Having dazzled his way to the French Junior Rally Championship title last year, Jérémie Serieys is driving this season in the French Rally Championship. The Montpellier-born youngster, backed by the FIA and Renault Sport Technologies, is competing in a Twingo Renaultsport R2 Evo entered by Renault Sport.

The campaign began at Le Touquet, on a route made more challenging than usual by heavy snowfall shortly before the reconnaissance runs. The conditions did not unduly affect Serieys and his co-driver, Justine Quillet, who drove with caution and were able to avoid mistakes. The pair picked up the pace as the rally went on, posting several benchmark times before twice setting the fastest time in Group R. They eventually finished 14th overall and third in Group R, less than 15 seconds behind the Twingo R2 Trophy winner.

The Rallye Lyon-Charbonnières was the backdrop for the second round of the championship, with conditions only slightly better than those at Le Touquet. Indeed, while the snow had cleared up, the cold and rain still lingered. Serieys, competing on the route for the first time, nonetheless enjoyed a solid, well-driven rally. “The goal was to reach the finish, and to gain experience without making mistakes. I was able to improve my knowledge of the Twingo Renaultsport R2 Evo and learn the effects of the different set-ups depending on the road conditions.”

Superb from start to finish, Serieys gradually stepped up the pace, with several of his more experienced rivals falling foul of the challenging conditions. The youngster finished second in the R2 category, and 20th overall. “I wasn’t familiar with this rally, so I took it carefully. But I know where I can improve. I can see the car’s potential, and I will be able to start exploiting it fully. I have a lot of room for improvement. We also need to work to sharpen up our note-taking.”

After testing new shock absorbers this week, Serieys will turn his attention to the next round of the championship: the Rallye Région Limousin. The Twingo R1 and R2 Trophies will form part of the event. “I’m not driving in the Twingo R2 Trophy, but I’ll obviously be comparing myself with those who are competing in it. I hope to get closer to the best drivers over the course of the season. So far I’ve finished the first two rallies without making any mistakes. I’m hoping for more of the same, and to improve my performance even more.”