After completing its initial shakedown last week, Project Rally One has officially begun its first full day of testing in the Alsace region of France on Tuesday. Former Citroen factory driver Stephane Lefebvre was handed the keys to chassis number one for the three-day test session.
Alain Penasse of Project Rally One expressed the team's satisfaction with the smooth roll-out and shakedown process last week. "We covered 350 kilometers at two different circuits—one in France and another in Germany—with no issues at all on the car. As Lionel Hansen, our project leader, put it: 'The car has been well born,'" he told DirtFish.
With the shakedown running without a hitch, the focus has now shifted to proper testing. "We had the dates set from before, and those are the dates we are running to," Penasse added. Lefebvre's presence in the car is no coincidence. Although no decisions have been made on the future driver line-up, his extensive experience with Rally2 cars from Toyota, Citroen, and Hyundai is considered invaluable at this early development stage.
"Stephane knows those cars very well. He understands where the performance and behavior of the car are, and what the current level should be," Penasse explained. However, he stressed, "This is a very early test; it's not about going deep into the car's performance level yet."
Regarding a potential entry at the Rallye Monte Carlo next year, Penasse confirmed the plan is still under consideration. "Nothing has changed, but we do intend to show the car to the media in the near future," he said. He also confirmed that the first Project Rally One chassis is powered by an engine from the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, but that doesn't mean it will be the long-term choice. "As we discussed before, we have the opportunity to develop and homologate our own engine," he concluded.
Read Also
Hayden Paddon hints his WRC future could go beyond driving. Hyundai praises his 360-degree understanding. Full story here.
Teemu Suninen closes in on WRC after winning ERC 2025. Kris Meeke's endorsement and his impressive season take center stage.
Final decision on 2024 WRC finale in Saudi Arabia postponed. Toyota and Hyundai refuse to travel due to security, Rally Catalunya tipped as replacement.
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!