 [31-05-2016]
PIERRE RAGUES PREPARES FOR TENTH LE MANS 24 HOURS AT OFFICIAL TEST
[Full Article]
 [07-05-2016]
PIERRE RAGUES FIGHTS HARD FOR THRILLING PODIUM IN SUNNY SPA
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 [02-05-2016]
PIERRE RAGUES READY TO CONTINUE GT PODIUM RUN IN 6 HOURS OF SPA
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 [23-04-2016]
LYON-CHARBONNIERES MISFORTUNE HALTS PIERRE RAGUES PODIUM RUN
[Full Article]
 [20-04-2016]
PIERRE RAGUES READY FOR RALLY PODIUM PUSH AFTER SILVERSTONE SUCCESS
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[23-04-2016]
LYON-CHARBONNIERES MISFORTUNE HALTS PIERRE RAGUES PODIUM RUN
 Rally star Pierre Ragues’ strong run of podium results came to an unfortunate end today as the French ace was forced to retire from Rallye Lyon-Charbonnieres with a broken gearbox.
Pierre, taking part in his third rally event of 2016, and second consecutive French Rally Championship round, was determined to maintain his run of class podiums but the tough conditions made for a challenging two days.
Pierre started the two-day rally reacquainting himself with the Citroën DS3-R5 and the 2C Yacco team, alongside co-driver Julien Pesenti. In sunny and relatively warm conditions on Friday, Pierre sought to regain his rally rhythm and was running in the top-five in class. Times were close but Pierre was not overly pleased with his day.
Wet conditions greeted drivers on Saturday morning, making tyre choice and strategy crucial. Pierre’s objective of chasing the podium and getting back into the fight for the Michelin Trophy was cut short in the morning’s SS9. In a 1st gear hairpin, Pierre touched the Armco but the bumper of his car became stuck. Unable to remove it himself, he lost around 15 minutes of time while the car was retrieved.
He was initially able to continue, but took a cautious approach in the subsequent SS10 to make it to service. Pierre could already see signs of gearbox damage, which were unfortunately confirmed at service. The damage was irreparable and, so, he was forced to retire from the event.
Pierre said: “I have enjoyed tackling the legendary Lyon-Charbonnieres rally this weekend, and again being part of the 2C Yacco team. As always, it’s a joy to drive the Citroën DS3-R5 alongside Julien, but it’s been a very difficult event. An early retirement was certainly not what we had planned, nor what we wanted but sometimes these thing happen in competitive rallying. The first day was already challenging but we were able to maintain top-five pace. The times were close but I was trying to find my rhythm and build confidence in the car. The wet and colder conditions today added to our challenge but we started calmly. Unfortunately, in SS9, in a slow first-gear hairpin, I touched the Armco and the car just got stuck. The bumper was jammed and we lost 15 minutes while we had the car removed. I nursed the car through SS10 and made it to service but it was clear there was already an issue with the gearbox. When the team looked at it more closely during service, we realised it was too badly damaged to continue. That was the end of our rally. A disappointing result, for sure, but one from which we will learn. I was hoping for another podium but sometimes things don’t go to plan. It’s a shame but I’d like to thank the 2C Yacco team and my partners Group Auto, Top Garage, Ellip6 and Sparco. Finally, I’d like to extend my congratulations to the 2C Yacco team and Sylvain Michel on their class win, which helps them to retain lead of the Championship.”
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