66th Rallye International du Valais – Autumn Colours, Mountain Roads and Plenty of Rally Action

After several fantastic rally events in Italy, it was time for another international adventure. This time, I headed to Switzerland for the 66th Rallye International du Valais, held from 29–31 October 2026.

I had been looking forward to the Rallye du Valais 2026, and it was great to spend another weekend behind the camera. The challenging mountain roads of the Valais region provided the setting for some fantastic rally cars and plenty of photographic opportunities.

The scenery was certainly one of the highlights. Autumn colours covered the mountainsides, creating a beautiful backdrop for rally photography. The weather also played its part, with sunshine throughout the event.

However, the early mornings in the mountains told a different story. Temperatures dropped to just 1–2°C, making for a rather cold start to the day. The spectacular views, though, made it worthwhile.

Compared with some of the Italian rallies I have visited this season, the atmosphere along the stages felt a little more reserved. Nevertheless, the Rallye du Valais offered a fantastic setting, challenging roads and plenty of interesting moments to capture.

A Close Fight at the Front

The competition got off to a close start. Thibault Maret and Louis Louka, driving a Citroën C3 Rally2, battled with Yohan Surroca and his Belgian co-driver Loïc Dumont in the #11 Hyundai i20 N Rally2.

After Friday’s opening six special stages, Maret and Louka held a narrow lead of just 1.6 seconds over Surroca and Dumont. Michaël Burri and Maxime Andernack were also firmly in contention in their #5 Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. They occupied third place, just 3.4 seconds off the lead. With only 3.4 seconds separating the top three crews, Saturday promised an exciting battle for victory.

However, the contest took a dramatic turn on SS7, the 30.90-kilometre Les Cols stage. Maret and Louka went off the road, sending their Citroën rolling several times. Fortunately, both crew members escaped without serious injuries, but their rally was over.

Surroca immediately capitalised on the situation and moved into the lead. The young Swiss driver continued to deliver an impressive performance throughout the remaining stages, gradually extending his advantage.

Mike Coppens and Christophe Roux moved into second place in their #2 Škoda Fabia Rally2. German driver Albert von Thurn und Taxis and co-driver Jara Hain completed the provisional podium in another Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, #9.

Surroca maintained his advantage to the finish, eventually winning by 26.7 seconds. At just 24 years old, Yohan Surroca secured his first Rallye International du Valais victory alongside Loïc Dumont. He also became the youngest winner in the event’s history.

Drama for Nicolas Lathion – But a Swiss Championship Title!

One of the biggest stories of the weekend was the battle for the 2026 Swiss Rally Championship. Nicolas Lathion and Morgane Apothéloz arrived at their home event in a strong position in the championship standings. Driving their Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, they knew that a solid result would be enough to secure the title.

However, the final day proved far from straightforward. After a competitive performance throughout the rally, the pair suffered a dramatic moment on SS12, the second run through Catogne. An excursion off the road caused significant damage and cost them valuable time, dropping them down the overall classification.

Despite the setback, Lathion and Apothéloz managed to continue and reach the finish. They eventually finished 12th overall. More importantly, the result was enough to secure the 2026 Swiss Rally Championship title. It was a dramatic conclusion to the season and a well-deserved reward for the pair’s consistency throughout the championship.

Rallye du Valais 2026 – The Final Podium

Behind the victorious Surroca and Dumont, Mike Coppens and Christophe Roux secured second place. Albert von Thurn und Taxis and Jara Hain completed the overall podium.

Michaël Burri and Maxime Andernack finished fourth, just ahead of Jonathan Michellod and Stéphane Fellay.

Polish driver Jarosław Kołtun also delivered an impressive performance. He set three fastest stage times during Saturday’s competition and finished sixth overall.

Ismaël Vuistiner, Jason Pritchard, Joël Rappaz and Yoan Loeffler completed the top ten.

66th International Rallye du Valais 2026 – Final Overall Classification

Position	Driver / Co-driver	Car
1	Yohan Surroca / Loïc Dumont	Hyundai i20 N Rally2
2	Mike Coppens / Christophe Roux	Škoda Fabia Rally2
3	Albert von Thurn und Taxis / Jara Hain	Škoda Fabia RS
4	Michaël Burri / Maxime Andernack	Toyota GR Yaris Rally2
5	Jonathan Michellod / Stéphane Fellay	Škoda Fabia RS
6	Jarosław Kołtun / Ireneusz Pleskot	Škoda Fabia RS
7	Ismaël Vuistiner / Florine Kummer	Škoda Fabia R5 Evo
8	Jason Pritchard / Robert Fagg	Toyota GR Yaris
9	Joël Rappaz / Gaëtan Aubry	Škoda Fabia RS
10	Yoan Loeffler / Aurélien Chiapello	Škoda Fabia RS

Historic Rally Cars Add Another Dimension

The historic category also provided plenty of entertainment throughout the weekend. Julien Camandona and Mélanie Crettaz dominated the VHC competition in their BMW M3. They secured the category victory with a comfortable advantage of 1 minute 55.3 seconds over fellow BMW crew Eddy and Florence Bérard.

Aurélien Bouchet and Marie Deroy completed the VHC podium in their Ford Sierra Cosworth 4×4.

For Eddy and Florence Bérard, however, second place carried particular significance. Their result secured a fourth Swiss VHC Championship title.

VHC Final Classification – Top Three

Position	Driver / Co-driver	Car
1	Julien Camandona / Mélanie Crettaz	BMW M3
2	Eddy Bérard / Florence Bérard	BMW M3
3	Aurélien Bouchet / Marie Deroy	Ford Sierra Cosworth 4×4

Another Weekend Behind the Camera

The 66th Rallye International du Valais was certainly an interesting experience. The beautiful mountain scenery, spectacular autumn colours and challenging special stages provided plenty of opportunities for photography.

Although the atmosphere felt somewhat different from the Italian events I have enjoyed this season, I was glad to have the opportunity to photograph another important international rally.

Congratulations to Yohan Surroca and Loïc Dumont on their fantastic victory. Congratulations also to Nicolas Lathion and Morgane Apothéloz on securing the 2026 Swiss Rally Championship title.

A big thank you to everyone involved in making the event happen, and to all the crews who provided plenty of action throughout the weekend. Another international rally, another memorable weekend behind the camera. That’s what makes following this sport so rewarding.

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