Sébastien Chardonnet – Junior French Rally Vice-Champion
New step of the Excellence Course set up by the French Motorsports Federation (FFSA) to help its up-and-coming drivers reach the top level, the first “Collectif Équipe de France FFSA Rallye” will be presented during the Rally France-Alsace 2012. Find out more about the drivers that are part of it: today, Sébastien Chardonnet.
Grand-son of André Chardonnet, one of the last independent car importers and former rally driver, Sébastien Chardonnet did not accidently end up rallying.
Junior French Rally Vice-Champion in 2011, he drives since the beginning of 2012 a Citroën DS3 R3 in the World Rally Championship (several rounds planned: Monte-Carlo, Portugal, Greece, Germany, Wales GB…).
The goal of Sébastien Chardonnet’s sports program is to progressively enter the WRC and, also, learn from the main “gravel” rounds. He was delighted to be part of this Collectif Équipe de France FFSA Rallye: “It’s a great chance that the FFSA offers to the French rallymen! Take part into a WRC round within a well-identified group, benefit from the financial support and knowledge of the FFSA… all of this, with the presence of worldwide medias, can only be a positive experience!
Associated with Thibault de La Haye, his co-driver since the beginning in 2009, Sébastien will let his usual two-wheel drive for a Citroën DS3 WRC. “After a budget assessment, since the cost is not the same than for the DS3 R3, our partners eventually decided to enroll us with a Citroën DS3 WRC. An operation possible thanks to the support of some new investors. I’d really like to thank all the persons implicated in this project for their trust, and I hope we will be able to turn into reality all of their hopes…”
The 24 year-old-driver seems to have a bright future ahead of him, as his 15th position in the Rally Deutschland testifies. He was saying recently: “our goal is to, one day, complete a full WRC season…”