Renault could soon be represented on the first three steps of the FIA Rally Cars Pyramid in the FIA European Rally Championship with confirmation of a Clio Rally3.
What would be the French manufacturer’s first all-wheel-drive challenger, the Clio Rally3 is due to start testing soon.
Once it’s homologated for competition use, the Clio Rally3 would rival the Ford Fiesta Rally3 from M-Sport Poland in the FIA WRC3 and ERC3 categories, which are exclusively for Rally3 cars from this season.
Benoît Nogier, Commercial Racing Director, Alpine Racing, said: “It’s coming in a few weeks for the first test. Like you can imagine, we are still discovering a little bit this new category, but we are working hard – it’s good to have Renault’s first four-wheel drive car. It will be interesting to see the comparison between this car and the Ford [Fiesta Rally3].”
The Clio Rally3 would provide a step up from the Clio Rally4, a built-for-competition version of the entry-level Clio Rally5. Both have achieved considerable success in the ERC with Jean-Baptiste Franceschi (pictured) taking an ERC3/ERC3 Junior double in 2021 driving a Clio Rally4 after Ola Jr Nore scored a podium finish on the Clio Rally5’s ERC debut on Rally Hungary in 2020.
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