A major shake-up has hit the World Rally Championship service park as Yohan Rossel and his long-time co-driver Arnaud Dunand confirm they will go their separate ways. The decision brings an end to a successful four-year partnership in the highly competitive WRC2 category, where the duo built a formidable reputation competing under banners such as Citroen and Lancia.
Dunand has been an instrumental figure in Rossel’s success inside the cockpit, having guided him to eight of his nine career WRC2 victories since their partnership began in 2022. This high-profile split arrives just one week after another major driver-co-driver separation between Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne, highlighting a turbulent period of roster restructuring across the service park.
Addressing the announcement, the 31-year-old French driver expressed deep gratitude for the years of dedication and hard work shared inside the rally car. Rossel noted that his trusted partner had decided to steer his professional career in a completely new direction. Meanwhile, Dunand acknowledged the memorable journey on social media, thanking his driver for four incredible years of competition at the highest level of rallying.
As the offseason unfolds, the identity of Rossel’s next co-driver remains entirely unknown alongside Dunand’s future competitive plans. The French competitor has long made no secret of his intense desire to graduate to the premier Rally1 category after spending numerous seasons proving his pace in Rally2 machinery. Despite the uncertainty, he is widely expected to maintain his ongoing ties with Stellantis Motorsport.
Internal ambitions within the team continue to drive speculation as Rossel previously pushed Lancia to develop a dedicated kit for the Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale to bridge the gap to Rally1, though that transition has yet to materialize. Read our in-depth analysis on WRC driver market movements and team strategies right here.
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