Launch of the Rally of Nations

Organized in Mexico in the Guanajuato region in order to formalize a request for reintegration into the WRC calendar, the event opened with the official photo bringing together all the protagonists.

Published on 31/03/2022 à 17:24

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Loic Rocci

The crowd was already large and the atmosphere very relaxed when all the teams who will compete from Friday evening presented themselves in the center of León. All dressed in the same t-shirt, the pilots and their navigator sat on the stage with their flag in hand. Among the ten nations present, it was possible to recognize several known faces. Winner of the recent rally from Fafe to ERC, Nil Solans was happy to be there as were the two Italian hopes Alberto Battistolli and Andrea Mabellini who gave Antony Fotia a hard time in the Azores last week. Smiling, Harri Rovanperä still wondered if he would still be able to drive, having not driven in a race for years. Already reddened by the sun, the Norwegians Mads Ostberg and Eyvind Brynildsen were favored by the forecasts, the two Vikings having competed in this event in WRC.

©Loïc Rocci

This will not be the caseAdrien fourmaux who will completely discover the land, but who has already fallen under the charm of the place. In any case, the flow was going very well with Didier Auriol, his teammate in Team France. The 1994 World Champion was eager to get to the heart of the matter.

Alex Coria, Adrien Fourmaux, Didier Auriol and Denis Giraudet

©Loïc Rocci

A little later in the evening, a welcome “fiesta” allowed the different actors to discuss their impressions and their ambitions while enjoying local specialties. Reconnaissance then began on Thursday morning, with competitors having approximately 12 hours to complete the entire course. The shakedown will start on Friday at 12:08 p.m. (20:08 p.m. in France, Editor's note) before the first qualifying rounds in the city of Guanajuato at the end of the day following a starting ceremony which is always very spectacular.