JEAN-SÉBASTIEN BESNER RALLYE BAIE-DES-CHALEURS 2026 VICTORY

PHOTO : ENZOSEPU PHVID

BESNER AND GAUDREAU CONTROL RALLYE BAIE-DES-CHALEURS 2026 FOR SECOND EVENT WIN

Jean-Sébastien Besner and co-driver Hubert Gaudreau claimed victory at the Rallye Baie-des-Chaleurs 2026, delivering a composed and consistent performance to win the historic Canadian gravel event in New Richmond, Quebec.

Driving the CAS Compétition Ford Fiesta Proto, the two-time Canadian Rally Champion set the pace early, dominating the opening day with eight fastest stage times from ten tests. Their strong start allowed them to build a lead of more than three minutes before managing the gap through the second leg.

Behind the leaders, Alex Moreau and Ian Guité kept pressure in their Subaru, while Jérôme Mailloux and Philippe Poirier also stayed in contention in their Subaru entry. Joël Levac and Louis Louka showed early pace in their Mini Countryman WRC before retirement due to engine overheating on the eighth stage.

Besner and Gaudreau opted for a controlled approach on the final day as conditions became more demanding across the Gaspé Peninsula gravel roads, maintaining their advantage to secure victory by 32.9 seconds.

The win marks Besner’s second Rallye Baie-des-Chaleurs triumph, following his previous success in 2018.

Jérôme Mailloux and Philippe Poirier finished second overall, ahead of Alex Moreau and Ian Guité, who completed the podium after a strong performance with their new Subaru package.

In the two-wheel drive category, local driver André Leblanc impressed on home roads, co-driven by Dave Cyr, finishing fourth overall and taking class victory in a Ford Fiesta Rally4. Their performance was one of the standout drives of the weekend, especially following recent upgrades to the car.

Drama struck early for Charles and Juliette L’Estage, whose Ford Fiesta R2 caught fire at the end of the opening Camp Brûlé stage, forcing an early exit from contention.

Further down the order, Vincent Trudel and Michelle Miller secured fifth overall, while Sébastien Clark and Pat Lévesque finished sixth in their Ford Fiesta Rally2.

French crew Maxime Galpin and Théo Mallet continued their strong form in the Peugeot 208 Rally4, finishing eighth overall, second in the two-wheel drive class, and securing victory in the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup North America.

Dave St-Pierre and Pierre-Luc Chouinard completed the two-wheel drive podium and rounded out the overall top ten in their Ford Fiesta R2.

KEY POINTS

• Jean-Sébastien Besner and Hubert Gaudreau won Rallye Baie-des-Chaleurs 2026.

• Besner set eight fastest stage times on the opening day.

• Winning margin was 32.9 seconds.

• Jérôme Mailloux and Philippe Poirier finished second overall.

• Alex Moreau and Ian Guité completed the podium in third.

• André Leblanc won the two-wheel drive category and finished fourth overall.

• Charles and Juliette L’Estage retired after a fire on SS1.

• Maxime Galpin and Théo Mallet won the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup North America.

• Thirty-five of 45 starters competed in the event.

• Rally featured gravel stages across the Gaspé Peninsula.