Yoann Bonato moves up to third place in the Rallye Antibes Côte d'Azur

Different terrain, different bike, same challenge... This Sunday, Yoann, on the roads of the Rallye Antibes Côte d'Azur, had to do the same as Johann, a week earlier on the Le Mans track of the MotoGP French Grand Prix.

Master of his destiny, far ahead of the rest of the pack, after having slipped through the net at the start of the race, the breakaway leader had one priority, one only, during the second act, also punctuated by six special stages: hold the distance, manage the huge lead.

Bonato-Zarco, same fight, same triumph! Like the Cannes hero of the blue, white, and red GP the previous Sunday, the strong man of this 60th edition recited his score without a single false note. 2022, 2023, 2025: here he is, putting his stamp on the tablets for a third time. The boss's touch!

As expected, it was a two-speed race between Levens, Turini and Braus, with the three corners to be devoured in the morning and afternoon. Free of any threat, while the barometer returned to a positive outlook, the number 1 Citroën C3 was content to deal with current business. The opportunity for its driver to "test a few things in preparation for the following rounds" .

Farewell suspense? No way! Behind, the sprint between the contenders for the other steps of the podium proves breathtaking. Even more so after the title holder's retirement at the very beginning of the slopes of the master of the passes (SS8). The precious points of 2nd place are within his grasp. A failure! Eric Camilli drinks the cup to the dregs. As if the poor tire choice that cost him more than a minute the day before wasn't enough, the front differential of the unfortunate Nice driver's Hyundai i20 N gives up the ghost. Cursed also for Turini...

"A great operation in the championship"

His misfortune is Rehane Gany's (Citroën C3) gain. Lying in wait, the young Reunion Islander makes his way onto the "box", finishing second by more than a minute, while Raphaël Astier puts the best Alpine GT+ on the small step, pushing Varois Hugo Margaillan (Hyundai) out of the top three at the last minute.

For the new neighbour of the Antibes winners Jean-Pierre Nicolas, Bernard Darniche and Bryan Bouffier, the score is looking pretty good, as this clean sweep, added to the one achieved last month at Rhône-Charbonnières, means a big gap at the top of the hierarchy.

Bonato's final word: "After a difficult rally, we've achieved a great result in the championship. No mistakes, no breakdowns... Hats off to the Trajectus Motorsport team! And a special mention to our openers and weather specialists who felt the rain coming yesterday at noon (this Saturday) . More than ever, this is a collective success. We all won together!"