Cedric Robert and asphalt-specialist Freddy Loix will campaign works 307 WRCs in Rallye de France as Peugeot Sport seeks to secure its first tar rally win of the season this weekend.
Cedric Robert and asphalt-specialist Freddy Loix will campaign works 307 WRCs in Rallye de France as Peugeot Sport seeks to secure its first tar rally win of the season this weekend.
Although Peugeot has struggled with the reliability of the 307 WRC this year, the French team remains hopeful of a good result in Corsica. The 206 WRC made its world debut on the island in 1999 and in 2000 Gilles Panizzi and Francois Delecour finished first and second, with Marcus Gronholm fifth. In 2002, the car scored one of the finest results of its career when it monopolised the top-three, with Panizzi first, Gronholm second and Richard Burns third.
Gronholm and Robert have both been nominated as eligible to score manufacturers’ points in Corsica this weekend and experienced Belgian driver Loix will be given the chance to lead Peugeot’s bid for its second rally win of the season.
“Tour of Corsica is certainly one of my favourite asphalt rallies. The stages are narrow and twisty and more suited to my training as a rally driver than is the case in Spain, which requires more of a racing driving approach. I hope it doesn’t rain. When it does, tyre choice becomes very difficult and can be a bit of a gamble,” Gronholm said this week.
Frenchman Robert was motivated to perform strongly on home soil and did not expect to struggle to drive the 307 WRC, which he said had a “nervous” rear end in Rally Deutschland.
“I feel very confident the problems we came across in Germany have been cured. The 307 WRC is easy to drive with precision on asphalt. It’s enjoyable to drive and usually, when that’s the case, performance comes naturally,” he said.
“The Corsican stages are similar to those we come across in the French Rally Championship. At this point in the championship, our mission will be to show what the 307 WRC is capable of on asphalt. (Peugeot team boss) Corrado Provera has given us a free rein, so if we have a problem-free run and don’t make any mistakes, I think a podium finish is possible,” he added.
