One of the world's most promising young rally drivers, François Duval, will
join the Citroen Sport team to help it defend its double World Rally
Championship titles in 2005 following a fine third place on last weekend's
(14 November 2004) Telstra Rally Australia, sharing the podium with event
winner and new team mate, Sébastien Loeb.
Duval and co-driver Stéphane Prévot join Citroen from Ford, where the 24
year old has shown that he has the ability and natural talent to be a
future championship contender. He replaces Carlos Sainz, the most
successful rally driver of all time, who retired from the sport at the end
of the 2004 season.
As well as helping Citroen's bid to secure its third successive
manufacturers' title, Duval also provide essential team support for the
2004 World Rally Drivers' Champions, Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena, with
their bid to secure a second title in the Citroen Xsara WRC.
For the young Belgian driver, the move marks a return to his origins in the
sport since he began his rallying career in 1999 with victory in Belgium's
Citroën Saxo Challenge. After his first two complete seasons at World Rally
Championship level, his record already features seven podium finishes.
Stéphane Prévot is one of the most experienced co-drivers in the sport and
has played a major role in Duval's success and like his driver, he is
returning to where he started in the sport, with Citroen. He first competed
as a co-driver in the 1988 Citroën AX Challenge and sat alongside Bruno
Thiry on a number of events, including notably the European Rally
Championship in a Citroën Xsara Kit Car. He has partnered François Duval in
the World Rally Championship since 2003.
(ends)
François Duval
Date of birth: 18 November 1980
Lives: Chimay, Belgium
Marital status: Single
First rally: 1999
First world rally: 2001 Rally of Portugal
World rallies started: 39
Although he only started rallying in 1999, François Duval is already
regarded by many as a potential world rally star of the decade to come.
After just two years tackling world championship rallies in both two and
four-wheel drive cars, the Belgian was awarded a full championship
programme for 2003 by Ford BP Rallye Sport at the tender age of 22
As a small child, Duval watched his father Rene competing in numerous
rallies with a Toyota and later shared his family's joy when Rene won the
Belgian national rallysprint championship driving a Celica GT4. At the
family home, Duval began riding a 50cc quad-bike at the age of six. He
rapidly progressed to karting and as an adolescent competed in both the
Belgian and European championships, while maintaining his interest in
competitive quad-bike racing to great effect. He won the Belgian
Championship for small-capacity quads in 1995 and for large-engined quads
in 1997 and 1998.
In March 1999 he made his rally debut in Belgium's Citroen Saxo Challenge,
claiming a podium position on his very first outing. He went on to score
four wins and a second place to clinch the championship title. As well as
entering the Belgian Rally Championship in 2000, finishing third overall,
Duval undertook 19 rallies and joined the Mitsubishi Marlboro Junior Team,
driving a Group N Lancer rally car on three events - Luxembourg, Ypres and
Condroz.
The following year was another busy one as Duval contested 17 rallies and
whenever his cars were reliable he was both fast and well placed. With
Mitsubishi he tackled Luxembourg again and then took part in three rounds
of the world championship - Portugal, Cyprus and Australia, where he
finished 19th overall and third in the Group N category.
However, the most significant part of his year was spent with Ford,
competing in a Puma in the FIA Super 1600 series at six world rallies. His
best result was second in the category on Italy's San Remo Rally while he
also drove the Ford Rallye Sport-prepared Puma at events in Belgium and the
UK, powering his way to a clear and convincing victory on the Rally of
Kent.
The gifted young Belgian ace enjoyed another packed programme with Ford
Rallye Sport in 2002, driving a Puma Super 1600 in the Junior and a Focus
RS WRC in the main world championship. He won the opening round of the
junior series in Monte Carlo but the rest of his two-wheel drive campaign
was disappointing and he finished sixth in the championship. He tackled
five rounds of the championship in a Focus and emphasised his potential by
leading the Cyprus Rally on the opening morning. His best result was 10th
place on the Swedish Rally.
Duval's potential earned a full 14-rally programme for 2003 in the two-car
Ford BP Rallye Sport team and he was quick to make the most if it, claiming
his best result to date by taking third on the Rally of Turkey in March.
Away from rallying, the quiet Belgian relaxes by fishing with his younger
brother, quad biking and jet-skiing.
Stéphane Prévot
Date of birth: 7 January 1969
Lives: Huy, Belgium
Marital status: Single
First rally: 1987
First world rally: 1989 RAC Rally
World rallies started: 94
World rally wins: 0
Stéphane Prévot is one of the world's greatest rally fans, as his large
collection of rallying memorabilia testifies. He lives just 100 metres from
the Rallye du Condroz parc ferme area in the town of Huy, and it was whilst
watching the Belgian Championship event in 1979 that Prevot's passion for
rallying began.
