Brit pairing looking to secure Monte Carlo ecoRally victory with Alpine A290 GTS
British rally driver, Richard Crozier, and co-driver, Craig Parry, are looking to secure victory at this week’s E-Rallye Monte Carlo behind the wheel of an Alpine UK-backed A290 GTS.
The E-Rally Monte Carlo is an EV-only event, and serves as the 13th and penultimate round of the 2025 Bridgestone FIA ecoRally Cup. The series is held largely across Europe, with a single round taking place in China earlier this year.
Unlike regular rallying or rallycross with their focus on getting from point-to-point in the quickest time possible, ecoRally competitors are instead scored on their speed and energy efficiency.
Teams must also use their cars in standard, unmodified form. This stock form means the vehicles are no different to how they would be from when they were purchased from the showroom.
The Alpine A290 GTS made its ecoRally Cup debut in Scotland in July this year, where it claimed the Category 2 Manufacturer Trophy win in the hands of 10-time French rally champion and long-term Alpine partners Emmanuel ‘Manu’ Guigou and his co-driver Emilien Le Borgne.
The French performance manufacturer also scored third on the event courtesy of local driver Ashleigh Morris and Parry, despite having met just 24 hours prior.
Having already got a taste for the A290’s capabilities in Scotland, Parry looks forward to once again getting into the co-driver’s seat to tackle the tight and twisty roads in and around the principality – some of which are also used on the World Rally Championship’s iconic Rallye Monte Carlo.
“Competing in an Alpine UK-backed A290 again on such famous roads is a dream come true,” he said ahead of the event. “Scotland showed that it [the Alpine A290] is the perfect car for these types of regularity events; nimble, agile, practical and comfortable over long distances, while delivering great efficiency.
“It’s an honour to be on the event, adding another small chapter to Alpine’s competition history in its 70th anniversary year.”
Crozier, meanwhile, is new to driving the Alpine A290. However, he has previous competed in the British Rally Championship, the WRC, as well as local events in the UK. He also served as the clerk of the course on ecoRally Scotland earlier.
“I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the Alpine A290,” he said. “Its motorsport DNA should make it the perfect vehicle for the twisting roads in and around Monaco, and it’s a real honour to drive the car in such a famous location, where Alpine already has such a rich history of competition success in the World Rally Championship.”
Alpine’s history in rallying includes overall victory on the 1971 Rallye Monte Carlo with the A110, plus the WRC title two years later. The E-Rallye Monte Carlo began at Casino Square on October 13, and will finish on October 18 with over 60 competitors taking part in the event.
The ecoRally Cup isn’t Alpine’s only foray into the world of all-electric rallying. Earlier this year, it announced its competition-only A290 Rallye, a special stage version of the A290 hot hatch.
The A290 get a full FIA-standard roll cage, plus several enhancements including a ZF limited slip differential, a hydraulic handbrake, upgraded suspension, brakes and running gear. The car will make its competiton debut in the one-make Alpine A290 Rally Trophy in November this year.
