Anthony
Pelfrene ‘has the potential to surprise’ during his maiden campaign of FIA
World Rallycross Championship competition in 2024 – that is the view of two of
the drivers who have raced against the Frenchman in recent times.
Pelfrene
will pilot a sustainably-fuelled, latest-generation, combustion-engined Peugeot
208 WRX in the discipline’s top-flight this coming season, having already
established himself as a leading contender on the domestic scene – finishing third
in the French Rallycross Championship’s headlining Supercar category last year.
Indeed, having
only begun his rallycross journey in 2021, the 37-year-old’s rapid rise through
the ranks has been one of the hallmarks of his career to-date. It is a trend
that does not surprise Julien Fébreau in the slightest.
“I’ve known Anthony well for a number of years, and I can certainly
vouch for his absolute commitment to the sport and his serious approach to his
craft,” revealed the Canal+ Formula 1 presenter, an accomplished
rallycross racer himself. “His eagerness to learn and
to understand has enabled him to make swift progress and become a front-runner in
every series he has entered, so to me, it’s entirely logical that he should now
step up to world championship-level.”
Those sentiments are echoed by two-time World
Touring Car Cup (WTCR) champion Yann Ehrlacher, who has experience of going
wheel-to-wheel with Pelfrene in the Andros Trophy ice-racing series – and coming
off second-best.
“I first
met Anthony in 2022 at Val Thorens, in what were pretty unique weather
conditions,” he recounted. “The circuit is renowned for its incredible descent,
where cars reach some insane speeds, leading towards a right-hand hairpin
surrounded by snowbanks. It really takes some bravery to push flat-out on that
downhill blast!
“We lined
up alongside one another on the front row of the grid for the final and like
the good rallycross driver that he is, Anthony quickly took the lead. He then
made a small mistake exiting the corner before the descent, which allowed me to
draw level again.
“I had the
inside line and we went at it hammer-and-tongs down the hill, doorhandle-to-doorhandle
– it was such an adrenaline buzz, with neither of us willing to concede. I
backed out of it first, and we both somehow managed to negotiate the hairpin at
the bottom without damaging either car!
“After the
race, I went to find out who this guy was that I had just had such an intense battle
with. He said to me: ‘I knew I could trust a double world champion!’ Since
then, I’ve always enjoyed seeing Anthony. He is a really passionate and
committed racer with a hard but fair driving style. I wish him plenty of
success in World RX, where he certainly has the potential to surprise.”
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