Sebastién Sauvageon

Troyes, France

**Sebastién Rémy Sauvageon** (born 5th January 1958) is a French rally driver, who competed for his own team in the World Rally Championship, teamed with co-driver Russell Knowles (previously Bruno Géroux, 1979-1986). He has won the World Rally Driver's Championship twice, in 1985 for Peugeot, and in 1996 for his own team, Sauvageon Racing Team Ford.

Sebastién is the son of three-time Formula One champion Rémy Sauvageon, and main rival to Finnish driver Hannu Ryhänen in the Group B era. Sauvageon ran with the number 58 throughout his career.

## Rally Career

Sebastién first entered Rally in 1979 aged 21, racing in the French Rally Championship. Sauvageon enjoyed success in the national rally, driving a 1977 Renault 5 Alpine. Taking two wins in 1979, Sauvageon would be awarded a new-fangled Renault 5 Turbo for it's release 1980, which qualified for the World Rally Championship rounds that season. The car was introduced mid way into the season.

### 1980-1981: The Renault Years (Part-Time)

#### '80

Sebastién started his WRC with a bang, winning his first rally, Rallye Monte Carlo. Despite struggling on the ice, and nursing damage throughout the final stages, Sauvageon would come home to win just 6 seconds ahead of second place, with 4 stage wins. Sauvageon had ran a higher boost mapping than the works Renaults, who were prioritising reliability, and the nimble nature of the diminuitive R5 saw most of the opposition flounder. Despite the success, the Renault would only compete in the Rallye Monte Carlo that season, and remained on tarmac-only schedules until 1981.

#### '81

Sebastién lined up for the 1981 season prepared for a second year part-time. This time, he would compete in Monte Carlo, Germany, Spain and the RAC Rally in Wales.

Germany saw a slow start for Sauvageon, inexperienced on the German stages and owing to an off in the first stage. He ended the rally 5th. Spain would see Sauvageon struggle to make the top 5 in the time sheet, before an eventual crash took him out of the rally. He took one stage win before the accident on stage 6.

Monte Carlo was once again Sauvageon's golden ticket; the Frenchman stole the victory after opponents hit trouble, taking a number of stage wins in the process. By this point, the weaknesses of the current R5 were showing strong however, namely in braking, and Sebastién garnered a bit of a reputation for spinning.

The final round, the RAC Rally, was Sebastién's first time driving the Renault 5 on gravel. The car proved too stiff and unstable on the bumpy surface, eventually leading to an accident that saw Sauvageon's car flip several times. By this point Sauvageon's move to a full-time season with Opel had been announced for 1982, but he remained positive about the Renault at the time. Sauvageon in his sabbatical would later comment: "I loved that car to bits. It was a really fun car to drive, but quite unstable in the rear, and the brakes.. well... the engine left everything else behind". Sauvageon ended the season 11th.

### 1982-1983: Opel (Full-time)

#### '82

Sauvageon's first full-time season would comprise of 9 rallies of the full season's 12 - as 10 would count to final standings. He would partner teammates Guy Bennett and Rudi Seidel.

The first rally, Rally Sweden, started with torrid conditions. A blizzard and fog marred the beginning of the rally. Sauvageon managed to scrape through cleanly, but languished in 13th. As conditions cleared up, Sauvageon's confidence grew; and by the final day, Sauvageon was dominant - winning all the stages on the final day of the rally after ironing out a setup issue. Every stage end, smiles all around and topping the time sheet - though only just. In the end, it wasn't enough to overhaul the Audi of Hannu Ryhänen for the victory - but 2nd would suffice, Ryhänen being more consistent throughout the rally.

Spain and Greece saw trouble for the Frenchman, retiring from Spain and scoring 8th in Greece.

Poland saw a new aggressive setup philosophy end after two stages thanks to a broken sump. New Zealand had gone well for Sauvageon, running solidly in the top 5, before the engine gave up the ghost in the final two stages and he would not complete the rally, ending the event 19th. Sauvageon would sign on for 1983 having been assured a 4 wheel-drive car was in development.

