NEXT EVENT
Days
Hours
Min
Sec
MY PEUGEOT SPORT
PEUGEOT SPORT STORE
FOCUS ON HISTORY
IRC - San Marino (Final report) : Gathering experience
 |
Germain Bonnefis, winner of Peugeot’s 2011 ‘Volant’ series, reached the finish of his first IRC in seventh place but was consequently disqualified. Despite being penalised by the consequences of a double puncture, he still achieved his target for the weekend which was to showcase his speed and gather experience against the championship’s regulars on an event he didn’t know. His run even bagged a fastest stage time. |
A promising showing in Italy
| The weekend’s exercise for Germain Bonnefis and Olivier Fournier was like sitting an exam comprising 13 special stages on which their mission was to show that they mastered their speciality. The challenge also included taking on several factory runners, led by the IRC’s defending champion Andreas Mikkelsen, as well as local experts Umberto Scandola and Giandomenico Basso. The start ceremony was an emotional moment for the French pair as their N°6 Peugeot 207 S2000 passed underneath the San Marino flag. Unfortunately, Germain was unsettled by a spin on the opening 19-kilometre test. As he tried to get going again, he inadvertently switched off the fuel pump and was unable to re-start the engine of his 207 S2000 for some time. Valuable minutes ticked by as he sought the reason for the problem and the French crew eventually emerged from the test in 33rd place, 7m22s behind the leader. Aware that such a big deficit would be impossible to make up, they went into SS2 determined to get as many kilometres under their belt as possible to reach the finish without making any mistakes. “The rally was a fantastic learning exercise for us,” noted Germain Bonnefis. “The aim was to give a glimpse of our speed and pick up speed as we went along. I think we ticked both boxes, but I still need to be more consistent in order to mix it with the front-runners over the full duration of an event. That’s something that comes with experience.” Germain and Olivier profited from the next five stages to post a string of quick times which saw them move up to 20th place overall. “Our car was very reliable and competitive, and that allowed us to challenge for the stage wins,” observed the Frenchman. “We also worked with the team to improve the car’s set-up as the rally progressed.” |  |
So close, yet so far…
| The following morning, the French crew hit the ground running to claim the fastest time on SS8, ahead of Basso and Mikkelsen. Unfortunately, their run suffered a further setback on the following test when they picked up two punctures and a badly damaged rim. At the start of SS10, they were forced to work on the car in a zone where this was not permitted and were ultimately disqualified by the stewards: “Just after the start of SS9, I hit a rock and punctured my two left-hand side tyres. The impact also bent my rear suspension. As we were preparing to start the next stage, I realised that the front-right rim was damaged, as well, so I had no other choice than to put that wheel on another corner of the car, which the marshals obviously saw. Despite our disqualification, we take several positives away with us from the weekend and we learnt so much. I would like to thank Peugeot Sport and my partners for having given me this opportunity to gauge myself against such a high quality field of drivers and manufacturers.” |  |
Other ‘Volant’ runners in San Marino
| Germain Bonnefis wasn’t the only representative of the ‘Volant 207’ series in San Marino since he was joined by the championship’s 2010 winner Laurent Reuche who was also driving a 207 S2000. The Swiss driver’s run came to a halt on SS9 while he was in sixth position. |  |
Peugeot’s single-make rally series: an established feature of the sport in France
| With the 208 due to take over soon from the 207 as the car showcased by the ‘Volant’, Peugeot’s single-make rally series has been an established part of the sport for more than three decades. A succession of top drivers has emerged from the competition’s ranks, including Sébastien Loeb, Sébastien Ogier, Gilles Panizzi, Bryan Bouffier and Cédric Robert. It has long served as a valuable springboard thanks to Peugeot Sport which provides the winner with an opportunity to showcase their talent thanks to a programme at a higher level the following year. Germain Bonnefis is the latest beneficiary of the formula. |  |