Sportscar star aims for Valais run

1st September 2010

By Charlie Contadeli

Aston Martin sportscar racer Harold Primat is aiming to drive the zero car on this year’s Rallye du Valais in Switzerland at the end October with a view to competing on the European championship counter in 2011.

The Swiss driver – who finished sixth at Le Mans with Aston Martin in June – made a promising rally debut earlier this year in the Z-Trofen event in Sweden at the wheel of a Group N Subaru Impreza, co-driven by former WRC navigator Staffan Parmander.

Primat was a spectator at Rally Finland this year, and also wants to compete on another snow event at the end of the racing season.

“I’ve really enjoyed my experience of rallying: both driving and spectating,” said the 35-year-old. “Racing remains my priority, but there’s so much that rallying teaches you. It’s one of the best ways to learn car control.”

Primat is also looking to drive a rally car on gravel for the first time, but his next scheduled rally outing is on the all-asphalt Rallye du Valais, which is based in Martigny in southwest Switzerland. “I should be driving a Citroen but I’m not sure which one,” he said. “I think we’ll get a lot of valuable experience; next year I’d like to take part and see what we can do.”

Primat will form part of Aston Martin’s two-car LMP1 squad at the Silverstone 1000 kilometres on September 13. Rallye du Valais, the final round of the European championship, takes place from October 28-30.