All the titles were still up for grabs as the Clio Trophy France Asphalte service park gathered for the last time of 2025 in Sainte-Maxime. After the recce and shakedown for this new event in the Renault Clio Rally5 competition, the 34 crews tackled the 14 special stages, where intensity continued to build all the way to the finish.

Trophy leader ahead of the start, Julien Deslauriers Sablonnière set the pace in La Môle, but rival Yoan Corberand immediately responded in Bormes-les-Mimosas. The head-to-head battle continued in Vaudrèches and Collobrières, with less than half a second separating the two at midday. The battle was just as fierce in the Junior category, where Paul Dachicourt overtook Tom Vauclare as Lucas Zielinski looked on.

The titanic duel between Julien Deslauriers Sablonnière and Yoan Corberand intensified on Friday afternoon. Yoan Corberand took the lead, but his opponent responded with three consecutive stage wins. Behind this duo, the crashes of Tom Vauclare in SS6 and Paul Dachicourt in SS8 muted the battle in the chase group. Consistent and focused, Lucas Zielinski inherited third place.

Julien Deslauriers Sablonnière increased his lead in Gonfaron on Saturday morning, but Yoan Corberand refused to give up and was quickest in Le Faron and Puget-Ville. The David Auto Compétition driver even took the virtual lead in the title race with the dropping of the worst score of the season and Jean Ragnotti Performer points, and hammered home his advantage with a new reference time in Collobrières 3.

The tension rose another notch in the decisive loop. Julien Deslauriers Sablonnière set the tone early on, relegating his rival to more than ten seconds behind. With a half-point advantage at the start of the final special stage, Julien Deslauriers Sablonnière saw the crown slip away when he made a mistake in the final kilometres. From then on, Yoan Corberand controlled his pace to score his third victory of the year and join Anthony Fotia, Romain Di-Fante, Thomas Chauffray, Benjamin Stirling and Arthur Pelamourgues on the Clio Trophy France Asphalte winners’ list.

Behind the new winner, Yohan Roumieux secured his best result finishing second ahead of Lucas Zielinski, whose performance earned him the best Junior spot and an official drive in 2026. David Auto Compétition, which won the team title thanks to Yoan Corberand’s victory, will run his future car. Corberand also led Groupe Bertrand to the top of the Renault Network Challenge.

Fourth-placed Spaniard Juan Manuel Maña finished ahead of Enzo Beschet and Pascal Bérard, who ran the table this season in the Gentlemen category. Clément Didier ended up in seventh position, followed by Christophe Truchet, winner of the Clio Full Challenge, introduced this year to reward versatility on multiple surfaces. He finished ahead of his closest rival, Johan Grès, while Loïc Scandola rounded out the top ten. Élodie Rey-Gines won the Women’s category, with Charlotte Oléa taking the title for the second consecutive year.

Meanwhile, Guillaume Tardy and Caroline Puel led a Clio Rally3 sweep of the top four places in RC3 on the national stage. The model also finished on the podium in the French Women’s Rally Championship with Allison Viano and Christelle Bou-Meunier. Lastly, Arthur Pelamourgues and Bastien Pouget did well in their Clio Rally4, posting the best time on three stages.

After this thrilling season finale and the awards ceremony held on Sunday, the Clio Trophy France will quickly turn its attention to the future. In 2026, competitors will once again be racing in the French Rally Championship. The season kicks off at Rallye Le Touquet Pas-de-Calais (26-28 March) before the crews battle at Rallye Vosges Grand Est (12-14 June) and Rallye Rouergue Rodez Aveyron Occitanie (9-11 July). After the summer break, they will gather at Rallye Mont-Blanc Morzine (3-5 September) before the final round at the Critérium des Cévennes (22-24 October).

Yoan Corberand: "I still can’t quite believe it, but it was a magnificent battle. Julien and I never let up. These duels inevitably push us to greater heights, forcing us to improve and surpass ourselves. We started the final special stage just half a point apart, knowing that whoever finished ahead would win the title. We told ourselves we had to give it our all. I would have preferred a different outcome for Julien and Amandine, but that’s rallying. The pressure was huge, even after seeing them stop, as we absolutely had to make it to the finish line. I want to thank David Auto Compétition for all their work as I’ve always had a car to my liking in terms of setup, and also my parents and Aurélien for servicing.”

Lucas Zielinski: "It’s incredible. I’ve dreamt about this for two seasons, and I’m at a loss for words. Even when things looked difficult, Ewen and I never gave up. We kept believing, stayed focused, carefully prepared for each rally, and trained hard. Something clicked after Mont-Blanc. This weekend, with so many points at stake, the pressure was huge for everyone, but we managed to see it through. When I think back to 2020, when my debut was cut short after only two and a half rallies following a big crash, this moment takes on a special significance. I dreamed of having a second chance, and PH Sport and Minerva gave me this opportunity. After a strong rookie season finishing behind Arthur Pelamourgues last year, ending my final campaign as a Junior like this is just amazing."

Clio Trophy France Asphalte – Rallye du Var
1. Yoan Corberand – Pauline Compozieux 2h18m55.5s
2. Yohan Roumieux – Bastien Fontaine +36.3s
3. Lucas Zielinski – Ewen Leenhardt (J) +1m19.1s
4. Juan Manuel Maña – David Fernandez +4m12.8s
5. Enzo Beschet – Enzo Mahinc (J) +4m42.3s
6. Pascal Bérard – Caroline Bérard (G) +5m21.1s
7. Clément Didier – Yanis Rivasseau (J) +5m45.6s
8. Christophe Truchet – Barbara Truchet +5m48.8s
9. Johan Grès – Jade Gaston +6m03.4s
10. Loïc Scandola – Sonny Postel (J) +6m26.8s
11. Arnaud Boulangé – Lilou Boulangé +7m43.3s
12. Kévin Duc – Séverine Chamiot-Maitral (J) +8m31.5s
13. Laurent Lambert – Yannick Le Moing (G) +9m10s
14. Alex Florenson – Charline Dichamp (J) +9m34.1s
15. Léo Véricel – Enzo Forissier (J) +9m38.7s
16. Franck Giraud – Christophe Dubien (G) +12m20.1s
17. Sylvain Lenne – Nathan Chalendar +13m07.1s
18. Élodie Rey-Gines – Lisa Tornior (F) +13m09s
19. Jacques Bourrat – Jean Bourrat (G) +13m18.5s
20. Clémentine Benoit – Éric De Bolle (J, F) +14m22.1s
21. Philippe Janvier – Julie Derory (G) +17m14.4s
22. Mathieu Duclos – Simon Guillotin +18m05.8s
23. Alexandre Brossy – Jean-Marc Laviale +19m08.3s
24. Thibaut Misiek – Romain Misiek (J) +21m52.2s
25. Jérôme Janny – Helena Pecheur +39m39.2s
Ret. Julien Deslauriers Sablonnière – Amandine Brunel
Ret. Charlotte Olea – Cécile Pages (J, F)
Ret. Louis Gass – Alison Girard (J)
Ret. Yohan Codaccioni – Hugo Olivier (J)
Ret. Paul Dachicourt – Adèle Dachicourt (J)
Ret. Mathias Donsimoni – Antoine Donsimoni
Ret. Tom Vauclare – Frédéric Vauclare (J)
Ret. Laurent Zambon – Damien Gouin
Ret. Jean-Claude Pietri – Jean-François Muselli (J)

Clio Trophy France Asphalte - Jean Ragnotti Performer Trophy - Teams classification - Renault Network Challenge - Clio Full Challenge