September 2015
Albatec Racing Vice-Champions In Supercar And RX150
Croft, North Yorkshire (UK) — Sunday 11 October 2015; Albatec Racing brought its British Rallycross Championship campaign to a close clinching the vice-champion spot in both the Supercar and RX150 classes following an eventful final round at Croft this weekend. Andy Scott went into the event 12 points adrift of the series leader, knowing only a third victory of the season would realistically keep his hopes alive.
Second in Saturday’s opening heat behind an in-form Kevin Procter and champion-elect Julian Godfrey was a good start to the day’s proceedings, but there was drama aplenty in both heat two races. For Andy, contact on lap one with Andy Grant saw the Dumfries racer spinning off onto the grass, but a good recovery placed him third at the flag. For Godfrey, a suspected transmission failure saw him pull off into retirement, offering renewed hope for the Albatec Team Principal ahead of heat three.
In that Andy started from pole and after a false start saw the race aborted, he led away at the lights and was never headed, powering his 600bhp Peugeot 208 RX Supercar to a 14 second advantage to take the race win and a comfortable heat victory.
Lining up on the middle of the front row for the all-important Final, Andy got away third, passing Andy Grant on lap two to take second. Despite a spirited drive by the Team Principal, he was unable to make a move on the leader Procter, finishing second to secure the championship runner-up position just seven points behind.
In RX150, double and reigning champion Marc Scott continued his season-long battle with Chrissy Palmer, but ultimately the Lochmaben racer had to give best to his season-long rival in the final race of the year. Fifth after the opening heat after contact with Palmer saw him spinning onto the grass, Marc bounced back to take second in heat two, and third in the final heat to ensure the battle would really go down to the wire.
Starting from the outside of the front row for the Final, Marc made a good start to claim second, but could do nothing to catch Palmer ahead, leaving the Albatec racer to follow him home to the flag and miss out on a third crown by just a single point.
Sunday saw the North Yorkshire track host the prestigious MSA British Rallycross Grand Prix where all classes, with the exception of RX150s, Retro Rallycross and the Juniors, compete together for the coveted crown. Not content with contesting the Grand Prix in his two-litre, 16v 208, Andy also took the wheel of Marc’s buggy in the RX150 event.
Andy led the opening heat before a spin dropped him down the order. Recovering to take second in the two remaining heats, he lined up on the outside of the front row for the Final. A good start put him third but after running wide he made contact with Ryan Champion, whose buggy was subsequently left stranded on the track, forcing race stoppage. At the restart another good start saw Andy third off the line, before Champion moved ahead to claim the position, leaving Andy to take fourth at the finish.
The battle for the Supercar crown was even more eventful for Andy. A spirited drive across all three qualifying heats saw him consistently in among the action and in contention for the GP win.
In his opening heat he took third behind Godfrey and Procter, and in the second, third to Godfrey and O’Donovan. The final heat again saw a clean start by Andy to run second on the approach to turn one, before O’Donovan found a way past, demoting the Scot to third.
Their battle intensified on lap two, and resulted in contact, which dropped the Peugeot driver to sixth. Charging through the field, Andy moved up to fourth, and a terrific pass on Andy Grant on the last lap earnt third at the flag.
Starting on the front row for the ten-car, six lap Grand Prix, Andy made a good start to run second into turn one, before being squeezed out, dropping to third when O’Donovan took the place. A race-long scrap with the Irishman resulted in the pair swapping paint until the last lap, when Andy forced a way through and into second, securing the race fastest lap on the way.
Andy Scott, Albatec Racing Team Principal & Driver :
“I’m as happy as anyone can be finishing second, but hats off to Julian who drove a great weekend. My starts let me down really as I know I had good pace across the weekend and it was a close run at the finish, losing out by just seven points.
“It all got a bit desperate out there at times, which for the others is OK it’s their last race of the season, but for Albatec, well we’ve got the final round of Euro RX to get ready for next weekend, so it’s straight into re-prepping the cars for Jérôme and James in Franciacorta.”
Marc Scott, Albatec Racing driver :
“It was a pretty dismal day really and a massive disappointment to lose the championship by just one point. I had three pretty mediocre heats to be honest, I just didn’t seem to have my usual pace and as good a set-up as Chrissy’s, it was hard to keep right with him, never mind pass him. But that’s racing, you have to take the ups with the downs and overall it’s been another great year for rallycross.”
