How do you rate your start to the season ?
“I enjoyed myself on the Charbonnières, which was my first go in that rally, but things didn’t go ideally on the Vosges – Grand-Est. It was even a bit of a disaster as it was my home event. Unfortunately, we had a technical problem at the start. The time it took to find the cause resulted in several penalties, but our first loop went rather well except for an intercom issue that I was able to make up for thanks to my knowledge of the roads. Sadly, it all came to a definitive end when I put the car on its roof Sunday morning.”

What was next on your home event ?
“This retirement was a shame, but that is part of motor racing. At the age of 65, I was there to have a good time… As I run Mathieu Walter’s car, his win brought me a bit of comfort. This is his second season ; he is quick and he knows the rallies. Having done the Vosges round several times in a Mégane N4, I know consistency is essential and Mathieu as well as Thibault managed their rallies perfectly.

We are also involved in the Renault Sport activities as the Groupe Guy Bertrand is a Renault dealer in Gérardmer. We did a complete day of codrive experience in a Clio R3T and tests of the Mégane Trophy with Manu Guigou for a group of 60 to 80 enthusiasts and customers. The feedback has been extremely positive. I don’t believe I have ever received as many text messages and emails from people thanking me !”

What do you think about the atmosphere in the Clio R3T Trophy France ?
“It is more than great. There is of course the rally on one side, but the atmosphere is really friendly among all the competitors. The Renault Sport team does a remarkable job and you only have to watch the film of the rally in Gérardmer to realize how good they are doing !”