In 1989, Prévot decided to concentrate on full-time co-driving, and left
his studies to become a professional rally navigator. He contested 25
rallies that year and made a successful world championship debut on
Britain's RAC Rally, co-driving for George Simons.
Prévot's big break into professional co-driving came in 1990, when he
partnered Marc Timmers in the Mitsubishi Belgium team. Together they
dominated the Group N category, winning the Belgian Championship title in a
Galant VR-4.
The following year, 1991, Prévot teamed up with fellow countryman Bruno
Thiry, the start of a long and successful partnership. In their first
season together they contested 15 rallies, winning the first of three
consecutive Belgian Championship Two-Litre titles with Opel Team Belgium.
Their success continued at world championship level and in 1993 they helped
General Motors to the Two-Litre Manufacturers' world title with category
wins in Monte Carlo, Portugal, Finland, San Remo and Catalunya.
For 1994 Prévot and Thiry joined the RAS Team, driving a Group A Ford
Escort in the world championship. Working closely with the factory Ford
team, they learned quickly and matched speed and consistency. A magnificent
season culminated with third place on the RAC Rally, enough to secure fifth
in the championship. They stayed with Ford and finished sixth in both the
1995 and 1996 championship standings, claiming third place finishes on the
final two events of the 1996 campaign in Italy and Spain.
After a quiet 1997, the Belgian pairing returned to Ford in 1998, claiming
another podium finish on the final round of the year in Britain. The
following season they joined Subaru but their world championship programme
was cut short midway through the year and they ended the campaign piloting
a works Skoda Octavia to a magnificent fourth on the Rally of Great
Britain. That result helped earn them a works drive with the Czech team for
2001. A string of consistent results ended with a heavy accident on Kenya's
Safari Rally which left Prévot injured and out of the next two rallies.
Last season Thiry and Prévot campaigned a Peugeot 206, supported by the
Belgian importer on five world championship rallies, claiming a tremendous
fifth place finish on the Deutschland Rally as well as contesting a number
of events in the Citroën Xsara Kit Car. A similar programme was planned for
2003 until Prévot's call-up to the Ford BP Rallye Sport squad alongside
François Duval.
For further information:
Citroën Australia Media Web Site: http://media.ateco.com.au/
join the Citroen Sport team to help it defend its double World Rally
Championship titles in 2005 following a fine third place on last weekend's
(14 November 2004) Telstra Rally Australia, sharing the podium with event
winner and new team mate, Sébastien Loeb.
Duval and co-driver Stéphane Prévot join Citroen from Ford, where the 24
year old has shown that he has the ability and natural talent to be a
future championship contender. He replaces Carlos Sainz, the most
successful rally driver of all time, who retired from the sport at the end
of the 2004 season.
As well as helping Citroen's bid to secure its third successive
manufacturers' title, Duval also provide essential team support for the
2004 World Rally Drivers' Champions, Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena, with
their bid to secure a second title in the Citroen Xsara WRC.
For the young Belgian driver, the move marks a return to his origins in the
sport since he began his rallying career in 1999 with victory in Belgium's
Citroën Saxo Challenge. After his first two complete seasons at World Rally
Championship level, his record already features seven podium finishes.
Stéphane Prévot is one of the most experienced co-drivers in the sport and
has played a major role in Duval's success and like his driver, he is
returning to where he started in the sport, with Citroen. He first competed
as a co-driver in the 1988 Citroën AX Challenge and sat alongside Bruno
Thiry on a number of events, including notably the European Rally
Championship in a Citroën Xsara Kit Car. He has partnered François Duval in
the World Rally Championship since 2003.
(ends)
François Duval
Date of birth: 18 November 1980
Lives: Chimay, Belgium
Marital status: Single
First rally: 1999
First world rally: 2001 Rally of Portugal
World rallies started: 39
Although he only started rallying in 1999, François Duval is already
regarded by many as a potential world rally star of the decade to come.
After just two years tackling world championship rallies in both two and
four-wheel drive cars, the Belgian was awarded a full championship
programme for 2003 by Ford BP Rallye Sport at the tender age of 22
As a small child, Duval watched his father Rene competing in numerous
rallies with a Toyota and later shared his family's joy when Rene won the
Belgian national rallysprint championship driving a Celica GT4. At the
family home, Duval began riding a 50cc quad-bike at the age of six. He
rapidly progressed to karting and as an adolescent competed in both the
Belgian and European championships, while maintaining his interest in
competitive quad-bike racing to great effect. He won the Belgian
Championship for small-capacity quads in 1995 and for large-engined quads
in 1997 and 1998.
