Romain, how did you get involved in rallying?
My father competed in rallying until 2002. He introduced me to it at a very young age. I was eight years old when he stopped, so I got out of it before returning when I was a little more independent. When I was nineteen, I took part in the Rallye Jeunes detection scheme just to have some fun with a friend. One thing led to another, and I worked my way up to the final. I think the fact that I was there for the fun of it, and not the competition, was an asset because I went on to win along with Yohan Rossel. It all started from there.

What happened next?
It was complicated to start directly with a season in the French Junior Rally Championship with all its difficulties and my lack of experience. We were in the thick of things straight away with stage wins in our first event. We then won the season-ending Rallye du Var. Despite our mistakes, we told ourselves that we should keep going, and we continued by ourselves. There were good and bad moments, including some overzealousness and a new car that didn’t work too well for me in 2017. After a short break, I met Naudon Rallye Services, with whom I competed in the Rallye de Saintonge in a Clio R3T. It was an opportunity to drive a model that I liked and wanted to try. We then set up a Clio R3T Trophy France programme for 2019. To get it right, I called on the excellent co-driver Patrick Chiappe. We had a mixed season in 2019, but we found the right balance to close in on Boris Carminati. We were a bit unlucky with the weather and a mechanical issue at the end of the season, but Boris was stronger that year and it helped us to understand the different things we had to improve. Covid then came into the picture in 2020, but we persevered to be ready in 2021.

Where did you see the need for improvement?
I would say that I had to "learn to lose" so we only focused on first place in Junior and not the overall victory. It went well with three wins and six podiums in the general classification, but especially six Junior wins in six rounds to secure the programme with Clio Rally4. We were the most consistent, which led us to win the trophy. It is no secret: you have to be inspired by the best. A world champion like Sebastien Ogier doesn’t win every rally, but he’s always on the podium or not far off. I realised that this was the approach to have and to adopt. And that put us in a great position in the two-wheel-drive championship.

How did it feel to win the national title against such well-known names?
It was incredible to battle against drivers like Cédric Robert despite being in different classes. I remember my posters of Cédric Robert and his Clio in my bedroom. I used to watch him at the Rallye du Var and Lyon-Charbonnières, where his handbrake turns at Marchampt fascinated me. It was when I was first allowed to go on the internet. I was dazzled by his driving and his talent. Today he has a few more grey hairs, but I am proud and honoured to have been able to compete against him! There was also Stéphane Lefebvre, a former factory driver in WRC who had just won the French Rally Cup. I had stars in my eyes every time I saw our photo and our names ahead of them.

There was a generation change in your first two years with Renault…
When Clio Rally5 was presented at the 2019 Coeur de France Rally, it wasn’t love at first sight as I was so focused on my season. The title eluded me, but I have always believed in fate. I told myself that if we had lost, it was to win something better afterwards. Naudon Rallye Services allowed me to find the means to continue in the trophy despite the Covid situation. Coming back to a lower category helped me, even though the car is not really inferior as the Clio Rally5 chassis is much easier to exploit. It reminded me of my early years in rallying, not forgetting the turbo I discovered with Clio R3T. I was in the thick of things right away at Mont Blanc. Unfortunately, the Coeur de France and another event in Italy went poorly. I then questioned myself and focused on staying on the road and not making any mistakes. And it paid off as my only mistake was losing three seconds in a field in the Coeur de France. We weren’t always the fastest, but we were the most consistent.

Has Patrick Chiappe played a crucial role in your development?
Patrick is very wise. You can hear it in his voice and see it in his character and charismatic personality. He has provided me with a lot of experience and confidence. He had the right words to reassure me in my note-taking and on my first passes. His role has been essential, and I noticed it very much in 2020. My co-driver at the time was excellent and taught me a lot, but my titles last year would not have been possible without Patrick. Even on the onboards, you can feel the calmness in the cockpit with a balanced driving style and a serenity in his notes delivery.

What was the highlight of your campaign?
My most memorable victory was Mont Blanc, where we constantly battled against Styve Juif for just a few seconds. This kind of rally is magnificent, even more so in such a setting. It is my favourite event, because of the atmosphere and the large fields. And it has been good to me, as I have enjoyed success the past three years. There have been other joys, like our victories on the Vosges and Coeur de France when our initial goal was only a podium. Everything always went in our favour. We pressured our rivals without necessarily going after them as our goal was the Junior title, which allowed us to avoid the pitfalls.

Has there ever been a moment of doubt?
Not really! Even when we lost second place in Rouergue by less than a second, we still won the Junior category. From then on, we knew we were closing in on our goal. Styve was consistent, and we had no room for error with the new points system. It was important not to retire on the final leg. Our consistency was our strength, and that’s how we won the Power Stage Trophy without winning a single Power Stage. But we never thought we would win the championship, and we took on each event with the same approach, even when the title was already ours. We just wanted to do as best we could in the Juniors.

The team title with Naudon has to be the icing on the cake...
I really wanted that teams title. Naudon Rallye Services helped me to return in 2019 and 2020. Nathael Naudon has become a friend. We are the same age, and we have the same interests and jokes, but we know how to remain serious. I can call him to prepare for the next rally or talk about a personal problem. It’s an asset to be so close, like with the mechanics who have been with me since 2019. We were young, and we made mistakes, but we worked hard, and it all paid off last year. I wanted to give it my all to get this crown, and I thank all our team-mates who answered the call to do their bit. It is also thanks to them that we will be driving Clio Rally4 this year with "our" team.

This winter, you discovered a new surface in the Clio Ice Trophy...
What an experience! It was terrific to be in a trophy with competitors from rallying to rallycross and track racing. Everything was new for everyone and we had a great time. It was an excellent initiative, perfect for making the off-season go by more quickly, and what’s more in the magnificent scenery of Andorra! I had never driven on ice, and it is not my favourite surface as I don’t have a "sliding" driving style, but I managed to improve from one event to the next. It was very interesting with incredible sensations, and Clio Rally5 is always a pure delight. It was also good to start 2022 as we finished 2021, and I hope that this third title with Clio will lead to more!

How have you prepared for 2022?
Two days after the Clio Trophy France Asphalte ended in the Cevennes, I was in La Rochelle for my first test with Clio Rally4 in preparation for the Rallye d’Automne. We won, but I was so focused on the trophy that I hadn’t even looked at the maps until a few days before the start. I was very eager to drive this car after seeing its promising potential with Anthony Fotia. It also has a specific sound when it revs up and it reminds me a bit of the normally-aspirated engines. You can push and have fun. We also did the Rallye de la Côte Fleurie with the same success at the end of February. I’m now looking forward to getting back in it at Le Touquet and working with the Alpine Racing teams to move forward, get closer and closer to the front of the order and have an even better season than last year!