The Critérium Jurassien 2026 was a visually striking rally epic between industrial zones and prehistoric landscapes

On March 27 and 28, 2026, the 47th Critérium Jurassien took place in the Jura. The packed programme offered rally fans plenty of action. This unfolded across very different terrain and, in a way, through several weather zones. streetwheelz1 attended multiple races in snowfall, rain, and sunshine and reports on the impressions of the two rally days, which offered powerful imagery and, at the same time, a lesson in earth history.

Spring had been ordered. Winter arrived. Anyone still under the impression of blooming cherry trees and magnolias in most Swiss cities and expecting a spring-like rally atmosphere had to dress warmly. Right around the two event days, the cold season made a forceful return, bringing fresh snow, drizzle, and cold wind. Yet the winter conditions did not keep either the drivers or the spectators away from the event.

For the first time, the centre of activity was no longer Saignelégier, but the area around Moutier. This is where the paddock was located, where the regroupment took place, and where, on day two, the “Super Spéciale” would serve as the highlight of the event.

The shakedown took place above the town of Moutier, where the surrounding fields were once again covered in several centimetres of fresh snow at the end of March. At least the road surface itself was only wet, not frozen, giving the cars good grip. For the test stage, the organisers had chosen what was, in itself, a rather unspectacular route of around 3 km with a slight incline. But what made this location special was its prehistoric history. Where rally cars now traced their short-lived patterns on the wet asphalt, four-legged, mostly herbivorous dinosaurs had left their footprints some 152 million years ago. These could be seen in the quarry right next to the marshal point.

Even in this non-timed test run, the groundwork for victory was already being laid. At the very least, the strengths of the top favourites became apparent here. The top categories RC2 / Rally2 were fully present and already operating in full race mode. At 11:05, the first team, HILTBRUNNER & ZAROS (#32), set off in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX. About two minutes later, TAPPAREL & TAPPAREL (#201) could already be heard approaching from the distance in their green Porsche 911 SC, adding a welcome splash of colour to the white landscape. While some teams still approached the corners cautiously, ALTHAUS & ZBINDEN (#6) immediately went on the attack, spectacularly pushing snow aside at the inside edge of the corner. A textbook drift could also be observed from the top favourites HIRSCHI & VOLLUZ (#1). Most teams drove the stage twice uphill and twice downhill. In total, there were 24 runs until 16:00.

The second highlight of the first day of the Critérium Jurassien was ES1 from Courtemautruy to Les Enfers. The 29 km stage, technically demanding and with significant elevation changes, was probably the most challenging of the entire event. The Jura is generally a demanding terrain for rally teams. Its prehistoric formation continues to shape the landscape today and makes the routes both technically challenging and visually striking.

An attractive viewing point was located in St. Ursanne, a beautiful medieval town nestled in the Jura valley, within a bend of the Doubs River. The 25-metre-high stone railway bridge rises impressively into the sky there, which was darkly coloured on that day. There was no rain, however. Conditions were dry and partly sunny, despite being only about 15 km from Moutier. A marshal point was located directly at the junction of Route du Clos du Doubs into the sharp hairpin leading up to the Route Cantonale. A manoeuvre that clearly gave the drivers great enjoyment. Even the parade cars and the safety car demonstrated this. Alongside an Aston Martin V12 Vantage drifting elegantly uphill, an Opel Ascona B showed how to execute an abrupt change of direction with squealing tyres.

The “Slowly” class was anything but slow: a Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC, for example, tackled the corner aggressively and continued uphill with smoking tyres. The VHC category also wasted no time. TAPPAREL & TAPPAREL (#201) once again smooth through the section. Then JOLIDON & VON KAENEL in the BMW M3 (#202) rushed through the corner with razor-thin precision, nearly touching the guardrail. It doesn’t get more spectacular than this. As dusk gradually set in, spectators could eventually see little more than the blinding headlights approaching head-on before swinging away, accompanied by roaring engine noise.

The second day of the Critérium Jurassien was tightly scheduled with ES 2 & ES 5 (Villars – Réclère), ES 3 & ES 6 (Cornol – Montavon), and ES 4 & ES 7 (Boécourt – Bassecourt). A particular visual highlight awaited spectators at ES 3, which ran through the gravel and quarry site of Lachat SA. The “Friends of Swiss Motorsport” published spectacular scenes on their Facebook page, (https://www.facebook.com/FreundedesSchweizerMotorsport) showing, for example, HOUMARD & AUBRY (#30) in their Renault Clio (RC4 Rally4) flying over a rise on the site and even briefly becoming airborne.

Despite the persistently cold and rainy weather in the Jura, many spectators gathered for the final stage, the “Super Spéciale” in Moutier itself. The race took place in the industrial area on the outskirts of the town. By the time things really got going, dusk had already fallen. Fortunately, the area was illuminated, making the race clearly visible. The tight layout demanded high precision from the drivers, and in a sharp 90-degree corner there were attractive drifts and hard steering inputs to avoid hitting the barriers. A particular visual highlight: the heated brakes of the Citroën C3 driven by MARET & LOUKA (#2) began to glow in the dark.

Even more visually striking, however, was the following scene from the previous day in St. Ursanne: walking up the road towards the railway station, one had a wonderful view of the town, the mountains on the opposite side, and the previously described hairpin of ES1. As the rally was still in full swing at night, several spectators stood on the hillside above, gazing quietly into the darkness. In the distance, engines roared and tyres squealed, and again and again the beams of the rally cars’ headlights became visible as they worked their way up the mountain from the corner. An almost poetic sight.

The Jura is full of beauty, beneath the surface and above. But even more so when the rally cars of the Critérium Jurassien return to its roads.// Written by cr

Winners:

Overall (Modern / RC2):
Hirschi / Volluz

2WD:
Gillet / Spart

RC4 + Swiss Cup:
Zurkinden / Pury

VHC (Historic):
Keller / Juple

VHRS (Regularity):
Pernet / Pernet

VMRS:
Randin / Allenbach

Website: https://criterium-jurassien.ch/