History 2000s

2000 Tour de Corse – Rallye de France (France)

Overview Route Results Cars Challenges

Overview

Event Name: 2000 Tour de Corse – Rallye de France (France)

Date: September 28 – October 1, 2000

Start Location: Ajaccio, Corsica

Finish Location: Ajaccio, Corsica

Total Distance: ~1,100 km (estimated full route)

Competitive Stages: 385.01 km

Surface: Asphalt

The 2000 Tour de Corse was a classic test of technical asphalt rallying. With its endless hairpins and fast descents, the Corsican roads demanded precision, rhythm, and nerve. Gilles Panizzi delivered all three, controlling the rally from start to finish in a dominant Peugeot 206 WRC display, while brother Hervé provided perfect co-driver timing across the island's unforgiving tarmac.

Route

Vico–Sarrola: Steep gradients and sharp bends — heavy on brakes and traction, especially under dry conditions.
Murzo–Ambiegna: A rhythm stage with flowing medium-speed curves and elevation shifts.
Pont de Casaglione: Fast descents into tight village sections — required surgical braking precision.

Known as the “Rally of 10,000 Corners,” Corsica’s stages are narrow, twisting, and constantly changing. Key stages included:

Dry and sunny conditions throughout gave drivers a stable surface to push to the limit — tire strategy centered on heat management and grip consistency over longer loops.

🏆 Results

Overall Winner
Gilles Panizzi & Hervé Panizzi · Peugeot 206 WRC
2nd Place
Richard Burns & Robert Reid · Subaru Impreza S6 WRC
3rd Place
François Delecour & Daniel Grataloup · Peugeot 206 WRC

Panizzi dominated from the outset, building a gap on day one that he managed expertly. Burns showed his growing tarmac capability, while Delecour made it two Peugeots on the podium with a tidy drive of his own.

Navigation & Challenges

  • Corner Density: With hundreds of corners per stage, co-driver timing and driver rhythm were essential — one late call could send a car into the cliffs.
  • Tire Management: Asphalt temperatures rose by mid-day — conserving compound grip across long loops became a key factor.
  • Local Mastery: Panizzi’s Corsican familiarity and comfort with relentless cornering made him virtually untouchable all weekend.

Gilles Panizzi’s Tour de Corse win was a masterclass in asphalt rallying — combining raw pace, control, and local knowledge to deliver one of the most dominant tarmac performances of the 2000 season.

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