M-Sport and Fourmaux in preparation for Monte-Carlo

The sun hadn't even risen yet when Adrien fourmaux and Alexandre Coria slipped into a rental car to reconnoiter the base. Installed not far from Serres in the Hautes-Alpes, the latter seemed destined for a great exhibition. The road was nevertheless very white with frost in places with also a few treacherous patches of ice that the duo was quick to note. Not very wide, with several bumpy sections, the 3 kilometers chosen gave a good idea of ​​what it will be possible to find in the morning during the Monte-Carlo stages (January 25-28).

“The site is interesting,” concluded the northerner. Our goal is to find settings that give me confidence. We're going to go from strength to strength. » While the first spectators were already installed despite the biting cold, the Puma left the base camp surprisingly located on the square of a small village on the edge of a main road, arousing the curiosity of local residents, but also surprised motorists.

From the first round trips, work began in particular on the suspensions to combine both comfort and efficiency. Adrien spent a good part of his Sunday revolving around something satisfying him. In the evening, he had a smile. “ I can confirm that going to Japan last year without taking a test was not the best thing to dohe explained. After driving a Rally11 for 2 months, there was too much to re-assimilate at once and in very poor conditions. I am happy with what we achieved today. We were able to experiment with settings, try different things, test tire compositions that might be useful during the race. »

The public accompanied the developments of the Puma Rally1 throughout the day (Photo: Loïc Rocci)

The Frenchman was perhaps cautious during the first runs. He wanted to understand the level of grip and get his bearings in the Puma, which he had not driven in the dry since Catalunya 2022. However, the pace did not take long to pick up, offering the numerous spectators a quality show. .

Happy to have been able to use the car on pure tarmac, the crew was ready for its 2^e test day which should take place on a road with ice and snow. At the end of these tests, it will be Grégoire Munster's turn to be able to work with the team for two days as well.

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