Former rally ace Michèle Mouton is back in New Zealand, however don’t expect her to don a helmet and driving gloves. This time she is here as a FIA safety representative in preparation for the WRC Rally New Zealand.
“I am responsible for the safety at WRC (World Rally Championship) events for the last six-years,” said Mouton. “For every new WRC event I come to inspect to ensure we have safety for the cars and drivers for every Special Stage.
“We look at every corner, tree, bridge and so on. We also need to view all the spectator zones that they are in the correct location.”
The Repco Rally New Zealand is the seventh round of the 2022 World Rally Championship and takes place 29 September – 2 October 2022.
Mouton first co-drove in the 1973 Rallye Monte Carlo before swapping seats, driving a brand new Alpine A110. She went on to eventually become an Audi factory driver and was known for her exploits in the famous Audi Quatrro, winning her first WRC event in 1981, the Rallye Sanremo, before finishing runner up in the 1982 World Rally Championship.
She drove in two Rally NZ events for Audi, retiring out of both the 1982 and 1983 events. She also competed in the 2008 Classic Rally Otago in a Ford Escort as well as taking part in a demonstration run in the late Malcolm Stewart’s Audi Quattro.
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