Yoann Bonato passes the Six

Yoann Bonato knows it better than anyone, Mont-Blanc Morzine, rally fast with small gaps in dry conditions can turn into a real headache if rain arrives on one or other of the slopes of the Alpine massif. Relatively lenient with the drivers of the French Championship since the start of the season, the weather decided to disrupt the plans of its players with showers the night before the first stage.

Friday morning, the openers discovered more or less humid stages with portions set to dry quickly. In these conditions, the choice of tires is difficult and everyone opts for a variant with soft, recut soft or wet rubber, depending on the information collected and the feeling. The verdict of the timer falls, it is Yoann Bonato who performs the best operation by relegating his pursuers to more than 15'' after three specials, a chasm on these roads! In the afternoon, on dry roads, the four-time French champion continued to widen the gap. “ The first loop was complicated to manage in terms of tire choice. Deep down, I knew that we needed the Rain tires in the first stage, but I knew that it was going to pose a problem for us later, analyzes Bonato on the evening of the first stage. Our choice was beneficial for SS 2 and 3. This allowed me to open up a big gap. Rain is still forecast for tomorrow morning, we will have to play the game well. »