Julien Ingrassia at the start of the 2023 Dakar

Retired from WRC since his last title obtained at Monza last year, Julien Ingrassia had not announced that he was giving up competition, but that he was taking a step back to do something else. Already involved in training activities such as the operation he carried out in Mexico on the sidelines of the Rally of Nations, the former co-driver at M-Sport ou Toyota was seduced by the project of Corsican Mika Pisano. “ Even though I don't know anything about it rally raid, his approach pleased me because it was with me that he wanted to work, explains Julien. Mika has participated in the event several times on motorcycles and cars. This was an important parameter for me, because I will have to learn everything and his experience will be useful to me to progress quickly. By presenting me early in the year with a project that was already very well finalized, I was won over and I didn't hesitate much before accepting. » Claiming as a reference in this discipline only a visit of a few days to Argentina in 2015, Ingrassia does not intend to wait until December to discover the desert and its traps. True to his reputation as a great professional, he plans to meet people to help him progress. An appointment has already been made with Edouard Boulanger who has 15 years of experience in this environment and who has been working with Stéphane Peterhansel for 2 seasons. “ With Mika, we are also scheduled to participate in a Baja in Andalusia and the Morocco Rally, explains the co-pilot. I've never sat down in a buggy. I know, however, that it will feel strange to go there without a notebook and without a pen. After 16 years of classic rallying, I am going to race without carrying out any prior reconnaissance. However, I suspect that there will be a counterpart with another type of work to be done before and during the stages. » One of the unknowns of the project concerns the car. The crew has several ideas, but they give themselves time to think before determining what the best option will be.

Michael Pisano during the Dakar 2021 (Photo Frédéric Le Floc'h / DPPI)