Juliette Lepage, blind co-driver in the Richard Mille Rallye des Princesses: "I'm a co-driver like any other"

When asked to introduce herself, Juliette Lepage has her own unique way of doing things. "I often say that I'm triple A: blind, autistic, and, for the third, it depends—adventurous, artistic, author, but always atypical." At 25, the young woman participated this year in her third edition of the Rally of the Richard Mille Princesses (May 23-28, 2026), still as co-pilot… of his mother, Sandrine.

It all started in 2024 when Juliette and Sandrine were looking for an adventure to experience together. The mother-daughter duo, who love to ride and chat, remake the world While driving, I stumbled upon this 100% women's rally. I was immediately captivated: "All the destinations reminded us of an important city in our lives. We told ourselves that we loved adventures and cars, especially vintage ones. It really felt like destiny was leading us there."

A unique organization

To make this "crazy gamble," as Juliette calls it, a reality, the organizer's agreement and the intervention of a third woman in the family—Marine, the eldest sister—were necessary. She received the roadbook in advance, under a confidentiality agreement with the organizer, Peter Auto. Her job: to convert each graphic symbol into written sentences without showing it to anyone, including the crew. "Instead of taking the images, a symbol that turns right, she will write verbatim:" “At 50 m, turn right”. This file is then loaded onto Juliette’s computer, which she transcribes using a braille display.

Inside the car, the two women talked non-stop. "At 48,550, at the stop sign, you'll turn right," Juliette told me. "It's up to me to check that I'm actually at 48,550, that I can see the stop sign, and that I'm turning right." " explains his mother. Before adding with a smile: "That's why we have more of a voice." Year after year, everything improves. During the first edition in 2024, Marine spent five to six hours completing a single step. This year: only three hours. Sandrine, for her part, no longer consults the backup paper version at all. "This year, I haven't watched it at all."

"They see me as Juliette, not as the blind woman."

What the young woman loves about this rally is not just the technique or the progression. It's something deeper, more intimate. "I'm really enjoying this magical interlude where I'm just one co-pilot among many."

Because in everyday life, Sandrine is the one who guides Juliette. But at the rally, the roles are reversed. “I really like it when Sandrine has to trust me completely. When I tell her ‘you’re going straight ahead,’ and she’s not sure, but she listens to me and we realize that, in fact, it makes sense and we haven’t gotten lost. I think that’s the strongest feeling in terms of self-esteem: telling myself OK, I’m a co-pilot like any other. There’s no more blind spot, no more little quirks, we’re on the same footing.”

And this environment — the participants, the team, the mechanics, the officials — contributes fully to it. "They see me as Juliette, not as the blind woman."

A family story

This rally, Juliette says without hesitation, is a group effort. “Our rally is a family affair. My mom is my driver, my sister makes the roadbooks, my dad takes care of the mechanics and the car, which my brother lends us – he’s crazy about cars. The one we had this year, even though it had the same characteristics as the others from previous years, was a barn find. [My brother] restores cars that haven’t run for 10 or 15 years, and we give them a second life thanks to the rally.”

The car itself tells a story, that of a passionate enthusiast who brought it back to life. "There are mistakes, but every year, through breakdowns and advice from mechanics, we learn and discover even more about cars."

An excellent result

This edition marks another step in Juliette's progress. A timing system has been integrated into her car this year to help her in the regularity zones, making the exercise "Much more fun, much more playful" "And the result is there: a 24th place in the overall ranking out of a total of 97 crews, their best performance since the start of the adventure (50th out of 57 in 2024, and 71st out of 72nd in 2025). "2026 is the year we realize that when we really want it, when we really put in the effort, we can play."

And the duo doesn't plan to stop there. In 2027, the adventure continues—but in a different form. Juliette is expected to join forces with another pilot, demonstrating that her role as co-pilot extends beyond family ties. Meanwhile, Sandrine and Marine may form their own crew. "It's going to be a small, very friendly and collaborative competition." Time will tell if two Lepage crews are better than one. But one thing is certain: when a family decides to dedicate all its energy to a project, limits disappear. What remains is a mother and daughter embarking on a triple-A experience: Adventurous, Unconventional, and Fun.

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