Pierre Ragues will take part in this weekend’s Rallye de Pont l’Evêque, the second running of the December rally which Pierre himself won outright twelve months ago.

 

Part of the Coupe de France des Rallyes, the event represented the first ever overall rally win for the Caen born racer last year, setting the scene for a competitive 2017 season. 

 

Alongside his commitments in the FIA World Endurance Championship, Ragues has taken three rally wins this year, including Saint-Germain-la-Campagne, Rallye de Mézidon-Canon and most recently Rallye National de Lisieux.

 

Julien Pesenti will once again join Ragues on co-driving duties, but this time the duo will compete in a Ford Fiesta R5. With over 170 competitors signed up for the event, it will be a closely contested battle. 

 

The event runs over four stages, all held on Sunday. The rally gets underway with a morning run through the opening 7.91km stage and is quickly followed by a longer 10.6km stage. A repeat loop in the afternoon will bring the total competitive distance to 37km. Pierre will put his rally experience throughout the year to good use as he looks to end the 2017 season on a high. 

 

Pierre said: “The aim for this weekend is to bring my 2017 race and rally schedule to a positive and fitting conclusion. I know we are capable of fighting at the front, both in the R5 class and overall, so I am looking forward to putting the Ford Fiesta R5 through its paces over the four stages. I am sure it will be a close competition but following our three wins this year, Julien and I have our sights firmly at the top. The temperatures are certainly starting to feel colder as we head into December, but that only adds to the challenge of this event. The support of my personal partners TopGarage, Group Auto, Ellip6 and Sparco has been second to none once again, so we want to end on a high note together.”