The perfect weekend !

The perfect weekend !

Every victory tastes special, but this one is really special for many reasons.

Firstly and most importantly is that there are several Portuguese in the team. These are passionate people, who work incredibly hard so that we can drive in perfect conditions. They gave us a boost all weekend and this victory belongs to them as well !

But, let's return to the rally. From the first couple of kilometres, we felt that our Hyundai was running well, and despite our unfavourable position on the course, we managed to push hard and stay within touching distance of the leaders.
Thierry drove perfectly, avoiding the traps and attacking wherever possible. The positioning gradually settled down and we finished the first day in the lead. The ideal scenario !

On Saturday, we needed to consolidate our first place without crashing... an easy thing to do in Portugal. Once again, our partnership worked perfectly and our car ran like clockwork.

The 5 Sunday stages remained, including the double pass over the legendary Fafe. I wish you could all experience the incredible feeling of launching into a jump in front of millions of cheering fans! It's one of the reasons I rally.

Mission accomplished. At the finish we pocketed 25 points for the victory plus 4 bonus points won during the Power Stage. A super result which has enabled us to take the lead in the World Championship.

Finally, I want to thank Charles Vanstalle ("Chavan" to his friends) with whom I took part in the Legend Boucles in Spa and who finished third in this same Portuguese Rally in 1969.

Next stage, Sardinia. We know that it won't be easy, but we're going there more motivated than ever.

More news very soon,

Nicolas