Rautenbach wins another African title

6th December 2011

By Anthony Peacock

Former Citroen privateer Conrad Rautenbach has won this year's African Rally Championship: his second African title after the 27-year-old became the youngest-ever person to win the overall title in 2007.

The Zimbabwean also controversially clinched his first South African title. Rautenbach, co-driven by Frenchman Nicolas Klinger, won three out of seven events this year in South Africa, finishing on the podium on four occasions with their Ford Fiesta S2000.

Rautenbach was confirmed as champion last week when the South African motorsport federation declared that the results of the fourth rally on the calendar, the Toyota Gauteng Rally, were null and void following suspicions of illegal recce and shortcutting.

Rautenbach said: "I'm ecstatic and relieved it is over after such a protracted timeframe. Some people may think I protested because I ended second in the provisional championship standings but they conveniently forget I put in a protest against the shortcutting immediately after the first day of the rally in June.

"We have worked incredibly hard all year and the double championships are just reward for all the effort our close-knit team has put in."

The Zimbabwean is eager to return to world championship competition, but has not yet announced his 2012 programme.