AYMERIC LENOIR CLAIMS MAIDEN ALPINE A290 RALLY TROPHY VICTORY IN VOSGES

NEW WINNER EMERGES AS LENOIR ENDS RABILLOUD'S PERFECT START TO THE SEASON

Aymeric Lenoir and co-driver Florian Hosson secured their first victory in the 2026 Alpine A290 Rally Trophy after a strong performance at the e-Rallye Vosges Grand Est, the second round of the all-electric one-make series.

The event attracted the largest entry list in the trophy's history and delivered a dramatic battle for victory across the challenging stages of the Vosges region.

Defending champions Melvin Rabilloud and Enzo Mahinc started strongly by setting the pace on Saturday and building a 16.1-second advantage. However, the rally turned on Sunday's longest stage, La Vologne, where Lenoir took control after a decisive push while his rivals were forced to manage brake issues.

From that point, Lenoir managed his advantage carefully through the remaining stages and secured victory on the longest competitive route ever contested in the Alpine A290 Rally Trophy, covering 124.47 kilometres.

The FK Express crew crossed the finish line 55.7 seconds ahead of Rabilloud and Mahinc. Despite suffering their first defeat of the season, the championship leaders recovered valuable points by setting the fastest times on the final three stages.

Denis Ridel and Gaëtan Debec completed the podium after securing their second consecutive top-three finish of the season.

Another major talking point was the participation of eight-time World Rally Championship-winning co-driver Julien Ingrassia in the Alpine A290 Rallye VIP programme. Partnered by Emma Bonnemort, Ingrassia quickly adapted to the all-electric Alpine A290 Rallye and impressed with several strong stage performances.

Despite an early contact with a tree on the opening stage, Ingrassia recorded six consecutive top-five stage times, including second fastest on La Vologne, and finished fifth overall.

Marc and Freddy Lance inherited fourth place after Samuel Hoarau and Stéphane Duverger lost time following a late off-road excursion.

Pascal Janel finished sixth ahead of Benoît Mouquet and Philippe Janvier, while Turkish driver Nazan Zorlu emerged as the highest-placed female competitor after an accident involving Emma Chalvin and Amandine Borderie. The Alpine A290 Rally Trophy paddock extended its best wishes for their recovery.

Following his breakthrough victory, Lenoir moves up to third in the championship standings. Rabilloud remains the overall leader and also extends his advantage in the Performer classification ahead of the next round.

The 2026 Alpine A290 Rally Trophy season continues at Rallye Rouergue Rodez Aveyron Occitanie from 9–11 July.

KEY POINTS

• Aymeric Lenoir and Florian Hosson claimed their first Alpine A290 Rally Trophy victory.

• The e-Rallye Vosges Grand Est hosted the largest field in the trophy's history.

• Lenoir took the lead on Sunday's La Vologne stage and never looked back.

• Melvin Rabilloud and Enzo Mahinc finished second but remain championship leaders.

• Denis Ridel and Gaëtan Debec secured a second consecutive podium finish.

• Eight-time WRC champion Julien Ingrassia finished fifth on his Alpine A290 Rallye debut.

• Nazan Zorlu was the highest-placed female finisher in the event.

• The championship moves next to Rallye Rouergue Rodez Aveyron Occitanie in July.

Aymeric Lenoir: “I'm thrilled to have won. At the start of the season, we were hoping to be among the frontrunners, though we weren't sure we'd be able to do so. From the very first day, however, we set three fastest times out of four, and victory seemed within our grasp before slipping away. It's great to have achieved it here in the Vosges. The Alpine A290 Rally is a real joy to drive. Its low centre of gravity gives it extremely dynamic handling, and it's a real pleasure to take on the special stages. Electric cars have every reason to be in rallying, and I'd love to be able to take all the sceptics for a ride. It's by far the best car I've ever driven. Range remains a challenge today, but I'm convinced that in a few years it will be sufficient to allow both combustion-engine and electric cars to compete together on the same routes. As for the Rouergue, I've only contested it once, in 2013. It was a while ago, but we'll tackle it with the same approach as here: thorough recce before setting the best possible pace whilst trying to avoid mistakes."

Julien Ingrassia: “For me, it was a perfect weekend because it ticked all the boxes and met all my expectations. That meant getting the car to the finish, sharing this experience with Emma to help her develop and perhaps one day reach a higher level, and above all, having fun. Mission accomplished on all fronts, with a magnificent route and special stages that were also very demanding, fast, and technical. I had to get to grips with the Alpine A290 Rallye quickly, with minimal preparation and a shakedown run in the rain. Fortunately, the competing crews and the Alpine Racing team were extremely welcoming and helped me understand a lot of things. Particularly Philippe Janvier, who lent me his car, and Melvin Rabilloud, who let me co-drive him on Friday. What surprised me most wasn't the electric nature of the car, which I adapted to very quickly, but rather certain design-specific features, such as the standard brake pedal and series-production steering. From the outset, I felt at ease. I immediately appreciated its responsiveness, the precision of its front-end and braking. Despite a small mistake on my part at the start, I found the pace I wanted to maintain throughout the weekend. This experience allowed me to overcome my preconceptions. In my view, the Alpine A290 Rallye is a genuine rally car that fully deserves its place in this ecosystem, in that it doesn't encroach on other classes. The route is certainly specific, but we tackle major sections, just like the other cars. I came here feeling quite apprehensive, but I'm leaving having had a great time and wanting to do it all again. Now that I've discovered this car, its potential and my own – seeing that a podium finish was possible with Emma – I really want to give it another go.”

Alpine A290 Rallye Trophy – e-Rallye Vosges Grand Est

1. Aymeric Lenoir – Florian Hosson (FK Express / Alpine Store Calais) 1h17m38.7s

2. Melvin Rabilloud – Enzo Mahinc (Fun Meca Sport / Alpine Store Annecy) +55.7s

3. Denis Ridel – Gaëtan Debec (RDL Développement) +1m42.7s

4. Marc Lance – Freddy Lance (FK Express / Alpine Store Calais) +3m31.4s

5. Julien Ingrassia – Emma Bonnemort (Alpine A290 Rallye VIP) +4m16.8s*

6. Pascal Janel – Jean-Pascal Berger (BTEC Team Race School Consulting) +5m52.9s

7. Benoît Mouquet – Thomas Henron (FK Express / Alpine Store Calais) +9m22.9s

8. Philippe Janvier – Julie Derory (David Auto Compétition / Alpine Store Clermont-Ferrand) +16m57.7s

9. Nazan Zorlu – Ozhan Ciplak (Chazel Technologie Course / Alpine Store Nîmes) +18m31.2s

Ret. Samuel Hoarau – Stéphane Duverger (David Auto Compétition / Automobiles Réunion)

Ret. Emma Chalvin – Amandine Borderie (Rageau Sport Location / Alpine Store Mantes-Le-Vexin)

*not eligible for points

Alpine A290 Rallye Trophy

1. Melvin Rabilloud 81 points

2. Denis Ridel 55 points

3. Aymeric Lenoir 52 points

4. Marc Lance 42 points

5. Pascal Janel 27 points

6. Samuel Hoarau 24 points

7. Philippe Janvier 20 points

8. Nazan Zorlu 16 points

9. Emma Chalvin 15 points

10. Benoît Mouquet 12 points

Alpine Store Challenge

1. Alpine Store Annecy 81 points

2. Alpine Store Calais 64 points

3. Automobiles Réunion SN 20 points

4. Alpine Store Clermont-Ferrand 20 points

5. Alpine Store Nîmes 16 points

6. Alpine Store Mantes-Le Vexin 15 points