Arzeno recalls close battle with Neuville ahead of WRC return

Mathieu Arzeno will take heart from his battle with Thierry Neuville on ADAC Rallye Deutschland in 2010 when he returns to the FIA World Rally Championship for the first of four appearances between now and the end of the current season.

Arzeno, from France, was a frontrunner in the Junior world championship two years ago and enjoyed a close battle with Neuville on the Trier-based round before he was forced to retire. He will drive a Peugeot 207 Super 2000 for the French Sainteloc Racing squad, which is fielding a second entry for Swiss driver Michael Burri.

“I raced in Germany in 2010 and I’ve got good memories of the event,” said Arzeno, 25. “We were competing in the Junior world championship and we battled with Thierry Neuville for a long time before we had to retire. I know the stages in the vineyards well. On the other hand, it’ll be my first time out on the roads in the [Baumholder] military camp in the rally.”

As well as building his experience of world championship competition, Arzeno says he hopes to compare his times with last year’s event winner Sebastien Ogier, who is competing in a Super 2000-specification Skoda Fabia.

“Because we’re not taking part in a championship our only aim is to make ourselves noticed in the Sainteloc Racing team’s Peugeot 207 Super 2000,” he said. “We’re going to have to set good times to see where we stand compared to Sebastien Ogier and the other drivers in the Volkswagen Motorsport Skoda Fabia Super 2000s.”