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Sangnier becomes second ever female supercar driver

French woman rallycross driver Adeline Sangnier will make her FIA World Rallycross Championship debut at Loheac in France next month, driving a privately-run Peugeot 207 Supercar. She is only the second woman driver to compete in a Supercar in World RX.

Sangnier previously tasted success in the Super1600 category before moving to Supercar for 2015. Despite being sidelined for much of the 2016 French Rallycross Championship with a foot injury, Sangnier has already finished on the podium, with third at Lavare in July, and is looking forward to taking on the regular World RX stars at her home round of the championship.

To be able to race at Loheac gives me true joy. It's only my second season in Supercar, but with such an A-list line up of racers at the event, it's a real honour and pleasure to be going there to race," she said. "It feels like a great personal accomplishment for me to be on the grid with Sebastien Loeb and Petter Solberg, also because we are just a small family team (my dad, uncle and a mechanic), and we're going to be competing against some huge teams."

The former Super1600 star enjoys the Loheac circuit and the passionate French fans. "Loheac's one of my favorite tracks. The last time I raced there was in 2012, and I won, to become the first female driver to win a race in the French Championship, so it's special. I'm going there to have fun and enjoy it. Of course the French spectators are always very cheerful and supportive, so that's really good."

Sangnier's participation in the event will also be unique in that she will race head-to-head against her partner, Jean-Baptiste Dubourg, making them the only couple competing against each other on the grid. "I don't think that will be strange," she explained. "We've competed together before and at the end of the day he remains a driver like the others, just with a lot of experience."

Zdroj: fiaworldrallycross.com