Quentin Gilbert shines in Var with Citroën

Quentin Gilbert, Jean-Sébastien Vigion, Stéphane Consani and Mathieu Arzeno were all four in the fight for the Citroën Racing Trophy title last weekend at the Rally of the Var. Jean-Sébastien Vigion was well on his way to winning the Championship before seeing his hopes dashed following the breakdown of his gearbox. Stéphane Consani could then take a breather since he had a good lead over Quentin Gilbert, but the Provencal eliminated himself from the fight for the coronation by going off the road. Mathieu Arzeno managed to snatch his third victory of the season against Quentin Gilbert in the last special of the event but it was the latter who won the title synonymous with entry into the Monte-Carlo Rally on a DS3 as well as a position as a customer competition test driver at Citroën Racing.

The 2012 Citroën Racing Trophy champion can only be delighted with this result even if he is missing victory at Var to end his season in the best possible way. “I’m just happy!” My season was a bit up and down, but it ended well thanks to a great team. Thanks also to my co-driver Isabelle Galmiche, who gave me a lot of peace of mind this weekend. There are a lot of people to thank, everyone who believed in me and who worked to get us to where we are today. This rally was grueling and we couldn't get the wrong objective. It's hard to believe to think that I will be at the start of the Monte-Carlo Rally in less than two months. »

Discover the report of the Rallye du Var produced by our special correspondent in the next issue of AUTOhebdo, available from tomorrow in digital version for iPad, PC and Mac, and from Wednesday on newsstands.