From July 28 to August 2, 2025, in Luxembourg, Corentin Laville won the European championship title in competitive model car racing on asphalt tracks. A second-year student in the Grande École program on the Cluny campus, he combined passion, rigor, and composure to win at the wheel of his 1/5 scale miniature Formula 1 car.
At just 20 years old, Corentin Laville has just written a beautiful chapter in his career by winning the European championship for asphalt track model car racing. His cars, which are true replicas of Formula 1 cars measuring one meter in length and equipped with combustion engines capable of reaching speeds of up to 90 km/h, allow him to live out his passion, which began at the end of middle school when he joined the Mini Auto Racing Châlonnais club.
Originally from Chalon-sur-Saône, Corentin studied preparatory science classes at Niepce High School before enrolling at Arts et Métiers the Cluny campus. In his first year, he chose the woodworking program and completed a four-week internship in Italy with the manufacturer ModelTEck in Noacco Zeno. Attracted by mechanics and machining, he found his course of study to be a natural continuation of his interest in model making.
" When I'm driving remotely, I imagine myself in the car, like in Formula 1," says the student. On the championship track, he had to demonstrate great control: a competitor stayed on his tail for the first 14 minutes, forcing him to stay calm and focus. After a tire change, Corentin was able to regain the lead and win thanks to the maturity he acquired at Arts et Métiers.
If his vehicle is made up of parts supplied by specialist suppliers, Corentin doesn't hesitate to customize it himself. He designs certain parts, such as the receiver box, using 3D printing. This technical approach perfectly illustrates the link between his engineering training and his passion for sport.
Supported by several sponsors (Sport 2000 in Chalon-sur-Saône, Securitest, Tom Maintenance), as well as by the municipality and the Municipal Sports Office of Chalon-sur-Saône, Corentin is now aiming higher: the world model aircraft championship, scheduled to take place in Lostallo, Switzerland, from July 27 to August 1, 2026.
To continue performing and representing his school and his region, he is actively seeking new financial support. It's a challenge that matches his ambition and talent.