Albatec Fired Up For Croft Grand Finale And Grand Prix
Dumfries, Scotland (UK) — Friday 9 October 2015; Albatec Racing is gearing up for its last appearance on UK soil in the final round of the MSA British Rallycross Championship in association with the Shannon Group and the MSA British Rallycross Grand Prix at Croft this weekend. Dumfries racer Andy Scott is currently second in the British RX title battle in his two-litre 16v Peugeot 208 RX Supercar, following two wins and two second places, and trails the leader by just 12 points (11 with dropped scores).
Hunting his third consecutive title, reigning RX150 champion Marc Scott will also be competing in North Yorkshire, looking to add to his impressive tally of wins aboard his 1000cc buggy, as he bids to overhaul the slender two-point deficit to the championship leader. With dropped scores coming into play, Marc leads by four points, and, like his father Andy, the Lochmaben racer will not settle for anything but victory to seal the title.
Both know it won’t be an easy task amid a quality entry that sees four drivers, including three race winners, still in with a shout of lifting the coveted Supercar crown on Saturday. The task is a little easier for Marc, with himself and series leader Chrissy Palmer the only drivers to have taken victory this year, however with World RX star Andreas Bakkerud among the RX150 entry it looks certain to be a fight to the crown.
Once the domestic championship has been decided on Saturday, Croft then hosts the jewel in the crown of British rallycross, the MSA British Grand Prix on Sunday which pitches all classes, with the exception of Juniors, RX150 & Retro Rallycross, head-to-head across three qualifying heats. Andy missed this event last season due to clashing commitments, but in 2013 came close to lifting the crown after leading much of the Grand Prix before an opportunistic and ultimately successful move by Kevin Procter, saw the Ford driver grab the win.
Track action on Saturday gets underway with free practice at 09.00, followed by timed practice at 10.00 and heat one immediately after. Heat two starts at 11.10, with the final qualifying heat at 12.15. The finals start at 14.00. Sunday follows a similar schedule, but as always is subject to amendment. Details of television coverage, including live streaming and live timing is available from www.rallycrossbrx.com
Andy Scott, Albatec Racing Team Principal & Driver :
“I’m looking forward to racing at Croft, it’s a circuit at which I’ve had some good results over the last few years, and now we’re going there with one thing only on our mind, to win the championship and the Grand Prix. I’ve won already at Croft this season, so it’s certainly possible to do it again, however I can only control my own race, and I will do the best I can to bring home victory.
“Things are a little closer for Marc, with the RX150 title really going down to the wire; two points behind, but four ahead when dropped scores come into play means the fight between him and Chrissy is very tight. Marc beat him fair and square last time out though, and I’m sure he’ll be able to deliver the goods on Saturday.”
Albatec Looking To Fulfil Eastern Promise In World RX Of Turkey
Dumfries, Scotland (UK) — Wednesday 30 September 2015; Albatec Racing heads East to Asia for round 11 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy at the Intercity Istanbul Park this weekend (3&4 October). The Dumfries team currently lying second in both the European and British championships, with Jérôme Grosset-Janin and Andy Scott respectively, has been consistently fast this season and looks to World RX of Turkey to fulfil its potential.
Albatec’s return to World RX sees Flying Finn Kristian Sohlberg make his much-anticipated series debut aboard one of the team’s 600bhp two-litre 16v Peugeot 208 RX Supercars. The rapid former World Rally Championship (WRC) ace was quickly up to speed in Rallycross France at Pont de Ruan in his Konttorityö-backed motor, comfortably qualifying for the semi finals until heavy contact brought his weekend to a finish.
At Pembrey he proved one to watch among the British RX pacesetters; fastest overall on his first ever run around the Welsh track, and on course for a place in the finals until a cracked manifold ended his charge. Now the former Mitsubishi works driver heads into his first ever World RX event determined to repeat the team’s performance last year that saw Team Principal Andy qualify for the semi finals for the fifth of six appearances.
The Intercity Park, located in Akfırat village east of Istanbul, was home to the Formula One Grand Prix until 2011, and last year held its first World RX event. The specially constructed 1300m rallycross course that utilises parts of the F1 track saw some of the best racing of the year, in front of around 18,000 enthusiastic spectators.
This year’s event sees track action get underway with open practice at 11.00 on Saturday, followed by the first of two qualifying heats at 14.00, and the second at 16.00. Sunday resumes with morning warm-up at 09.15, ahead of heat three at 10.30, and the final heat at 12.00. The semi finals and Final start at 15:00. Further information, live timing and live streaming (country-dependent), is available from www.fiaworldrallycross.com. (All other times local, note Turkey is two hours ahead of the UK).
