The 208 Rally Cup joins the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup

Widely regarded as one of the most competitive and enjoyable series for rally drivers, the 208 Rally Cup is set to pursue its development as it becomes the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup, with a host of new features that meet competitors’ expectations.

On the back of this unqualified success, Peugeot Sport has decided to roll out the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup concept elsewhere, such as in France and the Iberian peninsula, whilst maintaining it in the Belux Cup for 2022.

True to its tradition of enabling drivers to race on different surfaces, the 2022 Cup calendar includes six rallies with a mix of gravel and tarmac events at rounds of the French Rally Championship.

The famous promotional series organised by Peugeot Sport is set to join a Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup using the Stellantis Group’s Rally4 models, as is already the case in the Belux Cup

Keen to encourage as many competitors as possible to take part, Peugeot Sport has set annual fees at just €1900. Crews interesting in trying out this new Cup can take advantage of a special one-off entry fee of €600 per rally. This amount is cut to €300 for a one-off entry at the Rallye du Var.

The Cup features three categories – U25 (Junior), U29 (Master) and Gentlemen Drivers – with €25,600 in prize money available to the various winners at each rally.

In the interests of fairness and to reward consistency, Peugeot Sport has adopted a new approach, revising the points awarded for the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup. The first fifteen classified drivers will be awarded points at the end of each round and prize money will be allocated in each category. At the end of the season, the best five results will count towards the standings out of the six rallies contested.

Peugeot Sport’s desire to innovate goes further still in 2022 with the creation of “Rally Plus”. Drivers may choose to double their points at one rally during the season. They must state their decision at the end of the pre-rally driver briefing.

At the end of the season, the winners of each category will win prizes. The winner of the Junior title will earn a free drive in a Rally4 in the 2023 Cup, the Master champion will drive a C3 Rally2 at various rounds of the 2023 French Rally Championship whilst the top Gentleman Driver will be awarded free entry to one rally in the 2023 Cup.

The main new feature for 2022, however, is the way in which the loyalty of the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup crews will be rewarded. In order to show its appreciation of its most loyal supporters, Peugeot Sport has introduced a Loyalty Bonus with a prize draw at the end of the season to win a production car. There must be a minimum number of participants and crews will need to have contested at least five rallies during the season. The second driver drawn out of the hat will win free entry to the Cup in 2023. The third name drawn out of the hat will also win a prize.

Ever conscious of the need to keep costs under control, Peugeot Sport has decided to limit the number of tyres available at each rally. On tarmac events, drivers will able to choose ten tyres in medium, soft or rain compounds. On gravel, the quota will be eight specific tyres for this surface. As was the case in 2021, a spare parts truck manned by technicians will attend each round and Peugeot Sport staff will welcome drivers in a central hospitality area and provide sporting and technical support.

WHAT THEY SAID…

Jean-Marc Vinatier, 2022 Cup Manager

“This iconic series is now taking advantage of the extended reach of the Group to introduce a brand-new format in France in 2022, which will see the Stellantis Group’s Rally4 cars compete alongside one another. The new points system and the implementation of “Rally Plus” will add a bit of strategy to the decisions taken by the drivers. The various prizes allocated at each rally and at the end of the season will reward performance, consistency and loyalty.”

Mayeul Tyl, Stellantis Motorsport Racing Shop Manager

“Stellantis Motorsport’s catalogue means we can offer a promotional formula that runs counter to the typical approach taken in single-make series, allowing drivers to compete in two sister cars: the 208 Rally4 and the Corsa Rally4. With the various innovations introduced, the 2022 Cup enables us to promote both of our models in the Rally4 class. Providing a spare parts truck at each rally meets the requirements of the drivers, who may need replacement items during the weekend and who can also obtain advice from our technicians. We are proud to present an unprecedented single-brand Cup, which will showcase the extensive involvement of Stellantis Motorsport in rallying.”

208 RALLY4 TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Engine: three-cylinder 1998cc turbo engine

Power: 208bhp at 5,450rpm

Torque: 290Nm at 3,000rpm

Gearbox: Sadev five-speed sequential gearbox

Differential: mechanical self-locking differential

FR brakes: ventilated disks, 330mm (tarmac) and 283mm (gravel)

RR brakes: 290mm disks

Three-track adjustable suspension (low- and high-speed compression and rebound)

Weight: 1,080kg minimum – 1,250 kg with crew

Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup 2022 CALENDAR

18-19 March: Rallye du Touquet (tarmac)

6-7 May: Rallye Castine-Terre d’Occitanie (gravel)

10-11 June: Rallye Vosges Grand-Est (tarmac)

26-27 August: Terre de Lozère (gravel)

28-29 October: Critérium des Cévennes (tarmac)

25-26 November: Rallye du Var (tarmac)