4-time Canadian Rally champion Antoine L'Estage driving a Peugeot 205 Turbo Group B car at Rallye de Charlevoix, teaming up Pat Richard and 'Crazy' Leo Urlichich together and the L'Estage family's third generation at the wheel… Welcome to dreamland.
Question: All-time favourite rally car?
Antoine L'Estage: Peugeot 205 Turbo Group B
Q: Which driver would you hire, among Canadian Rally Champonship (CRC) drivers or Word Rally Championship (WRC) drivers?
AL: Patrick Richard or 'Crazy' Leo [Urlichich] in CRC. WRC… I'd have to go with Sébastien Loeb because Sébastien Ogier is still too cocky.
Q: If you could add a rally to the CRC calendar…
AL: It would have to be Rallye de Charlevoix because of the history. If not there, then I'd like to see a winter rally in Québec city.
Q: How's it to have Nathalie Richard as a co-driver?
AL: Nathalie is awesome, she does a wonderful job. We broke up in 2010 [the rally pair also formed a couple], but we have such a great relationship we were able to continue our partnership in rally. I think because when we were a couple, we approached every rally very professionally, in the car, it was no different before or after the break-up.
Q: Can you picture your kids [Ludovic, 9 years old and Juliette, 7 years old] in a rally car?
AL: One day Ludovic brought home a friend – who had seen me on TV. He wanted my autograph and Ludovic thought it was strange. He didn't realized it's not normal to have a rally driver for a dad. So for sure, they grew up with rallying. Will they try it? I don't know, but I will help them fore sure if that's what they want.
Q: Have you ever wanted to try other forms of motorsports?
AL: I like any form of driving, so yes, I've been tempted. But I never had the chance, and focusing on my rally career is more important than seeking out that kind of opportunities.
Q: Is there any driver you look up to?
AL: John Buffum of course, but also Colin McRae. His accident in 2007 [McRae died in a helicopter crash that caused the death of both him and his son] was a real tragedy.
Question: All-time favourite rally car?
Antoine L'Estage: Peugeot 205 Turbo Group B
Q: Which driver would you hire, among Canadian Rally Champonship (CRC) drivers or Word Rally Championship (WRC) drivers?
AL: Patrick Richard or 'Crazy' Leo [Urlichich] in CRC. WRC… I'd have to go with Sébastien Loeb because Sébastien Ogier is still too cocky.
Q: If you could add a rally to the CRC calendar…
AL: It would have to be Rallye de Charlevoix because of the history. If not there, then I'd like to see a winter rally in Québec city.
Q: How's it to have Nathalie Richard as a co-driver?
AL: Nathalie is awesome, she does a wonderful job. We broke up in 2010 [the rally pair also formed a couple], but we have such a great relationship we were able to continue our partnership in rally. I think because when we were a couple, we approached every rally very professionally, in the car, it was no different before or after the break-up.
Q: Can you picture your kids [Ludovic, 9 years old and Juliette, 7 years old] in a rally car?
AL: One day Ludovic brought home a friend – who had seen me on TV. He wanted my autograph and Ludovic thought it was strange. He didn't realized it's not normal to have a rally driver for a dad. So for sure, they grew up with rallying. Will they try it? I don't know, but I will help them fore sure if that's what they want.
Q: Have you ever wanted to try other forms of motorsports?
AL: I like any form of driving, so yes, I've been tempted. But I never had the chance, and focusing on my rally career is more important than seeking out that kind of opportunities.
Q: Is there any driver you look up to?
AL: John Buffum of course, but also Colin McRae. His accident in 2007 [McRae died in a helicopter crash that caused the death of both him and his son] was a real tragedy.