Andy Scott, Albatec Racing Team Principal :
“We’re very excited about returning to Intercity Park. It really is an amazing track, one of the best the series goes to, and incredibly technical where the slightest mistake can cost valuable time.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how Kristian gets on in World RX, after two very strong outings it’s obvious he has great potential, but this weekend is the ultimate test at the pinnacle of rallycross. I’m sure he will go well in Turkey, but it will be important to be clean and tidy to get a good result.”
Kristian Sohlberg, Albatec Racing driver #146 :
“I’m feeling very excited about Turkey, a little nervous but just counting down the days until my first World RX race. I’m also feeling confident, not so much in myself, but certainly about the car and the Albatec team. I know I’m fast enough to be fighting for the win against the best in the sport, and my goal is to be among them in the future… But for the race weekend I need to be clever and not do anything stupid. I know some of the drivers already, and how they are on track so I need to be smart, as Petter [Sohlberg] also told me.
“I’ve been watching video footage of the track, but apart from that it’s all new to me, though I have heard it’s very nice and the gravel part is very slippery! I’ve also increased my physical training. Sports and training is in my daily routine anyway, but I have done extra in preparation. I feel that in any sport where you need maximum concentration, fitness is important. It’s good to know that you are as fit as possible so the weekend is not dependent on that.
“Albatec has done a great job in developing the 208 this year. I did a differential test in France recently, and we found something there so it’s making progress all the time. The car’s raw power is amazing though, I’m used to high torque engines but the raw power and driveability is fantastic. I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the beast again.”
Cracking Pace Nets Third Fastest Heat Time For Grosset-Janin
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona (Spain) — Monday 21 September 2015; Albatec Racing was denied the chance to return to the FIA European Rallycross Championship podium in Spain this weekend, despite a stunning pace that netted the third fastest overall for Jérôme Grosset-Janin in heat three. The Frenchman, in his Poujoulat-backed Peugeot 208 RX Supercar, won two of the four Euro RX heats, with second in the third, and not even a non-finish in the fourth could stop the former French champion from easily progressing to the finals.
The brand new Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya provided plenty of action, with the opening heat race seeing Jérôme take the win, the Euro RX lead, and the eighth fastest overall time. Heat two proved frustrating after a broken left front wheel saw the title contender stranded out on track on the first lap, which dropped him down the overnight standings.
He bounced back in Sunday’s final two heats however, a comfortable race win and a cracking pace securing the third fastest overall time and a slot in the final race of heat four. A good start nearly ended in disaster, sandwiched between the cars of Tanner Foust and Robin Larsson, he managed to avoid any damage, and went on to finish second fastest in Euro RX, and secure pole for the second semi-final.
Second in that earnt him a second row start for the all-important final and after a good getaway he managed to avoid the sliding Tommy Rustad, but contact with Jonni-Pekka Rajala on the exit of turn one brought his race, and his bid for a third podium finish, to an end.
The weekend proved tough for his British team-mate James Grint, the rallycross newcomer hitting a concrete wall on the first lap of his first heat race. Substantial damage sustained to his Up&Go Peugeot 208 RX Supercar meant he was unable to start the second heat race, dropping the Hertfordshire driver down the order at the overnight point.
Come Sunday morning, the former rallyman was up in race one of heat three, alongside Jérôme, in which he finished third to move him back up the order. In his final race, an out of control Max Pucher hampered James’ progress, the Briton forced to take avoiding action and dropping him back out of contention for a third semi final appearance of the season.
With an appearance in World RX with Flying Finn Kristian Sohlberg in two weeks time, followed by a return to the British Rallycross Championship with Andy Scott at Croft a week later, Albatec returns to Euro RX for the final round in Franciacorta, Italy over the weekend of 17&18 October.
Andy Scott, Albatec Racing Team Principal :
“It’s been a mixed weekend for Team Albatec. On Saturday Jérôme was very good, he was leading the times in Euro RX, and driving well, but a small mistake meant he dropped down to P10. But we all had belief in him and that he could bring it back. He lined up for heat three and drove an absolutely amazing race to set the fastest time, which was only beaten in the last heat by two other drivers, a truly remarkable drive. In heat four, the last heat of the day with all the top drivers, he drove another good race, a solid performance, which allowed him to take pole for his semi final.
