Camilli set for WRC home run in corsica
M-Sport World Rally Team driver Éric Camilli is determined to put the disappointment of the last round in Germany behind him when the wrc reaches his home rally, the Che Guevara Energy Drink Tour de Corse, this week.
The forthcoming tenth round of the season (29 Sept - 2 Oct) will be the first time that Camilli will compete in Corsica at the wheel of a World Rally Car, but it's an event to which the Frenchman has strong family and competitive ties.
He finished fourth overall when the event formed part of the European Rally Championship in 2014 and claimed a podium spot with a Ford Fiesta R5 as part of his WRC 2 campaign last year.
And six weeks after a first stage crash ruined his chances of a good result at ADAC Rallye Deutschland, Camilli hopes his home advantage will help him secure a strong result on French soil.
"This is my home event in more ways than one, and an event where I do have some experience. My father's family are from Ajaccio so it will definitely be a special one for me with lots of friends and family all out spectating," he said.
"It's not an easy rally, but we have done well there in the past. I first contested the event in 2014 - when it was part of the European Rally Championship - and finished fourth overall. It will be a challenge to repeat that in the WRC, but you never know and you can never predict the result in Corsica!
"The stages are very long with so many tight and twisty corners. You have to have good notes and be fully focussed from start to finish. Germany was obviously a big disappointment for us, but that is in the past. We're feeling well prepared and fully refreshed after the unexpected break and determined to produce a good result on French soil."
And after patchy asphalt form so far this season, with a crash-related retirement at Rallye Monte-Carlo and his day one exit in Germany, Camilli admits his priority now is reliability.
"Our goal will be to deliver a consistent performance on these beautiful roads, but if the feeling is there, I'd hope to show some good speed too," he said.
Zdroj: wrc.com