Mathieu Arzeno has identified Freddy Loix as the ultimate benchmark on round six of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, the Geko Ypres Rally.
Belgian hero Loix is a seven-time winner of the asphalt event, while rising French star Arzeno will be an Ypres newcomer when the rally begins on Friday afternoon.
“To begin with, there’s no way that I’m going to try to keep pace with Freddy Loix,” said Arzeno, who will line up in a Saintéloc Racing-Mister Auto Peugeot 207 Super 2000. “Instead, I’ll try to get a bit closer to his pace over time. I’ll be happy if we don’t have any punctures or don’t end up in a ditch. If everything goes well, we can finish in the top five.”
While he’s never competed in Ypres before, Arzeno was a visitor to the event in 2011.
“My co-driver, Renaud Jamoul, is Belgian,” Arzeno continued. “Last year, we came to this rally to spectate. I loved the atmosphere and the roads. I’ve driven the Condroz Rally once and I know from that experience that the Belgian roads can be slippery. When we decided to do four IRC rounds with the Saintéloc team, I was very happy that Ypres was on our schedule. It’s going to be a big challenge.”