Mercedes F1 driver Valtteri Bottas drove a Citroen DS3 WRC at Circuit Paul Ricard with Marko Salminen ahead of the Rallycircuit event.
Just as one can depend on the sun rising and setting, one can always depend on a Scandinavian F1 driver testing a rally car, as Mercedes’ Bottas undertook in France. It was another running in a long line of tests for the Finn, but this was slightly different.
It took place on a dry tarmac at the Circuit de Paul Ricard as he prepares forthe Rallycircuit, a three-day event at the track, where it looks like he will be driving a PH Sport-prepared Citroen DS3 WRC – the car which he drove at this test.
He had Salminen to partner him as the test run was duly promoted by not only the driver but also the circuit to boost their event. “My main goal for Rallycircuit is really to have fun,” said Bottas in a release by Circuit Paul Ricard, after the test.
“I know the Circuit Paul Ricard very well to come from a very young age to the F1 GP, but it will be really different at the wheel of a WRC and with original track configurations. I think I have exploited these few hours of testing and I can not wait to start in two weeks.”
Bottas is no stranger to the circuit as well as the WRC cars as the Finn has competed in the Artic Lapland Rally, where he was fifth, while he has also tested to Citroen, Toyota and even M-Sport Ltd’s Ford Fiesta, in a bid to mentally prepare for his F1 driving.
https://twitter.com/ValtteriBottas/status/1199338232451719170?s=20
Le pilote de F1 @ValtteriBottas au volant de sa DS3 WRC au Circuit Paul Ricard en vue de RALLYCIRCUIT.
J-10 avant le début de l'événement ! ⏳ pic.twitter.com/yBPrm8VyCS
— Circuit Paul Ricard (@PaulRicardTrack) November 26, 2019
Here’s Valtteri Bottas testing the Citroen which was his last WRC outing
Here’s Valtteri Bottas testing the M-Sport Ford Fiesta
Here’s Valtteri Bottas testing the Toyota Yaris
This story was written by Duncan Leahy and edited by Darshan Chokhani