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A fifth consecutive win for Astier, a third Alpine crown for Fontalba, and a weekend illuminated by Sébastien Loeb’s presence — the 2025 Rallye du Var offered a memorable conclusion to an already intense season.
A grand finale for the fifth edition
The 2025 “Trophée Alpine ELF Rallye 2025” reached its climax on the iconic roads of the Rallye du Var, a fitting and now traditional stage for the season’s final showdown.
With the overall title already secured before even rolling into Sainte-Maxime, Raphaël Astier arrived without pressure, while suspense remained at its peak in the RGT category, where Grégory Fontalba and Mireille Vidueira were still locked in battle.
Late-November tarmac in the Var — abrasive, technical, and always ready to punish the slightest mistake — quickly separated contenders from pretenders.
Raphaël Astier unstoppable: a fifth win to seal the season
From Friday’s opening stage, Astier imposed his rhythm. The Ardèche native set the benchmark ahead of Fontalba and Vidueira, before extending his lead across the tests in Bormes-les-Mimosas, Vaudrèches, and Collobrières.
By afternoon, he was in full flight, chaining together blistering times aboard an Alpine A110 Rally GT+ he now exploits to perfection.
Saturday confirmed the trend: Astier clinched his fifth consecutive victory, completing a genuine grand slam and bringing to a close a 2025 season he had dominated from start to finish.
Ice-cool Grégory Fontalba: a third Alpine title
Behind the untouchable leader, the fight for the RGT crown lived up to every expectation.
Together with co-driver Stephan Hermet, Grégory Fontalba kept a razor-sharp Vidueira at bay with remarkable composure.
His performance earned him a third Alpine title, following his overall crown in 2022 and his Gentlemen victory in 2024 — a testament to his discipline, consistency, and a trademark precision in driving that has matured year after year.
Alpine shines again: Astier and Loeb as leading men
The participation of Sébastien Loeb added a unique glow to this edition.
The nine-time World Champion engaged in several high-level exchanges with Astier, including a spectacular double attack during both runs through Bormes-les-Mimosas.
Loeb added two more stage wins in Collobrières before being caught out by a ditch in SS13.
Against such a formidable field, Astier pulled off a remarkable triple triumph:
- GT+ victory
- Two-wheel-drive victory
- Michelin Premium Trophy victory
Each time, he finished ahead of Cédric Robert, emotional as he took what would be his final start in the French Rally Championship — also at the wheel of an Alpine.
National titles for Denis Giraudet and Jeanne Rey: co-drivers in the spotlight
Astier’s win also secured yet another national two-wheel-drive title for his co-driver Denis Giraudet, adding to a career spanning more than three decades alongside some of rallying’s biggest names.
Meanwhile, Jeanne Rey, Vidueira’s co-driver, clinched the women’s title, crowning a season marked by steady and impressive progression.
Eyes on 2026: Alpine and Signatech extend their commitment
Looking toward 2026, Alpine and Signatech have confirmed the continuation of their customer racing program, built around the Alpine A110 Rally and the A110 Rally GT+.
Signatech will also reinforce its technical presence at select events to support teams that have trusted the Alpine ecosystem since 2020.
They said
Raphaël Astier
“We weren’t initially planning to enter the Rallye du Var, but the opportunity came up at the last moment. It was a real pleasure to return to these stages I hadn’t driven for a while, especially with Sébastien Loeb taking part.
We were able to measure ourselves against him several times throughout the weekend. Even if he was slightly ahead, we showed that on new stages for everyone, we could be within the same tenth.
We understand the car better now, but of course we know his record too, so we’re very happy. We also scored important points for Denis’ co-driver title. All in all, it was a good weekend — and I hope I can continue driving the Alpine a bit longer!”
Grégory Fontalba
“Securing another title this year was far from guaranteed given the level of competition.
It pushed Stephan and me to work a lot on our pace notes and raise our game to drive very fast, but without ever taking reckless risks. We’ve managed to improve our reference times year after year. We’re really satisfied with our five years in Alpine machinery.
The atmosphere in the Alpine ELF Rally Trophy is genuinely enjoyable — more about mutual support than rivalry, and we’re all here to progress.”
Mireille Vidueira
“It would have taken an almost miraculous scenario to steal the RGT title from Grégory Fontalba. I want to win it by fully deserving it, just like he did.
I’ve progressed a lot this season. The start of the year was tough, because the Alpine A110 Rally is a very powerful rear-wheel-drive car that you need to learn to master.
I still have a few steps to take, but I’m already very happy with my evolution. And I’m delighted for my co-driver Jeanne Rey, who becomes French Champion in her category.”
2025 Rallye du Var results
| Position | Crew | Category | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raphaël Astier – Denis Giraudet | GT+ | 2h01’44”8 |
| 2 | Grégory Fontalba – Stephan Hermet | RGT | +12’39”6 |
| 3 | Mireille Vidueira – Jeanne Rey | RGT | +18’11”3 |
2025 Alpine Trophy standings
| Position | Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raphaël Astier | 100 |
| 2 | Grégory Fontalba | 72 |
| 3 | Mireille Vidueira | 57 |
| 4 | Florian Bernardi | 27 |
| 5 | Fabrice Bect | 24 |
| 6 | Pierre Roché | 20 |
| NC | Francis Michel | 0 |
| NC | Guy Bertrand | 0 |
| NC | Jean-Luc Roché | 0 |
GT+ standings
| Position | Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raphaël Astier | 100 |
| 2 | Pierre Roché | 20 |
RGT standings
| Position | Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grégory Fontalba | 95 |
| 2 | Mireille Vidueira | 71 |
| 3 | Florian Bernardi | 35 |
| 4 | Fabrice Bect | 30 |
| NC | Francis Michel | 0 |
| NC | Guy Bertrand | 0 |
| NC | Jean-Luc Roché | 0 |
Source : Trophée Alpine ELF Rallye 2025
