47th Critérium Jurassien – Swiss Rally Championship

I’m Gábor, a Hungarian motorsport photographer based in Switzerland and a new contributor to PistonClick. Over the years, I’ve followed both national and international racing events across Europe, capturing the thrill and drama of motorsport through my lens. From rally and hillclimb to Rallycross and Formula 1, I enjoy covering every discipline first-hand.

To kick off the 2026 season, I headed to the opening round of the Swiss Rally Championship: the 47th Critérium Jurassien, held in the Jura region of Switzerland. Known for its fast, flowing tarmac stages and technical forest sections, it consistently attracts top national drivers alongside strong regional competition.

Over two days, crews faced every kind of weather imaginable—from bright sunshine to sudden snowfall—a hallmark that makes this Jura event notoriously unpredictable.

Swiss Rally Championship

Jonathan Hirschi, alongside co-driver Michaël Volluz in the #1 Citroën C3 Rally2, delivered a commanding performance, taking victory in dominant fashion. The two-time Swiss champion seized the lead on Friday evening’s opening stage and never looked back, claiming seven of the eight fastest stage times.

His advantage steadily increased, and he ultimately finished 1 minute 4.8 seconds clear of defending double winner Sacha Althaus and co-driver Zbinden Lisiane in the #6 Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. Althaus pushed hard but was unable to close the gap, securing second place on home soil.

Meanwhile, Nicolas Lathionand and Morgane Apothéloz also in a #3 Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 claimed third overall. This marked their first podium finish in the Swiss Rally Championship. Remarkably, the top three positions were established after the opening stage and remained unchanged all the way to the finish.

The Swiss Rally Championship continues in the coming weeks with the Rallye du Chablais, 28-30 May 2026. The Rallye du Chablais will be a round of the FIA European Rally Cup, the Swiss Rally Championship and the Swiss Historic Cup promising more high-speed action and probably more unpredictable weather.

47th Critérium Jurassien Top 10 Results after 8 stages:

Hirschi Jonathan – Volluz Michaël	Citroën C3 Rally2	1:10:24.02
Althaus Sacha – Zbinden Lisiane	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2	1:11:28.77
Lathion Nicolas – Apothéloz Morgane	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2	1:12:36.97
Burri Michaël – Aubry Gaëtan	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 Evo	1:12:50.84
Maret Thibault – Louka Louis	Citroën C3 Rally2	1:12:56.20
Perroud Pascal – Greppin Charlène	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2	1:14:03.21
Althaus Nicolas – Althaus Coline	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 Evo	1:14:05.98
Burri Olivier – Escartefigue Jules	Toyota GR Yaris Rally2	1:14:24.19
Erard David – Marchand Quentin	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2	1:14:41.75
Lagrue Gwenaël – Blondeau-Toiny Romain	Citroën C3 Rally2	1:15:04.07

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