Tour de Corse route expanded with increased stages

If it’s a tour of Corsica you’re after, this is the week for you.

For the first time in the modern era of the World Rally Championship, the series will visit three of the island’s four corners in one of the most controversial routes in recent years.

Having spent the last two decades enjoying the relative comfort of a David Richards-inspired cloverleaf central service formation, the World Rally Championship will go back on the road this week.

Starting with shakedown in Bastia, the crews will head to Ajaccio on Thursday night for the first stage on Friday morning.

The opening day’s action is centred around a tyre fitting zone in Porticcio, which splits two loops of two stages.

The day is concluded with a drive back up to Bastia for an overnight halt in the north of the island. Saturday remains around Bastia before a long trek down south to Porto Vecchio for the final day.

Like last year’s event, the number of stages on the route is limited – but is increased by one from last year’s nine. The total of 10 stages on this week’s itinerary still add up to 242 miles of competitive action.

The final day includes both the longest, and the shortest, stages on the rally route. The 33-mile AntisantiPoggio di Nazza test opens the proceedings for the last day and the six-mile Porto Vecchio-palombaggia powerstage closes the event out on Sunday afternoon.