Friday 11 July will see Axel Garcia and Fabien Pomares take to the start line at the Rallye Aveyron Rouergue – Midi-Pyrénées, the third event on their official programme with Renault Sport Technologies. After a frustrating Rallye du Limousin, the duo got straight back down to business in the Clio R3 at the Rallye d’Antibes. They now head to the Aveyron, in the south of France, for the Rallye du Rouergue, an event they have been preparing for with a series of test sessions.

“The Rallye d’Antibes allowed us to get some driving under our belts and put some times together, though we weren’t able to express ourselves to the full,” explained Axel. “I’m going to be back in a Twingo R2 at the Rouergue and the car’s going to be perfect in every sense. The test session we’ve got scheduled in the Aveyron on Monday will help us find the settings we need to go out there with confidence. I know that Renault Sport Technologies are doing everything they can to give us the best car.”

After suffering a succession of mechanical glitches at the Rallye du Limousin, the pair’s Twingo R2 headed straight to Renault Sport Technologies’ workshops in Les Ulis for an exhaustive check-up. “The mechanics and engineers worked on the car to ensure Axel and Fabien have a formidable weapon in their hands,” said Renault Sport Team manager Sylvain Alanore. “The Rallye du Limousin was a tough event, but Axel is ready now to step up to the top level and become a leading driver in the class. A new adventure is starting for him and we have complete faith in his abilities.”

Second in the Twingo R1 Trophy in the Aveyron last season, Axel Garcia is relishing his return. “The profile of the roads suits me,” he said. “We don’t really have a benchmark of what we’re able to do in R2, and I hope to get one here. I like twisting roads, but I’m going to be on my guard too because there are a lot of clipping points and the surface could get dirty, with stones on the road too, which means I’ll need to watch out for punctures. It’s also a rally where it’s usually pretty hot, so I’ll need to be in good physical shape as well.”

The Renault Sport crew is full of determination ahead of an event in which they will have every chance to shine. “We want to see the hopes we have in them come to fruition,” added Sylvain Alanore. “The goal is to give Axel and Fabien the best possible set-up so they can head into battle with every chance of success. This rally will give us a benchmark that we’ll be able to work with ahead of the second half of the season.”

Schedule
Friday 11 July
12.18: SS1 – Laissac (12.85 km)
13.51: SS2 – Campouriez-Le Nayrac (35.45 km)
17.29: SS3 – Laissac (12.85 km)
19.02: SS4 – Campouriez-Le Nayrac (35.45 km)

Saturday 12 July
10.43: SS5 – Tremouilles-Salmiech-Comps (15.90 km)
11.26: SS6 – Cassagnes-Taurines (14.20 km)
13.29: SS7 – Luc-Moyrazes (31.50 km)
16.22: SS8 – Tremouilles-Salmiech-Comps (15.90 km)
17.05: SS9 – Cassagnes-Taurines (14.20 km)
18.38: SS10 – Luc-Moyrazes (31.50 km)