Stu takes the weather with him
Uddingston’s Stuart Loudon has turned meteorologist as he tries to help M-sport’s Sebastien Ogier to a fifth World Rally Championship title.
However, his new role as weather co-ordinator hasn’t changed Loudon’s ambition to be a co-driver at the top of the sport.
Stuart will resume his role for M-sport during Rally Finland this week, which involves average speeds of close to 80mph through the Finnish forests, often flying more than 40 metres over some of the sport’s most famous jumps. It’s important to get it right.
He said:“i co-ordinate where the weather crews will be going on the rally. We have a lot of weather and conditions data coming in from Meteo France and from the guys out in the field, and I collate that and feed it to the crews in a quick, digestible form.
“Sometimes there are only a couple of minutes between stages and the crews need to know very quickly what’s going on and what to expect in the next one.”
Stuart added:“coming into the team for Monte Carlo and winning straight away with Seb and Julien Ingrassia was unreal, if a little nerve-wracking. Being in the room when Seb crossed the line and won was just incredible.
“Working in the WRC with M-sport has made me appreciate what it takes to succeed at the very top of the sport and, more than ever now, I want to be there in the car calling the notes.
“I still absolutely believe I have what it takes to make it to the top of the sport as a co-driver, and I won’t rest until I’m there.”