Yoann Bonato: “It is difficult to decide on the name of the winner”

What state of mind are you in as you will soon fly to Fafe to attack the reconnaissance before the rally this week-end ? Maybe starting on land isn't ideal for you?

I'm excited to start a new season. It is certain that we run little on this type of terrain. My last experience was in Latvia in July (he finished 10^e of Liepaja). It's a surface that I love and I'm really happy to be able to compete in this event.

What knowledge do you have of chronos in the Fafe region?

I came there in 2016 and 2017 when I competed in WRC2. In ERC, I raced there in 2020 when this round was on asphalt (2^e) then in 2021 with the passage on earth (8^e). Last time, we faced very muddy conditions there. I even almost got stuck on a climb because I couldn't move forward! When it's clean, the stages are particularly beautiful. In terms of profile, it is the gravel rally par excellence.

Have you recently had the opportunity to drive the C3 Rally2 a bit?

We did a development session with Citroën, but mainly on tarmac for me. I will still have a test day in Portugal before the race.

Yoann Bonato and Benjamin Boulloud have already crossed the famous Fafe hump during the 2021 edition (Photo Grégory Lenormand / DPPI)

What does the presence of these 45 Rally2s inspire you at the start?

It is enormous. It even makes the WRC, because not only is the equipment exceptional, but there are also many contenders for victory. Only Nikolay Gryazin and Alexey Lukyanuk are missing. It is very difficult to decide on the name of the winner.

In ERC, there is no single manufacturer. You are progressing in Michelin. Are there anything new?

Fafe indeed marks the introduction of a new tire. With Michelin, we were able to see in testing that it is more efficient, but it must be validated in the race. With its format different from the old ones, with the existence of a right and a left, its structure has been modified and this should result in better evacuation. It should work in wet conditions, but what it lacks is a top driver to exploit it. If we are competitive with it, it will mean that the tire works really well.

What are your hopes at the start of this round?

It is certain that this is not the type of terrain on which we can have the same ambitions as in the Canaries, in Rome or in Hungary. If we want to play in front on the tarmac, it is very difficult for me to set a goal on the gravel. I hope to reduce the gaps with the other competitors as much as possible. If we manage to be under one second per kilometer, that will be very, very good.