Tour de Corse Historique 2025

It’s been an intense Tour de Corse Historique 2025 so far, with an incredible storyline as we head into the final leg tomorrow. Olivier Capanaccia and Mathieu Tyran (BMW M3 No. 9) managed to take the lead on a tough Friday. Bertrand Fassio and Jean-François de Montredon (Porsche 911 SC No. 10) are not yet defeated, 3 seconds behind! The two will compete in the final leg on Saturday, with five special stages.

The long drive to Maison Pieraggi was followed this morning by a 13.7-kilometer special stage to kick off a marvelous marathon day (291 kilometers in total). Bertrand Fassio and Jean-François de Montredon were in the lead at the time, having gained 7 seconds on Olivier Capanaccia and Mathieu Tyran. This brought their overall lead up to 30 seconds. But it didn’t last. In SS14, “Cappa” made up 12 seconds and kept a trio of Porsche 911s within reach (Fassio/de Montredon ahead of Tailler/Jaime and Jean/Buresi). The battle resumed, and SS15 marked a turning point.

Fassio won by 2 seconds but hit the front right, with scars on the rear as well. Only bodywork damage, but you could feel that the limit was close. “We started the day very well with the fastest time in the first special stage. Then, under braking, we slid very slowly, not enough to pull out. We went up onto the embankment, but it’s just metal. It only happens because we never keep our elbows out,” said Fassio. Chilled by this incident, perhaps, he and his co-driver lost 16 seconds to Cappanaccia in SS16, then another 6 seconds in SS17. The lead had changed, and Fassio was no longer in command, a position he had held continuously since SS2.

Olivier Capanaccia is delighted. “This was a very good day, yes. In physical terms, 30-kilometer special stages are a bit tough, but it’s okay. We are doing our race as we have done since the word go, and we’ve had two great days yesterday and today.” The expected comeback by the local driver means that he is going into the final day in the lead. But with a margin of just 2 seconds, absolutely nothing is decided yet.

Like a symbol, the change at the top took place in the last two special stages of the day. These are “legendary” passages, in the words of José Andreani, founder of the Tour de Corse Historique. “We pass through Talasani, a name that resonates in the minds of those who know the Tour de Corse, and then La Porta, the church that we see every year, a mandatory passage. These are pictures of the rally.”

Friday was marked by unpredictable weather and roads that were sometimes slippery and wet, sometimes dry. Richard Doux, who was 4th overall yesterday with Antoine Paque, is 7th tonight. He is one of the victims of these tricky conditions. “I was fighting all morning. Maybe we should have put on rain tires. But we decided not to. We were hesitant. So we didn’t do the right thing. It’s tricky to predict the weather. It’s dry at the summit, and wet when you’re down in the valley.“ Philippe Gache and Stéphane Prevot, who were running a convincing fifth last night, have retired from the race, although they remain in the top five. Their Porsche 930 No. 4 suffered mechanical problems between SS13 and SS14. “The alternator failed at the start of the stage. So I completed the stage using the battery, but it ran out completely. After that, we didn’t get a chance to change the alternator during the liaison stage because it’s a time-consuming repair.“ Tomorrow, the two-time winner of the event will drive in ”Super Rally” , in order to gain a little more experience with his Porsche.

Lucciana marks the final rest stop before Saturday’s final sprint. Bastia-Poretta Airport (where the finish line is located) is a major Corsican hub, with 1.5 million passengers each year traveling to 21 domestic destinations and 18 international destinations across 12 countries. It is a key location in Haute-Corse, which will once again be visited tomorrow.

VHC Classification

Capanaccia / Tyran (BMW M3 No. 9) in 3h36’24’‘
Fassio / de Montredon (Porsche 911 SC No. 10) at 3’’
Valliccioni / Hochet (BMW M3 No. 16) at 2’04“
Trojani / Vesperini (BMW M3 No. 11) at 3’42”
Jean / Buresi (Porsche 911 RS No. 26) at 4’59”

Deflandre/Hugo hold the lead by 4 points

The days go by and the match between Yves Deflandre and Jennifer Hugo (Porsche 911 No. 371) and Christophe Baillet and Jean-Marc Piret (Porsche 911 No. 342) remains unchanged. Without Lionel Garnier and Bertrand Triffault (Porsche 912 Coupe No. 458), who dropped out yesterday, the two are still neck and neck. Baillet and Piret were 4 points behind Deflandre and Hugo on Wednesday evening, then 5 points behind yesterday. This Friday, they are once again 4 points behind. It’s a dead heat, but the match is far from monotonous.

Jean-Marc Piret looks back on the day: “It’s a real fight. We hit back blow for blow. We’re doing well, then Yves and Jennifer are better. It’s a really great rivalry. We excelled in the last two special stages of the day, in the dark. If we keep going like this, with the right pace, we can definitely aim for victory.”

Vanderbilt Cup Centennial

The scenario is similar to last year, when the crew took the lead in the 16th ZR! Another victory is possible. Yves Deflandre and Jennifer Hugo have been in the lead since ZR9, the second ZR contested yesterday. Tomorrow, they will try to maintain this lead and clinch their first victory in this event, which is missing from their record. “We were lucky to avoid the rain this morning. We had a 12-point lead over Christophe Baillet and Jean-Marc Piret after ZR15, but they made up some of those points afterwards. Most of our penalties are due to crossing the line early. It’s a bit frustrating. It looks like it’s going to be a very close fight right to the end. We’re going to give it our all to defend this slim lead.”

On the podium, just 9 points behind, Pierre and Olivier Feligioni are still very much in contention. The three crews, all competing in the intermediate class, are flying the Porsche flag high.

VHRS Classification

Deflandre / Hugo (Porsche 911 No. 371) 96 pts
Baillet / Piret (Porsche 911 No. 342) at 100 pts
Feligioni / Feligioni (Porsche 911 SC No. 343) at 105 pts
Bocqueret / Bocqueret (Volkswagen Golf GTI No. 454) at 124 pts
Saussereau / Poulard (Fiat 124 Abarth No. 468) at 129 pts

Final stage and back to Calvi

The 2025 Tour de Corse Historique will come to an end tomorrow. The 5th and final stage will bring the trip to a close, with a drive back to Calvi. Five special stages/time trials are scheduled, with real intensity in both the VHC and VHRS classifications.