F1Weekly Podcast # 963

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CLARK AND NASIR WHILST ENJOYING THEIR MEXICAN FEAST LEFTOVERS CELEBRATE THE MAX VICTORY AND CAN’T BELIEVE THE FALL OF FERRARI IN 2022! ENJOY MOTORSPORTS MONDIAL A LITTLE DALIDA AND SOME F1 SOUNDS WHEN THEY SOUNDED GOOD AND…FOR TOTO

HERE IS THE LATEST RENAULT CLIO CUP NEWS!

MAGNOU WINS A SEASON-FINALE FULL OF SURPRISES

Chauffray was well on his way to a clean sweep in the Clio Trophy France Asphalte until hopes of a fifth consecutive victory ended with a puncture on the final leg of 2022 at the Critérium des Cévennes. Patrick Magnou seized the opportunity to claim his first win of the year and deprive Tom Pieri of the runner-up position behind Thomas Chauffray.

Second in the rally, the best Junior Tom Pieri nevertheless secured the crown for his team 3P Racing by BHR and will continue the adventure with the outfit as part of its official programme with Renault in 2023.

Forty crews entered the Critérium des Cévennes for the final Clio Trophy France Asphalte event of the year. Thomas Chauffray only had to start to seal his title and join Anthony Fotia and Romain Di-Fante in the discipline’s list of winners.

This wasn’t enough for him though as Thomas Chauffray set the best time on the opening three timed sectors to immediately take the lead. After the allocation of notional times in Sumène – Saint-Martial, it was not until the Circuit Kartix stage that Tom Pieri broke the streak of the leader, who finished the morning with a 13.2s lead.

Although Thomas Chauffray won two more stages in the early evening, the battle intensified between his pursuers in the darkness. Valentin Ascenzi took the last scratch of the day and second place from Patrick Magnou, allowing 3P Racing by BHR to take a step towards the teams’ title. Behind him, his team-mate Tom Pieri did the same by distancing Benjamin Stirling after Julien Deslauriers hit troubles on SS7. 

The story of the rally changed radically on Saturday. Patrick Magnou had a sensational run on the Col du Pas – Col de Bès and reduced the gap to 15.1s behind Thomas Chauffray. The latter saw his dreams of a clean sweep end due to a puncture on the next timed sector. Patrick Magnou set the fastest time again and now had a near one-minute lead over Tom Pieri, as Valentin Ascenzi also suffered a puncture on SS10.

With his pride of a champion stung, Thomas Chauffray went on the attack again on the daunting Col du Pas – Ardailles stage (38.63 km) to take the Jean Ragnotti Power Stage by nearly 30 seconds over his rivals led by Patrick Magnou. This performance, synonymous with the 16th best time overall, allowed him to secure the 2022 Jean Ragnotti Power Stage Trophy.

Play Podcast: 10-31-22f1weekly963.mp3