PANIS SNATCHES THE EARLY ADVANTAGE AFTER ANDROS TROPHY ICE CLASHES
Title winner keeps his head to claim the points lead after double header
The opening double-header of the Andros Trophy ice racing winter series took place at the Val Thorens ski resort, where champion Aurelien Panis shone on the second day to climb to the series lead.
Knowing that consistency pays dividends in the Andros series, Panis came out on top of a battle with the returning Yvan Muller to claim fourth on the opening day, as Sebastien Loeb Racing driver Dorian Boccolacci claimed victory.
Boccolacci secured a front-row spot for the Super Final thanks to his performance in SuperPole and points scored in qualifying. Having been fastest in SuperPole, reigning champion JeanBapsiste Dubourg was then out of contention in the opening corner of the Super Final and, while Muller and Panis delivered the best battle, Boccolacci drove to victory ahead of Nathanael Berthon and Dubourg.
On day two, with the Andros series using a joker lap on an all-ice circuit for the first time, Panis topped qualifying in his all-electric, four-wheel-steer Sainteloc Racing Audi A1 and secured pole for the Super Final and led from the front to secure his first win of the campaign and take the series lead.
Ten-time champion Muller continued his impressive form and was second, taking the fastest lap of the race in the process, while Jimmy Clairet secured the first podium of the season for a
Peugeot e208 in third.
Rally legend Sebastien Loeb returned to the Andros series and finished third in the B final, two places better than fellow 2022 M-Sport World Rally Championship driver, Adrien Fourmaux. Loeb vacated his seat for new SLR driver Jerome Grosset-Janin to race the same car in round two, the former World RX campaigner finishing fifth in the B final, as Fourmaux retired from the race.