WRC Academy
runners impress
Mouton

All but one of the 10 rising talents made it to the finish in Faro on 31 March despite the onset of treacherous driving conditions brought about by heavy rain, fog and mud.

Mouton, who scored four wins from 52 starts at world championship level, said: “I was very impressed with the FIA WRC Academy crews on the first round in Portugal. Given the conditions we saw, just to finish an event like that is a real achievement. The competition was great to follow and many of the crews remain in the running for the prize. It would be fantastic to see them joined by even more competitors for Greece.”

She continued: “The WRC Academy is one of the most exciting initiatives in the sport at present. With expert tuition and experience of WRC stages, the series is the perfect means through which the sport’s most exciting young talents might make the journey to the highest level of competition.”

Alastair Fisher took victory in Portugal with Brendan Reeves second and newcomer Pontus Tidemand third.