Two months after his horrific accident at August’s Rallye Deutschland, Stephane Lefebvre makes a welcome return to action this weekend on the penultimate round of the 2016 FIA World Rally Championship at the 2016 Dayinsure Wales Rally GB for the Abu Dhabi Total World Rally Team.
The Frenchman, who will have Gilles de Turckheim on the pacenotes while regular co-driver Gabin Moreau continues his recovery. Lefebvre is feeling 100% ready for the even though he admits his main aim is to rebuild his confidence after his accident in Germany.
“It’s an important weekend, both in terms of finding my speed again and acquiring experience for 2017.
“I feel ready to drive at 100%, on a rally that I really like. At first, the stages don’t seem that difficult. It looks like a series of straight sections and a few more or less muddy changes in direction.
“In the race, however, you realise that you hit the turns a lot quicker than expected and the car doesn’t always stop in the way you intended! You have to ‘read’ the grip changes to stay on the limit without overstepping it.”
The Frenchman showed good pace here at last year’s Wales Rally GB, setting times in the top six on three occasions, whilst on his way to eighth overall in a Citroën DS3 WRC.
Wales Rally GB 2016 gets underway on Thursday evening with the Clocaenog Shakedown stage and the ceremonial start, held at the Eirias Park in Colwyn Bay.
