Resigned to the rain

This morning there were hopes that things might dry up a little later in the day at Dreux. But now most drivers appear to have resigned themselves to racing in the rain again.

Frenchman Martial Barbette’s unique Renault splashes round at Dreux. © Johan Dingenen/RallycrossWorld.com

The forecast has predicted rain for the weekend but when this morning’s 90% chance of rain briefly gave way to a 70% probability for late afternoon, and the lunch break passed during a break in the rain, some drivers started to talk about running dry weather tyres. No sooner had the paddock tanoy called the first cars for the second free practice session, however, than the rain started to fall again. That session is now running in steady rain.

Times from this morning’s first free sessions are academic at this stage, but with seven Frenchmen in the top ten, it appears that there may be a home advantage, or perhaps just that the French, by and large adopters of a smooth and fluid driving style, have the right approach to the twisting, turning and now very slippery track. If that’s the case, it may be a little surprising that best of the Europeans was Liam Doran in fourth place…

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