“In the semi final he didn’t make the best start and was out-dragged by Veiby into the first corner, but had a good fight throughout, pushing him to the finish. In the final starting P3 on the second row obviously it was always going to be tough with six guys wanting to win, and he needed to win to keep the championship fight alive. He made a reasonable start but got caught up in the inevitable first corner collision. In turn two, he tried to make a move around the outside, but unfortunately he got some contact from another driver and suffered broken rear suspension. He showed amazing speed when he was going though and we go forward to Italy to fight for the championship.
“James had a mixed weekend, with not much practice on Saturday and in heat one he was very unlucky. He made a small mistake and hit the concrete wall, which damaged the left side of the car. In heat three he drove very well, with quick times, which would usually be enough to get him through. His driving is improving race on race, and our ambition is to get him through to the final in Italy.”
Jérôme Grosset-Janin, Albatec Racing driver #74 :
“First of all I think it’s great to be part of the first ever World and Euro RX event in Spain, the organisers did a great job in producing a track that is very interesting to drive, with a good mix of technical and very specific areas, it’s been great to race here.
“We had a good pace with the car and I was pretty unlucky in heat two, I made a little mistake, and maybe I should have done something a little different. But to be third fastest overall in heat three was very important for me, the team, for all at Albatec Racing, for everyone working with us. The semi final was good, I had a good fight with Ole-Christian Veiby, I really enjoyed that, and it was a lot of fun. But in the final I was involved in a heavy collision with another driver, which I feel could have been avoided, after all we’re all here fighting for the championship! Now let’s see what happens in Italy!”
James Grint, Albatec Racing driver #27 :
“It’s not really gone my way this weekend. We had a technical issue in open practice, which meant we only got one clean run, so four laps only. We went into the first heat with a good start, and everything was going well, but in the really bad visibility in the dust, I went off and hit a concrete wall. So it was a big push to get the car ready, the boys did a great job, but we missed the second heat.
“In heat three we had a good run, finished third, with a decent time. Then in heat four I had a battle at the start with another car, which saw us drop back, and we lost quite a bit of time. But that’s the way it goes. Even with a few problems, we were on course to qualify for the semis. The pace is there, I feel great in the car but if you have a few problems in rallycross it hampers your overall result. You need at least three clean heats. It’s tough luck we didn’t get out in heat two, but that’s what happens when you crash.
“I’m looking forward to Italy. I think it will suit the car. We’ve got some really good dampers, this is the biggest jump I’ve done on the X-Tec dampers, and they’re everything you could want in a rallycross car, it lands like a cat. So I’m looking forward to Italy to see how brave we can be over the jumps.”
Albatec Aims To Reign In Spain
Dumfries, Scotland (UK) — Friday 18 September 2015; A brand new rallycross track greets Dumfries team Albatec Racing this weekend, when the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy heads to Barcelona, Spain for the penultimate round of Euro RX. After three rounds Jérôme Grosset-Janin is placed second following victory, second and fourth places in Belgium, Germany and Norway, with the Frenchmen keen to get back to the top step of the podium aboard his Poujoulat-backed Peugeot 208 RX Supercar.
In round three, the former French champion was joined in the semis by his young British team-mate James Grint, marking the former rallyman’s second appearance in the finals in three events. The Hertfordshire driver was comfortable and consistently quick at the wheel of his Up&Go-backed 208 last time out, and determined to capitalise on that as he looks for another strong result in Spain.
The new Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, home to the Formula One and MotoGP events, is unusual in featuring an uphill start leading into a long, sweeping left hander at turn one, traditionally used as the right-handed penultimate corner of the MotoGP lap. The 1.133m track also utilises the penultimate corner of the F1 track, where the chicane will provide a thrilling last corner joker lap. Always a great leveller, the new circuit promises plenty of action, with the wide, smooth, fast tarmac coupled to two gravel sections and numerous elevation changes, amid a stadium section offering fantastic viewing for the crowd.
Track action in Spain gets underway with practice at 09.30am on Saturday 19 September, with the first heats starting at 12.30 and the second at 14.45. Sunday warm-up starts at 08.30 with heat three at 10.00, and the fourth at 11.15. The semi-finals and Final start at 13.40. Live timing, live streaming in certain territories, and additional information can be found on the official website at www.rallycrossrx.com.
Andy Scott, Albatec Racing Team Principal :
“It’s always exciting to go to a new circuit, so I’m looking forward to going to Barcelona. A new track means we’re all starting from the same point, but naturally it also means you have no idea what to expect. But I’m confident the organisers and IMG will deliver another great new event.
