Bouffier confident of Sanremo IRC success

Bryan Bouffier will return to the Intercontinental Rally Challenge on Rallye Sanremo next week confident that he can reproduce the pace that took him to within a handful of stages of victory on Barum Czech Rally Zlín last month.

Frenchman Bouffier was battling Freddy Loix for the lead of the asphalt event when he hit trouble two stages from home by damaging his Peugeot 207’s suspension. An ‘off’ on the final stage, caused by a water leak, eventually dropped him to 10th in the final classification.

“I did Sanremo in 2006 when torrential rain led to the cancellation of several stages,” said Bouffier. “I found myself on slicks in the wet at one point, and I was slowed by a number of other incidents. I’m delighted to be returning this year because I know the roads are ideally suited to the handling of the 207 S2000.”

Peugeot 207s have a strong record in Sanremo. Luca Rossetti was at the wheel of a 207 when he won in 2007, while Kris Meeke drove a 207 to victory on the event in 2009, a result that secured the Peugeot UK pilot the IRC drivers’ crown.