Two real-world Monte Carlo Rally stages are making their way to Assetto Corsa Rally’s next Early Access update, it was revealed yesterday (22nd January 2026).
Supernova Games Studios and Kunos Simulazioni’s announcement was equal parts surprising and intriguing, especially as the 2026 Rallye Monte-Carlo kicked off for real on the same day.
With conditions on this year’s Monte set to be beautifully challenging, it’s hoped that AC Rally’s interpretation of the Sisteron and La Bollène-Vésubie tests will feature the same wintry combination of snow, slush and verglas (black ice) that the real-world drivers experience.
But why should sim racers be excited about these two stages in particular? Well, I’ll try to explain the reasons why below.
La Bollène-Vésubie
La Bollène-Vésubie may well be the most famous rally stage in the world. If you don’t recognise the name, perhaps ‘Col de Turini’ will jog your memory?
The legendary French mountain road is synonymous with rallying. Throughout the decades of the World Rally Championship, the Col de Turini has seen millions of fans trudge along its winding asphalt, all keen to catch a glimpse of their heroes as they slide to victory. Or defeat.
Iconic scenes: throngs of French rally fans holding blinding flares aloft in the freezing night air, flashbulbs repeating to the beat of anti-lag, the cheers and the groans; the Col de Turini is the proclamation that the rally season has really begun.
There’s something tribal about it: the armée de bonneteaux battling sub-zero conditions through the decades, taking their positions to witness the gladiators of Group A, Group B and WRC doing battle. Generational talents pass by: Röhrl, Kankkunen, Mäkinen, Loeb and Ogier.
And who can forget Petter Solberg’s icy demise in 2005? Ironic, considering his son is currently leading the 2026 event.
Sure, this stage has been in other rally games; DiRT Rally 2.0, Kylotonn’s WRC series, Sébastien Loeb Rally Evo, but the sinewy ribbon of road has been fully laser-scanned for AC Rally, bringing every bump, gully and camber to life.
As we’ve seen with the game’s incumbent tests, the developers have created roads that feel alive, and this could well be the definitive way to virtually experience the Monte.
Monte magic
Drivers usually begin their ascent to the Col de Turini from the village of La Bollène-Vésubie. Conditions here can be damp, but as the road snakes upwards towards Moulinet, the asphalt becomes slushier, snowier and icier, with ragged cliffs eager to bite the unwary. This makes tyre choice vitally important.
Should a driver go with studded tyres to make traversing the ice easier, or should they go with super soft compound tyres to make the most of the damp conditions? Or would a full winter tyre offer a better compromise? Such are the tricky decisions faced by WRC competitors, with one wrong choice potentially costing them minutes, or worse.
If AC Rally can emulate this quandary, it’ll be onto a winner.
La Bollène-Vésubie will be run twice during this year’s Monte, and, crucially, will act as the Power Stage. Can Solberg create another glorious slice of Monte history this Sunday?
Sisteron
Sisteron is another classic Monte stage, in use since the ‘70s. Sadly, it isn’t being run this year, much to the drivers’ relief…
It begins with a fast-paced, wide-open section before ascending the Alps, and you know what this means: ice. At higher altitudes, the stage is almost undriveable; no amount of titanium studs can keep the cars in line. In fact, it’s up there with the most challenging stages in Monte history.
The proximity of the road to the mountainside, combined with the shelter of overhanging trees, gives the verglas Carlos Sainz-levels of staying power, with the effect worsened by fading light.
If it feels a bit parky as you roll up to the start line, it’s almost certain there will be a few kilometres of sheet ice to deal with as you approach the town of Thoard, making the famously slick section of Sisteron a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Sisteron has a different character from La Bollène-Vésubie, but it offers more opportunities to admire the beautifully jagged Alpine landscape. It’s less claustrophobic for the most part, with more opportunities to see a couple of corners ahead and really stretch your car’s legs.
Slippery slope
Thanks to the WRC Service Park’s move south from Gap to the Monaco harbour, Sisteron is unlikely to return to the rally’s itinerary in the near future, but being able to drive it in AC Rally will soften the blow a little.
And judging from the few screenshots we’ve seen of both Sisteron and La Bollène-Vésubie, it’s fair to say the game’s art team has done a stunning job of bringing them to life for its V0.3 build.
These stages are incredibly important for AC Rally, given how hardcore rally fans revere them. If Supernova and Kunos can replicate the changeability and atmosphere of the real-world event, it’ll stand their sim in good stead.
If they can’t, well, it’s a slippery slope to the bottom of the Col…
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