The 2015 FIA World Rally Championship is set to kick off in Monte-Carlo this week with a number of celebrities joining the opening celebrations.
Celebrities include British actor Idris Elba, French Olympian Renaud Lavillenie, six-time Le Mans 24 Hour winner and former F1 driver Jacky Ickx, French actor François Cluzet, and Welsh singer Elin Fflur.
FIA president Jean Todt will host representatives from all 13 rounds plus executives from the motor sport industries based in Place du Casino, near the Hôtel de Paris.
A temporary service area will be set up in the square to provide a base for high-speed passenger rides before an early evening ceremonial start outside the casino.
“Monte-Carlo, home to one of the jewels in the WRC crown, will provide a perfect location to celebrate the start of the 2015 FIA World Rally Championship,” said WRC Promoter managing director Oliver Ciesla.
“We want to offer a special occasion to open the season, an event that appeals not just to the world of WRC, but one that also showcases the excitement and drama of the championship to a broader public.
“Just a few hours later the world’s best rally drivers will contest the year’s opening stages on inhospitable Alpine roads in darkness. Such are the challenges that engage teams, competitors and fans and make our sport such an unpredictable and spectacular one,” added Ciesla.