Patrick Pivato at Lyon-Charbonnières

Released from the hospital on March 21, Patrick Pivato quickly recovered from the after-effects of leaving the road at rally of Japan in October 2008. The Lyonnais co-driver remains a great enthusiast of rallying and fine mechanics.

« I went to the Rallye Passion evening in Gap where I was very happy to meet people from the rally. Here, at Lyon-Charbo, I returned to a race for the first time since my accident."

Messages of encouragement follow one another, people stop to greet him and ask for news on his state of health: “ From the start I was surprised by people's attention to me. At the hospital, the phone kept ringing."

Present at the Lyon-Charbonnières rally as a spectator, Patrick Pivato gave a long interview to Autohebdo.fr.

How do you view the rally and the French championship?

« The Lyon-Charbonnières rally is the most significant because it takes place in the region where I live but it also marks the start of the season. It is one of the most beautiful events of the championship with wide and fast roads. The interest of Charbo' is to discover new drivers, new cars at all levels. For some, this is a big change. The French championship is the most beautiful and varied in all of Europe with lots of people and above all lots of different cars. Everyone was reassured by seeing the number of entrants in Lyon. There are always WRC but more and more Super 2000s. It's a sort of transition with the arrival of more modern cars. I believe that the S2000 regulations correspond to the future."

Let's talk a little about the world championship. You were with the official Ford team in 2008. Can it still react this year against Citroën?

« Not much is missing for the Ford to be in front. Hirvonen is capable of doing it but he is not helped by his teammate. Mikko must secure the Manufacturers points alone otherwise it will be a disaster for his team. He must not ride in the same state of mind as Seb Loeb who can rely on the presence of Dani Sordo. When we look at the images from the Norway rally for example, it seems to me that the Ford is a little less efficient than the C4 because it slips a lot more. The drivers need to rely on the snow walls to limit the extent of the drift while the Citroën remains in the middle of the road. Seb remains an extra-terrestrial. He has the rage to win. If he loses time, like in Ireland at the start, he immediately corrects the situation. He is extraordinary. We are no longer talking about a car but about a crew above the rest." 

How do you rate the level of the WRC and the French championship?

« It is not very far from teams like Bozian or BSA who did not have to be ashamed when they went from the national championship to the world championship. The level in France is excellent. Above all, budgets are missing. The cost of labor is too high compared to neighboring countries. We have the know-how."  

Your first public outing was at the Rallye Passion evening in Gap. What reception did you receive?

« It was fantastic. Really, my heart warmed. I found former drivers like Nicolas Vouilloz who I hadn't seen for a long time and many others. People were happy to see me. Almost tears in my eyes. The highlight of the evening was my appearance on stage when Denis Giraudet called me after the screening of the films. The whole room stood up to applaud. It was very emotional for me. Every day, I am surprised by everything that is happening around me. It's impossible to measure if I hadn't had this accident. Nicolas tells me that I reap what I sow. He told me that if I had been a real idiot, I would have stayed alone in my hospital room!« 
 

Is rallying a sort of second family for you?

« For sure. I have lived in this environment since the age of 12 when I started to recognize special stages with my uncle. At 14, I preferred attendance to school. My whole life is centered around motorsport. My close friends are in this environment. There is a lot of heat. We are talking about a sport of selfish people with a lot of money at stake but human values ​​are very important. Denis abandoned the race in Japan to stay by my side. I tend to see people who have a big heart. François stayed in Japan for a week. I knew he was very touched by what had happened. We keep in touch. I'm expected in Belgium to have a big party. It's going to rain beer... I was also very impressed by all the messages of support coming from this country. There was a huge outpouring of solidarity. On my site too, I received messages from all corners of the world. Already in Japan, I had visits to the hospital from rally enthusiasts whom I did not know. I was surprised by all these reactions. I would have preferred to do without it of course, but you always have to see the positive side of things even in difficult times.« 

Find the rest of the exclusive interview in Auto-Hebdo next Wednesday with the report of the opening round of the 2009 French rally championship.

Eric Briquet