“Albatec had a good result last time out in the European series in Norway with both Jérôme and James reaching the semi finals again and in France with Jérôme and Yvan Muller we were consistently in the top ten across three of the heats, so we head to Spain optimistic of another strong result.”
Jérôme Grosset-Janin, Albatec Racing driver #74 :
“Barcelona is a new discovery for us and it is exciting to have this feeling of the unknown! There is a strong battle in the European RX championship and everything could go well, or indeed the wrong way.
“But as usual, I will do my best, to get the best out of the car, and work with the team to be on top!”
James Grint, Albatec Racing driver #27 :
“It’s been quite a while since Norway, but I’m pretty focused and as ready as I can be. I usually manage to get a test in the car before a race but that’s not been possible this time so Norway was the last time in the car. But I’m sure we will be quick!
“I think the new track will be a bit of a leveller as the experienced guys won’t have any data for the new track. The pace will still be insane but I’d expect a smaller gap between teams and drivers here. I’m pretty happy to have made the semi finals twice in three races. In Estering I just about made the cut but in Norway I feel I really deserved my place in the semi finals, so I will be looking to improve on that performance. I think the pace is good enough for the finals so I will be pushing to get in there!
“Jerome is a great teammate. He pushes me and helps me find a few extra tenths with my lap times so I’m really glad to have him around. The team is fantastic, I’ve got two great mechanics and one of the best engineers I’ve ever known behind me and of course Andy up in the spotters tower!! All these guys are pushing to unlock even more potential from our 208s and you can feel the car improving each time I sit in it. So well done to the guys they’re doing a great job.”
Consistent Pace In Lohéac Reaffirms Albatec’s Front-Running Status
Lohéac, Brittany (France) — Sunday 6 September 2015; Albatec Racing reaffirmed its status as a front-running team with a consistent performance in the Bretagne World RX of France in Lohéac this weekend. Despite a constant pace across the weekend that saw Yvan Muller and Jérôme Grosset-Janin in the top ten in three of the four qualifying heats, the Albatec duo was unfortunately denied the opportunity to progress to the semi finals with its pair of Peugeot 208 RX Supercars.
After a solid opening heat that saw Euro RX title contender Jérôme fifth fastest overall, and Yvan an impressive eighth quickest in his very first RX heat, it was the second race on Saturday that proved the thorn in the side of the Scottish team and its French aces. A left front puncture on lap two ended Jérôme’s charge while running well within the top ten overall, while contact with Toomas Heikkinen pitched four-time World Touring Car Champion Yvan into a spin in his race, dropping him down the overall order.
A determined and solid performance across Sunday’s final two qualifiers saw Yvan tenth fastest in heat three, after leading 2013 French champion Jérôme home to a thrilling Albatec 1-2, while Jérôme finished tenth overall in the final heat. However, they were unable to pull back the points deficit ahead of the crucial qualifying, finishing 14th and 19th of the 37-car entry.
Despite the unlucky finish to a weekend that promised so much, the Dumfries outfit will resume its bid for European title honours in Barcelona in two weeks time with renewed enthusiasm, where James Grint joins Jérôme for round four of the FIA European Rallycross Championship.
Andy Scott, Albatec Racing Team Principal :
“Unfortunately we didn’t make the cut to reach the semi finals this weekend, but I think both our drivers demonstrated their capabilities, and reinforced the pace and performance of the Albatec Peugeot 208s. If you’d applied an average position to them for the second heat, where they both had their troubles yesterday, we’d have had both Jérôme and Yvan easily qualify to the semi finals. We were consistently in the top ten in the races where we didn’t have a problem.
“Naturally it’s the not the way we wanted to end the day, but the cars have been competitive all weekend, and it’s a continuation of all the hard work everyone’s put into the cars this year, and I think everyone in the paddock is now recognising Albatec Racing as a team to be respected.”
Yvan Muller #168:
“I think rallycross is pretty good, it’s a good atmosphere, and there is a lot of freedom. I liked it especially as it’s something I didn’t know and there are plenty of things to learn. The trouble is when you still have a lot of things to learn and you’re racing at this level, it’s quite complicated. But we showed the Albatec cars are capable of being in the top ten, there are still some things to improve, to optimise, in myself as well, in fact more in myself than anything else
“But it was an interesting weekend. The biggest challenge was to understand how to drive exactly, you know when you’re testing you drive on your own level, you don’t know what the others are doing so now I know a bit more. I understand more how the tyres are working, how much to attack, and which way we have to work on the car to gain some speed. And which way I have to work to gain more time with my driving style. I think right now we have the potential to gain between three and five tenths of a second a lap, easily!”
