniche Bernard Demange Alpine-Renault A110 1800
1969 Gérard Larrousse Maurice Gelin Porsche 911 R
1968 Jean-Claude Andruet Maurice Gelin Alpine-Renault A110
1967 Sandro Munari Luciano Lombardini Lancia Fulvia HF Coupé
1966 Jean-François Piot Jean-François Jacob Renault 8 Gordini
1965 Pierre Orsini Jean-Baptiste Canocini Renault 8 Gordini
1964 Jean Vinatier Roger Masson Renault 8 Gordini
1963 René Trautmann Jean-Claude Ogier Citroën DS19
1962 Pierre Orsini Jean-Baptiste Canocini Renault Dauphine
1961 René Trautmann Jean-Claude Ogier Citroën DS19
1960 Herbert Linge Paul-Ernst Strähle Porsche SC 90
1959 Pierre Orsini Jean-Baptiste Canocini Renault Dauphine
1958 Guy Monraisse Jacques Feret Renault Dauphine
1957 Michel Nicol Roger de la Geneste Alfa Romeo Giulietta
1956 Gilberte Thirion Nadège Ferrier Renault Dauphine

In 1996, due to the World Rally Championship's event rotation system used from 1994–96, the rally counted only for the FIA 2-Litre World Championship for Manufacturers.

External links