FFSA French Touring Cars enters its final stretch in the Nièvre region. 
Magny-Cours to kick off the final part of the FFSA French Touring Car Championship this weekend
35 cars expected at a superb meeting for motorsport fans
No mistakes allowed for candidates for the titles 

 

Summer is beautiful, summer is hot for the FFSA French Touring Car Championship. After braving the heat at Spa Speedweek at the end of June, the competitors in this multi-brand national championship will meet at Magny-Cours from July 31st to August 2nd.

 

Two weeks after hosting the Tour de France, the Magny-Cours Circuit is preparing to experience one of the major events in French motorsport, bringing together the FFSA French Circuit Championship and the prestigious GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS. Beyond the sporting aspect, this first weekend in August will offer fans a wide range of activities for this summer motorsport festival: an open paddock, a pit walk, a track walk, autograph sessions, a fan zone with SiBE (the GT World resident DJ), giant screens, children's activities, E-Motion simulators, a photo booth, food trucks and bars, a restaurant, a fireworks display on Saturday evening, and the podium ceremonies in the heart of the paddock. Spectators will be in for a treat! 

 

For the competitors in the FFSA Touring Car Championship, this trip to the Nièvre region will be crucial, as it will be the final event before the Circuit Paul Ricard finale in October. With its format of four races per weekend,  the 35 cars of the FFSA Touring Car Championship will be a major part of the spectacle, with races starting on Saturday at 12:35 pm and 4:50 pm, and then on Sunday at 8:30 am and 4:55 pm. The GT World YouTube channel will allow those unable to attend in person to follow the races live.  

 

 TCR: Bredeaux confirms 

 

Leading the TCR championship, Pierre Bredeaux (Cupra León Competición TCR / Comte Racing Team) confirmed his form at Dijon and Spa-Francorchamps with further victories. Sharing his car with Nicolas Roumezy, he knows that with two starts over the weekend, the slightest mistake could prove costly. Trailing by 17 points, Sébastien Thome (Audi RS3 LMS TCR / Team Clairet  Sport) still believes he can win, but he must avoid the minor errors that have cost him valuable points in recent races.

 

Currently 30 points behind the leader,  Maxence Passaquet (Cupra León Competición TCR / Optimum Racing by JP Concept Auto Sport) dreams of a podium finish at the end of the season, but he will especially need to keep an eye on the comeback of Raphaël Fournier ( Hyundai Elantra N TCR/JSB Compétition). Probably the fastest driver, as evidenced by his four victories at the start of the year, the 19-year-old must first and foremost shake off the bad luck that has plagued him in the form of recurring mechanical problems.

 

Once again, the battle for the top spots will see  Gilles Chauvin (Cupra León VZ TCR / SP Compétition), Tom Pussier (Cupra León VZ TCR / SP Compétition), Nicolas Roumezy (Cupra León Competición TCR / Comte Racing Team), and Guillaume Savoldelli (Audi RS3 LMS TCR / Team Clairet Sport), returning after two victories at Nogaro, all vying for the championship title. We'll also be keeping an eye on Samuel Chaligne's (Cupra León VZ TCR / Team Clairet Sport) debut in the championship.

 

GT Light: Joubert under pressure from Codet 

 

Absent from the Dijon meeting, Stéphane Codet  (Ligier JS2R / Team CDRS)  could have feared seeing his chances of winning the GT Light title slip away. But the 2025 runner-up is performing very well this year and, with 6 wins in 8 starts, he is only 11 points behind the championship leader,  Laurent Joubert (Ligier JS2R / J'Nov Auto Racing by JSB). 

 

The provisional top three is completed by  Romain Duqueine (Ligier JS2R / Duc Racing), thanks in particular to his two victories at Dijon. Trailing Laurent Joubert by 21 points, Romain is far from finished . This promises an exciting end to the season!

 

While Swiss driver Guillaume Huber (Ligier JS2R / Team CDRS) will return after a first appearance at Spa-Francorchamps,  two Ginettas will also bring variety with the duo  Thierry Pellerzi-Olivier Hulot (Ginetta G55 Cup / TCP Racing by STR) and Eric Oddos-Piantone (Ginetta G50 Cup / STR).

TC: First match point for Ropars 

 

Kevin Ropars (Peugeot 208 TC / 2RT) is undoubtedly the man to beat in the TC class at the start of the season. With 10 wins out of 12 races, he holds a 25-point lead with 100 points still up for grabs. In other words, another flawless performance at Magny-Cours could allow him to build a virtually insurmountable gap over his two closest rivals, Brady and José Beltramelli, who share the Peugeot 308 RC for Team Pilote 69 by JSB and currently complete the provisional podium.

 

Watch out, a podium finish is also the goal of young Karel Eyoum (Peugeot 308 RC / JSB Compétition). After his TCA Light title last year, the driver from Nièvre will be closely watched on his home turf, where he dreams of securing his first class victory. 

 

Also competing in Peugeot 308 RC cars for JSB Compétition, Théo Vidal and Mathis Briché (Peugeot 308 RC / JSB Compétition) will be aiming for more podium finishes. In addition to the return of Mathieu Collin (Peugeot 208 TC / 2RT), we welcome the arrival in the category of Gilles Ferstler (Peugeot 308 RC / JSB Compétition), who was previously seen driving a Clio Cup in the TCA series at Dijon. 

 

TCA: Girard, the quiet strength

 

Most of the contenders for the TCA class title in the FFSA French Touring Car Championship share their cars. They therefore compete in two out of four races, and one of the keys is to be both competitive and consistent, as any retirement has a significant negative impact. 

 

In the TCA class, which includes Renault Clio Cup cars, one driver has particularly taken the message to heart: Bastien Girard (Fox Racing Team). With four wins and two second-place finishes, he has established himself more than ever as the clear favorite for the end of the season. He currently holds a 35 and 54 point lead over brothers Julien and Claude Carlos, who share a Clio for Team Leal Compétition.

 

This time driving  a Renault Clio Cup IV for the family-run Team Leal Competition, Thomas Leal will be aiming for victory. Among those battling for top positions in the championship during the last two rounds are Julien Pellegrini (Optimum Racing by JP Concept Autosport), Patrick Pujol (Team Leal Compétition), Michel Béziat (Fox Racing Team), and Yannis Lafon (AL Motorsports by JSB). 

 

After her first appearance at Dijon, Emma Ferstler will return with the FRT by JSB Compétition Clio Cup IV. Finally, two new Clio Cup IVs will join the field: one driven by Baptiste Gaubert (Gaubert Racing) and the other by the duo Cyril Andrey and Jérome Thiery (Andrey Sport Events).

 

TCA Light: Barinsky at the helm 

 

Simply undefeated since joining the championship in Dijon, Marvin Barinsky (Peugeot 208 TC6 / Team Clairet Sport) has erased his absence from Nogaro to take the lead in the TCA Light category championship. 

 

In this class, which features cars from the new TC6 category, he holds only a one-point lead over Sébastien Bortot (Peugeot 208 TC6 / Beyond Virtual by 2RT), who has been racking up silver medals since the start of the season. At Magny-Cours, he will be aiming for his first victory (at least) to stay in contention for the championship. Ruben Beyhurs and Vincent Face  will be making their Championship debuts  ( Peugeot 208 TC6 /  Optimum Racing by JP Concept Autosport), while the Renault Clio V TC6 will be taking to the track for the first time thanks to the WRM team and teammates Charly Fréard and Alain Cusimano.