Absent in the championship since Ypres, where he unfortunately retired, Bastien Rouard was at the Rallye des Crêtes, where he was in third position before going off the road. Not enough to jeopardize the confidence of the Malonnois at the dawn of his first Spa Rally aboard a 4×4. “We still go out at high speed, but it’s just a nice scare, nothing to dampen our morale. Fortunately, thanks to our sponsors, we were able to find the budget to repair and ensure our departure.”
So I think we can aim for a top 5 without too much pretension, if it’s better, so much the better.
His last participation in Spa dates back to 2017, a season during which he became Belgian RC3 champion aboard a DS3 R3T. “It’s not an advantage in any way because everything is different. First the course, then also and above all the car. But I like driving the Huyndai I20 N Rally2 and this type of course.” He also knows that ahead, things will go very quickly. He wants to approach the race intelligently. “It’s a long rally, not everyone is going to finish. The dry conditions are deceptive because the portions in the undergrowth and a large part of the ropes will still be dirty. You will have to be smart with the tires, because on slicks, This can quickly cause problems.”
But even if his experience of the event will not be very useful to him, he will be able to count on that of his BMA team (based in Thimister-Clermont) and his teammates Cherain and Charles Munster. “They all know the region and the rally. They are at home. So I think we can aim for a top 5 without too much pretension, if it’s better so much the better. We have everything to get there in any case.”
“Dry suits us”
Last year, Namur resident Thibaut Mazuin finished in 8th position after a difficult rally. This year, he is aiming for an even better result. “But the level is raised once again. We still have a lot to test on the car because it is still new. We already wanted to accumulate the kilometers at the Jalhay rally to get used to it but we had to give up after the first Either way, we’ll try to have a good shakedown and take advantage of the dry conditions that await us and which suit us better.”concludes the Skoda driver.
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