Ypres
Stéphane Lefebvre to start with Number 1

A few days ago, it was announced that entries for the Ardeca Ypres Rally are running at full speed. The milestone of 100 participants has almost been reached and among the latest registrations comes one that is in the running for the overall victory. Stéphane Lefebvre will once again be at the start with a DG Sport Citroën C3 Rally2. As the reigning champion of Belgium, the Frenchman will start with the number 1 on his car.
 
It is a difficult season for 31-year-old Frenchman. After Lefebvre’s participation in the Rallye Monte-Carlo with a Citroën C3 Rally2, there was no follow-up in the World Championship. Lefebvre tasted an RGT twice, a Porsche in Le Touquet and an Alpine in Lyon-Charbonnières, but each time a retirement was the result. Only in Piedmont, Italy, could he steer the C3 Rally2 to third place. For the rest, it was a nail-biting wait for a new opportunity to test themselves against the best, who was also working with Jos Verstappen in the Sezoensrally.
 
The former WRC factory driver of Citroën Sport, Junior European and World Rally Champion in 2014, was in a class of his own in the Belgian Rally Championship last year. Ypres is almost a home rally for the man from Béthune, he dominated the WRC2 field last year. Although he will start this season with less rhythm and race kilometers in DG Sport’s Citroën C3 Rally2, he has the same ambition as in 2022.
 
“I come to Ypres with the same objective as last year in every round of the BRC: I want to win!” Stéphane laughs. “Moreover, we were not able to fully enjoy the victory in Ypres last year because Andreas Mikkelsen’s complaint due to deep docking still had to be dealt with. This time I want to enjoy it to the full and, moreover, we are fighting for the overall victory this time. I have maybe a little less kilometers in the legs than my competitors, but we will prepare well with a good test session.”
 
Adrien Fourreaux, Chris Ingram, Maxime Potty and the other top drivers will immediately know that the win will not be gifted to them. Lefebvre finished 6th overall in the WRC version of the Ardeca Ypres Rally last year. His best result was fifth place in 2015. As reigning Belgian champion, the Frenchman will have the honor of starting with starting number 1.