Ocon to force in WRC Rally Monte Carlo with Alpine
This continuously is the Frenchman’s first ever rally experience, and his first appropriate style dawdle in an A110S since he tried it out on the Nordschleife over the Eifel Immense Prix weekend final yr.
Ocon, who will scoot with his F1 number #31 on the blue-liveried car, will get a morning shakedown within the dependable VIP path car on Thursday sooner than having a excessive-bustle scoot when the World Rally Championship season opener will get underway appropriate style.
He’ll be a part of SS1, which is a 20.58km route from Saint-Disdier to Corps, followed by SS2 between Saint-Maurice and Saint-Bonnet.
Speaking forward of his dawdle, Ocon stated: “Monte-Carlo for the first time. It’s a legendary tournament, a jewel within the calendar of motorsport and I know the plot special being a part of this would be.
“I’m anticipating using the moderately Alpine A110S. I had my first taste of the A110 in October with three laps of the Nordschleife. It used to be sizable that day; very fully happy and agile to force. It’s born for this roughly pains with the tight hairpins and mountain passes.
“Rallying has if truth be told always been a dream for me, so using the A110S in Monte-Carlo is an ideal plot to open up the yr.”
French car manufacturer Renault is shifting its motorsport level of curiosity on to the Alpine value as a part of a firm overhaul instigated by contemporary CEO Luca de Meo.
Ocon’s dawdle on the Monte Carlo rally is the first proof of a heightened value push, which has incorporated the contemporary identification for its F1 team.
Alpine has a lengthy historic previous on the Monte Carlo rally, having taken its first podium in 1969 when Jean Vinatier and co-driver Jean-Francois Jacob performed third. Its first hang came in 1971 when Ove Andersson triumphed as Alpine took a 1-2-3 within the contemporary A110.
It moreover won within the 1973 tournament with Jean-Claude Andruet and Michele Petit, which used to be the first ever dependable WRC round. Alpine will likely be competing within the RGT class on the Monte Carlo Rally, with Cedric Robert, Emmanuel Guigou, Philippe Baffoun, Pierre Ragues and Raphael Astier all using A110 cars.