In March 1999 he made his rally debut in Belgium's Citroen Saxo Challenge,
claiming a podium position on his very first outing. He went on to score
four wins and a second place to clinch the championship title. As well as
entering the Belgian Rally Championship in 2000, finishing third overall,
Duval undertook 19 rallies and joined the Mitsubishi Marlboro Junior Team,
driving a Group N Lancer rally car on three events - Luxembourg, Ypres and
Condroz.
The following year was another busy one as Duval contested 17 rallies and
whenever his cars were reliable he was both fast and well placed. With
Mitsubishi he tackled Luxembourg again and then took part in three rounds
of the world championship - Portugal, Cyprus and Australia, where he
finished 19th overall and third in the Group N category.
However, the most significant part of his year was spent with Ford,
competing in a Puma in the FIA Super 1600 series at six world rallies. His
best result was second in the category on Italy's San Remo Rally while he
also drove the Ford Rallye Sport-prepared Puma at events in Belgium and the
UK, powering his way to a clear and convincing victory on the Rally of
Kent.
The gifted young Belgian ace enjoyed another packed programme with Ford
Rallye Sport in 2002, driving a Puma Super 1600 in the Junior and a Focus
RS WRC in the main world championship. He won the opening round of the
junior series in Monte Carlo but the rest of his two-wheel drive campaign
was disappointing and he finished sixth in the championship. He tackled
five rounds of the championship in a Focus and emphasised his potential by
leading the Cyprus Rally on the opening morning. His best result was 10th
place on the Swedish Rally.
Duval's potential earned a full 14-rally programme for 2003 in the two-car
Ford BP Rallye Sport team and he was quick to make the most if it, claiming
his best result to date by taking third on the Rally of Turkey in March.
Away from rallying, the quiet Belgian relaxes by fishing with his younger
brother, quad biking and jet-skiing.
Stéphane Prévot
Date of birth: 7 January 1969
Lives: Huy, Belgium
Marital status: Single
First rally: 1987
First world rally: 1989 RAC Rally
World rallies started: 94
World rally wins: 0
Stéphane Prévot is one of the world's greatest rally fans, as his large
collection of rallying memorabilia testifies. He lives just 100 metres from
the Rallye du Condroz parc ferme area in the town of Huy, and it was whilst
watching the Belgian Championship event in 1979 that Prevot's passion for
rallying began.
In 1989, Prévot decided to concentrate on full-time co-driving, and left
his studies to become a professional rally navigator. He contested 25
rallies that year and made a successful world championship debut on
Britain's RAC Rally, co-driving for George Simons.
Prévot's big break into professional co-driving came in 1990, when he
partnered Marc Timmers in the Mitsubishi Belgium team. Together they
dominated the Group N category, winning the Belgian Championship title in a
Galant VR-4.
The following year, 1991, Prévot teamed up with fellow countryman Bruno
Thiry, the start of a long and successful partnership. In their first
season together they contested 15 rallies, winning the first of three
consecutive Belgian Championship Two-Litre titles with Opel Team Belgium.
Their success continued at world championship level and in 1993 they helped
General Motors to the Two-Litre Manufacturers' world title with category
wins in Monte Carlo, Portugal, Finland, San Remo and Catalunya.
For 1994 Prévot and Thiry joined the RAS Team, driving a Group A Ford
Escort in the world championship. Working closely with the factory Ford
team, they learned quickly and matched speed and consistency. A magnificent
season culminated with third place on the RAC Rally, enough to secure fifth
in the championship. They stayed with Ford and finished sixth in both the
1995 and 1996 championship standings, claiming third place finishes on the
final two events of the 1996 campaign in Italy and Spain.
After a quiet 1997, the Belgian pairing returned to Ford in 1998, claiming
another podium finish on the final round of the year in Britain. The
following season they joined Subaru but their world championship programme
was cut short midway through the year and they ended the campaign piloting
a works Skoda Octavia to a magnificent fourth on the Rally of Great
Britain. That result helped earn them a works drive with the Czech team for
2001. A string of consistent results ended with a heavy accident on Kenya's
Safari Rally which left Prévot injured and out of the next two rallies.
Last season Thiry and Prévot campaigned a Peugeot 206, supported by the
Belgian importer on five world championship rallies, claiming a tremendous
fifth place finish on the Deutschland Rally as well as contesting a number
of events in the Citroën Xsara Kit Car. A similar programme was planned for
2003 until Prévot's call-up to the Ford BP Rallye Sport squad alongside
François Duval.
For further information:
Citroën Australia Media Web Site: http://media.ateco.com.au/