Laurent Pellier puts his career on hold.

A surprise announcement came this Friday. Laurent Pellier, the 2025 French Gravel Rally Champion, announced on social media that he would not attempt to defend his title and, more broadly, that he was putting his motorsport career on hold. "After 15 years of racing, I prefer to dedicate this energy and time to my son, my family, and my company," he stated, mentioning that "the preparation time required for each event is becoming increasingly incompatible with 'real life' (a job, a family, friends, etc.)." The 30-year-old Pellier leaves behind a significant legacy: winner of numerous one-make series in France and internationally, he secured his first major national title last October after a perfectly executed season at the wheel of the Team 2C Compétition's Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, alongside Kévin Bronner.

An impressive track record for Laurent Pellier

Laurent Pellier had, however, begun his career on the circuit and had gone through the Auto Sport Academy in the early 2010s. For his debut in rallyIn 2013, he focused on the Twingo R1 Trophy, finishing in 4th place, and two years later won his first titles with the French Junior Rally Championship and the Citroën Racing Trophy Junior title. He then progressed to... WRC Under the colors of the French FFSA Team, he returned to France in 2017 to conquer the Volant this time Peugeot , was returning to international competition in ERCHe then won another title in 2021 in the brand new ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup. This victory opened the doors to the ERC Junior where he triumphed in an Opel Corsa Rally4 in 2022, giving him a leg up for a Junior WRC campaign that was ultimately cut short in 2023. Since 2024, he has been competing in the French Championship, securing his first victory in Vaucluse during his debut season and, therefore, the title last year.

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