WRC3 Champion and winner of the Citroën Top Driver programme, Sébastien Chardonnet will make his WRC2 debut for Citroën at Rally Italia Sardegna.
Alongside his co-driver Thibault de la Haye, Chardonnet will be driving the Citroën DS3 R5, which is the latest addition to Citroën Racing’s customer racing models.
Chardonnet’s six-round programme will see him compete in Poland, Finland, Germany, France and Great Britain.
Chardonnet is aware that stepping up to WRC2 is a big deal but hopes he can adapt to the new DS3 R5. “It’s quite a big step up for me,” said Chardonnet. “I had the chance to take part in the development of the DS3 R5 during the winter and start racking up the miles in a four-wheel drive car.”
“I clearly needed some time to adapt, I found my old reflexes came back from when I used to race on circuit and I really enjoyed driving the car.”
On his way to becoming WRC3 champion Chardonnet claimed two wins and five podium finishes in a Citroën DS3 R3. The young Frenchman hopes this jump to WRC2 can continue to help him improve as a driver and possibly lead to more championships in the future.
“My aim is to fine-tune my driving style and acquire some experience with the car. I am a real competitor at heart, I always want to win. But you always need to go through a period of learning first, and you can’t afford to ignore that.”
“I am treating this first rally with the respect it deserves. I’m very determined to work hard now and hopefully, I’ll reap the rewards in the future!”