Jérôme Grosset-Janin #74:
“I was happy with our pace on Saturday, in practice and in the first heat, I was happy with the car, and happy to be racing at the level I was, and to win the battle with Davy [Jeanney]. The second race started well, I had a good joker lap, but then got a puncture.
“Today was good because we had a good heat this morning with Yvan, where we raced together, and heat four was fast. I felt good, the car had very good balance and we had good pace all weekend. Unfortunately at this level of competition, which was very, very high this weekend, with a lot of drivers, every mistake costs a lot, and unfortunately we didn’t reach the semi finals. OK we have the car, the team, the pace, and after everything else, those final little things are just motorsport.”
Albatec Ready For French Classic World RX At Lohéac
Dumfries, Scotland (UK) — Wednesday 2 September 2015; Albatec Racing embarks on its most important event of the year, round nine of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy at Lohéac this weekend. Fielding its Peugeot 208 RX Supercars for four-time World Touring Car Champion and ten-time Andros Trophy winner Yvan Muller, alongside former French rallycross champion and Euro RX title contender Jérôme Grosset-Janin, Lohéac marks something of a ‘home’ event.
Having previously reached the semi finals at the legendary track, located near the tiny village of Loheác, Brittany, Albatec heads into the weekend with a point to prove and arguably one of the strongest driver pairings in the 37-car field. In 2013 Andy Scott and Citroën World Rally Championship ace Kris Meeke narrowly missed out on progressing to the finals, but last year the Albatec Team Principal made the grade amongst a quality field.
The long-awaited appearance of Yvan in World RX follows two test sessions for the former British Touring Car Champion, most recently last month where he joined Jérôme, Kristian Sohlberg and James Grint for two days at Chateauroux. The Citroën WTCC star was consistently quick as he got to grips with the 600bhp two litre 16v motor, and showed all the flair that netted a record 10 ice racing titles.
For 2013 French Rallycross Champion Jérôme, Lohéac marks a one-off outing in World RX this year, the Frenchman contesting the five rounds of Euro RX in which victory in Belgium, second in Germany and fourth in Norway, place him second in the overall standings. The experienced racer will start among the favourites on his home track, and will doubtless be keen to impress in front of the enthusiastic supporters.
Track action starts with open practice at 10.30am on Saturday 5 September, with the opening two heats starting from 14.00. Warm-up at 08.30 on Sunday morning (6 September) starts track proceedings with the third heats from 10.00, and the fourth at 11.30. The semi-finals and Final start at 15.00. Live timing, live streaming in certain territories, and additional information can be found on the official website at www.rallycrossrx.com.
For a recap of Yvan’s first taste of Albatec’s Peugeot 208 RX Supercar, click the link here https://youtu.be/w1v_FBhWXT0
Andy Scott, Albatec Racing Team Principal :
“This event is probably the biggest event of the year for Albatec as a team; a French car, on a French track, with two French drivers and some of our key personnel are French, so it’s like a home event for us. Personally I love the track, the atmosphere, the crowd, the organisers do a great job and of course IMG as always will put on a great show.
“In Yvan and Jérôme we have two very strong drivers, with a lot of experience between them, however the field is exceptionally strong and the competition fierce, so we’re under no illusions that it will be a tough challenge.”
Yvan Muller #168:
“I’m very excited about racing in Lohéac, particularly the very first start and the first corner. I spent some time learning the track on a simulator, but of course you can’t compare that to racing there. The cars are great and very fast, and have been designed to be good on both tarmac and gravel, so I’m sure there will be some compromise required. I think the biggest challenge will be to learn how much to attack on the gravel, and indeed the tarmac, to make sure I look after the tyres across the weekend.
“I don’t have any specific plans, just to explore and to learn, so I have not set myself any goals for the weekend. Rallycross has grown so much, and has a great future ahead of it, and at world championship level I expect the battle to be very intense.”
Jérôme Grosset-Janin #74:
“I’m feeling good about my home event, it is good to feel the atmosphere to come, it’s exciting. Loheác is a very special event on the RX calendar, with all its history, it’s the place where rallycross arrived in France nearly 50 years ago and the crowd is also very impressive. It’s a typical French gravel track, so thankfully there’s no dust! I made the podium there when it was a French championship round and the semi final last year, so I have hopes of a great result this year.”