Duval’s Rallye de France bid falters

4th September 2010

By Charlie Contadeli

Francois Duval’s bid to return to the world championship on Rallye de France from September 30-October 3 appears to have faltered after his name did not appear on the draft entry list published last week.

The 29-year-old from Belgium had hoped to bounce back from his high-speed crash on Rallye Deutschland last month by contesting the Strasbourg-based event in a semi-works Ford Focus. However, it is understood he could not raise enough funds to take part on the all-asphalt contest.

Instead, American Ken Block has been entered in the second Stobart M-Sport Focus, which is believed to be the first time that an American driver has been eligible to chase manufacturer points in the modern era of the WRC.

Despite his failure to secure a drive on Rallye de France, Duval is known to be chasing funds to enter Rally de Espana in late October in an M-Sport Focus. However, if he does manage to land a deal to compete in Spain, it is not clear whether his co-driver Denis Giraudet, who sustained two fractured ribs in their crash in Germany, will be fit enough to take part.