History 1980s

1985 Tour de Corse – Rallye de France (Corsica)

Overview Route Results Cars Challenges

Overview

Event Name: 1985 Tour de Corse – Rallye de France (Corsica)

Date: May 3–5, 1985

Start Location: Ajaccio, Corsica

Finish Location: Ajaccio, Corsica

Total Distance: 1,172 km of special stages

Surface: Asphalt

The 1985 Tour de Corse was an unforgiving assault of hairpins and hillside cliff roads, earning its nickname as the “Rally of 10,000 Corners.” Against a backdrop of tragedy and intensity, Jean Ragnotti delivered a masterclass in front-wheel-drive precision, carving up the Corsican tarmac in the Renault 5 Maxi Turbo while the AWD titans struggled to match his rhythm on the island’s twisty terrain.

Route

Piana–Evisa: Technical descent through tight bends and blind crests.
Vico–Sagliolo: High-speed tarmac with cambered edges and cliffside drops.
Zicavo–Aullène: One of the longest and most mentally exhausting loops with near-zero straights.

Corsica’s narrow, mountain roads demanded inch-perfect accuracy and constant steering input across every stage:

Dry conditions helped Ragnotti maintain perfect grip, while competitors in AWD cars struggled with understeer on tight switchbacks designed for lighter machinery.

🏆 Results

Overall Winner
Jean Ragnotti & Pierre Thimonier · Renault 5 Maxi Turbo
2nd Place
Bruno Saby & Jean-François Fauchille · Peugeot 205 T16
3rd Place
Fabrizio Tabaton & Luciano Tedeschini · Lancia Rally 037

Ragnotti’s drive was a defiant reminder that on the right roads, precision and lightness could still challenge raw power and four-wheel drive.

Navigation & Challenges

  • Endless Corners: Mental fatigue was as much a factor as physical wear on brakes and tires.
  • Zero Margin: Many stages ran along cliffs and stone walls, with no runoff and no room for mistakes.
  • Precision Driving: The narrow tarmac rewarded technical mastery over brute force.

The 1985 Tour de Corse was a celebration of pure driving skill—Ragnotti’s victory stood out as one of the last great triumphs of a two-wheel-drive car in the heart of the Group B era.

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