Fabrizia Pons: “I will stop when the phone stops ringing”

Where did your desire to do rallies come from?

It didn't start in my family because no one was interested in it. At a very young age, I became passionate about motocross. I was the only female and I was racing against the boys. As I loved doing mechanics and taking care of my bike, I went to learn in my friends' garages. The machines of the time were very heavy… and I was very thin. Every time I fell, I broke something. The day I had a very serious accident, the Federation no longer wanted to issue me a license.

Did that push you towards automobiles?

In 1976, at age 21, my mom bought me my very first car. It was a 112 hp Autobianchi A70 Abarth. In three days, I had everything necessary in terms of safety installed, the roll bar, the belts, etc. I then lined up at the start of a rally…without telling anyone!

At that time, what was your ambition?

At first, I mainly wanted to please myself. However, I was in a category where there were always a lot of people. At the end of this first experience behind the wheel, I won my class. Little by little, people around me started telling me that I had talent. In the middle of the season, the Jolly Club (see Ah n°2262) gave me an Alfa Sud Gr. 2 and I no longer needed to pay to race.

It was then the Conrero team that recruited you…

En 1977 et 1978, j’étais effectivement pilote officielle Opel Italie, mais après ces deux saisons, je n’ai pas réussi à trouver une auto dans une autre catégorie. La Kadett GT/E était en Gr. 1 et je sav