Alpine A290 Rally Makes Historic Competitive Debut at Rallye de l’Indre-Buzançais

The Alpine A290 Rally made motorsport history this weekend as the first electric car to compete on the same course as combustion-engine rivals at the Rallye National de l’Indre-Buzançais. All ten cars, produced and delivered on schedule, lined up for the inaugural Alpine A290 Rally Trophy, immediately impressing with their performance, reliability, and driving enjoyment.

A Landmark Moment for Alpine​

Ahead of the rally, Manufacture Alpine Dieppe Jean Rédélé successfully delivered the first ten A290 Rally cars to competitors. Drivers collected their cars on Wednesday and completed a shakedown session Thursday at the La Châtre circuit. Among the initial batch, chassis No. 001 carried special symbolic value, being entrusted to Philippe Janvier, a member of a family linked to Alpine since the 1970s.

This event followed the A290 Rally’s first dynamic public appearances at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Rallye Mont-Blanc Morzine, setting the stage for its long-awaited competitive debut.

Rabilloud and Mahinc Claim the First A290 Rally Trophy

​The Alpine A290 Rally and its new trophy series officially launched on Friday. On a demanding course, experienced drivers and young talents shared the spotlight, but it was Melvin Rabilloud and Enzo Mahinc who made history.

The pair won the opening special stage on wet roads and continued to set the pace through the next two timed sectors. Although the Sirot–Chabannes and Brégeon–Arrivé crews interrupted their streak, Rabilloud and Mahinc remained dominant, ultimately winning by nearly two minutes and scoring 28 out of 30 “Performer” points.

Their achievement earned them not only the first A290 Rally Trophy victory but also eighth place overall, having run consistently inside the top ten. Thanks to their success, Rabilloud, supported by Alpine Store Annecy, has secured an official Alpine A110 Rally entry for a round of the 2026 French Rally Championship.

A Strong Start for Alpine’s New Electric Racer

The event also served as a trial run for the Alpine A290 Rally Trophy format ahead of its six-round 2026 French Rally Championship season. Competitors already benefited from electric-friendly infrastructure, including eco-charging solutions, technical support, and parts services.

The A290 Rally became the first electric car to take on a course identical to that of combustion-engine competitors, proving its versatility and efficiency. With an agile chassis and incisive braking, it finished inside the overall top ten on more than half of the special stages, battling Rally4 cars throughout the event.

Reliability was also noteworthy, with only two retirements, both resulting from drivers going off rather than mechanical issues. This highly promising debut positions the A290 Rally for an encouraging 2026 season in both open competition and Alpine Racing’s single-make cup programmes.

Driver Reaction:

“We are incredibly proud to have won the inaugural Alpine A290 Rallye Trophy. It's special to be the first to make history with this new car. It's extremely performant, very playful, with a particularly impressive chassis and brake system. We ran in the top ten overall throughout the rally and flirted with the top five at times before securing our trophy win. For a maiden competitive outing, it's really promising and satisfying to finish eighth overall, and I don't think many people expected us to do so well against some powerful cars. With this win, I'll have a go with the Alpine A110 Rally in a French Rally Championship round next year. I want to thank the Alpine teams for their development work on the car, and also Alpine Store Annecy for their trust and commitment to us.” - Melvin Rabilloud