Tour de Corse : New podium for Eric Camilli, Top 5 for Teemu Suninen in WRC2
After a tough Tour de Corse, as difficult as expected, and marked by weather conditions sometimes apocalyptic, the Team ORECA sees both of its crews in the Top 5 in WRC2 class. Despite a puncture and following on a great fight, Eric Camilli and Benjamin Veillas on board the Fiesta R5 No. 42, ranked third, having shown great speed on a surface which they do appreciate. At the wheel of the sister car, No. 45, Teemu Suninen and Mikko Markkula continued to get familiar with asphalt whilst delivering promising performances, with a fifth-place finish.
“We wanted to confirm the good result we’d got at the Rally Deutschland and we did so with two crews being successful in such a demanding rally” ORECA’s Chairman, Hugues de Chaunac, confides. “Eric and Benjamin were ambitious and the way the rally unfolded must have been sometimes frustrating for them. They never gave up and thanks to their good times, they clinched a second podium back-to-back. They continue to assert themselves overall and that’s what’s important. Teemu and Mikko had a different set of objectives in mind but they did meet them too. Teemu is still young and keeps on progressing, his performance is interesting for the future. With two cars crossing the finish line, one on the podium and the other within the Top 5, and considering how difficult this edition of the Tour de Corse was, that’s very positive. As a French team, we hope to soon return to Corsica to fight for the first place. The future lies with these two tandems, the next rally in Spain must prove it again.”
Second podium in a row for Eric Camilli!
Member of TMG’s Junior Driver Development Program as well as of the FFSA French Rally Team, Eric Camilli was very much looking forward to this Tour de Corse. One year after a performance that did not go unnoticed, and in an environment that is special to him, the young driver from the Côte d’Azur wanted to confirm his podium in the Rally Deutschland. After a thorough performance, Eric got to the finish in the third round. Together with Benjamin Veillas, they managed to avoid the pitfalls of a layout that everybody feared, all the more since the weather forecast was particularly unhelpful with heavy rains right from the first day. Actually, two special stages (SS2 and SS4) got cancelled. 5th at the end of the SS3, Eric was hoping for more before he got delayed by a flat tyre which did cost him over two minutes in the SS5. Posting the 3rd time in the SS6 on Saturday afternoon, he moved up in the hierarchy on Sunday morning: 4th time – less than two seconds away from the last two special stages that he respectively completed at the 3rd and the 4th rows.
“This Tour de Corse is positive, all the more since we’ve managed to catch up well” Eric Camilli explains. “Honestly we were a bit shy throughout the first day. We were lacking experience of rainy conditions with this car and we obviously needed time. Then sheer performance was there. I think this is our most successful rally so far since we’ve been very competitive and consistent throughout. We did fight to get in 3rd place and to remain there. It was important to confirm the result we’d clinched in Germany. We enjoyed it and we ended up on the podium. Weather conditions were difficult here in Corsica and around the Côte d’Azur and I want to thank all the fans and supporters we’ve seen along the roads. I also have a special thought for my town.”
Teemu Suninen climbs into Top 5
Also member of TMG’s Junior Driver Development Program, Teemu Suninen discovered the Fiesta R5 in Germany, with a final 6th place. This time, the young Finnish driver achieved a 5th place, continuing to discover the four-wheel drive on this asphalt surface. Teemu has progressively picked up momentum on the roads of the Île de Beauté: 7th after the SS1 and 4th after the SS5. He completed the second day just off the podium. Together with Mikko Markkula, they ranked 6th in the SS7, giving a place to teammate Eric Camilli. Once again in the Top 5 during the following special stage, he completed the power stage in 6th position and maintained himself in the final leading quintet.
“We’re leaving Corsica having gained the experience we were looking for” Teemu Suninen confides. “We followed the plan according to our strategy. When weather conditions were changing, it was sometimes difficult for us as we were lacking practice with this car. It’s part of our learning process. Some sections were very interesting in terms of times. We continue to improve as we wish and I hope to do better in the future.”
Next round for the Team ORECA will take place in Spain, for the Rally de Catalunya from October 22nd to 25th. Eric Camilli and Teemu Suninen will be entrusted with the two Ford Fiesta R5.