Australia followed the 1983 announcement, and a new chassis saw Sauvageon once again reaching the lofty heights of the podium, taking 3rd overall with a handful of stage wins. It was clear the earlier handling gremlins had been eradicated, despite only one gravel rally remaining. Germany saw two stage wins for the Opel and a 4th place overall.

Monte Carlo was kind once again to Sauvageon, as he won over half of the stages in the event on the way to the victory - Hannu Ryhänen had actually lead the rally right to the last, before losing it to Sebastién on the final stage due to a spin. With the victory Sauvageon was awarded the car, such was the delight of the inconsistent team boss Alan Duby. The same could not be said however for the final round of the season, the RAC, in which pace and handling issues dogged all of the Opels until their retirement. Curiously, on stage 7, Sauvageon slid off the road in the wet conditions, only to meet teammate Guy Bennett's Opel had fallen foul at the same corner.

#### '83

1983 saw another slow start from the Opel team, as their "4WD Prototype" car was not ready. Sauvageon missed his home event, the Monte Carlo Rally, due to the delays. Eventually the season would begin in Sweden with the 1982 Ascona.

Predictably, the season was poor for the Opel team in general. Tensions were rising between Sebastién and the British team boss Alan Duby throughout the year, but worsened considerably after it was announced that the Protoype car they had been working on, was actually still on the outdated RWD drivetrain with no turbo. Despite numerous upgrades in the transition to Group B, the car proved instantly obsolete, and Sauvageon would complete just two further rallies in the Manta before leaving the team, taking a podium in Germany - the car's only podium that year.

Sauvageon would compete in one-off events for other teams for the remainder of the season, before joining Peugeot, to help develop their new Group B Challenger, in the hopes that it would better suit his driving style opposed to a bigger car.

### 1984-1986: Peugeot

#### '84

Sauvageon immediately took off in the new Peugeot 205 T16, debuting at Rally Germany that season - however the season was generally seen as a test bed for the new car, prior to the Evo 2 version being used from 1985, which was already in development. So, in 1984, Sauvageon competed in an Ampex-sponsored machine in just three rallies, Germany, Greece and the RAC.

P5 in Germany after an early puncture did nothing to dampen the Peugeot team's spirits, the result proving their inherent speed in the new T16. Another top 5 finish in the Acropolis rally had many surprised, as Sauvageon appeared much more at home on the gravel than he did in the rear-wheel drive Opel. The RAC saw Sauvageon take his first victory outside of Monte Carlo, just beating Hannu Ryhänen and Rudi Seidel to the victory, Siedel having joined Audi after 1983.

#### '85

1985 was Peugeot's big year. The Evo version of their 205 T16 was released, with big wings, big horsepower and big turbos. It was also set to be Sebastien's most busy season to date, with 10 rallies in his schedule.

The Monte Carlo Master showed his skills in round one, taking the victory in spite of a late misfire in the Peugeot.

1985 Rally Sweden saw what is often described as one of Sauvageon's best ever performances - the Frenchman dominated the rally, winning almost every stage to take home the honors. In contrast, the next round in Argentina would see a whole host of problems plague his efforts - an exerpt: "Argentina was a strange one, the first few stages were fine, but in the wet we started having turbo problems, not so good on a tight and twisty rally. Then there was an engine problem. Then a puncture. All the issues were coming. We did not have time to fix all the problems so for the final couple stages we were running with beer in the radiator and smoking half way to Chile, but we finished and I think that will help in the long run." Sauvageon took home P7.

Sauvageon would take home another win in Germany, after trading it stage by stage with experienced championship leader and Peugeot teammate Antti Erola. Once again the success would be followed by a bad rally, this time in Greece, where a misjudged corner saw Sauvageon smack a bank, damaging the front end. He would finish P8, and with half the season gone he trailed Antti Erola by just 16 pts.

Sebastien took 3rd in the New Zealand Rally, having traded the lead with Erola and the other Peugeot. In the end, having finished 3rd of the trio, Erola would retain the championship lead by 19 points heading into the final three rallies. Sauvageon would take victory in Australia for the first time, with Erola retiring - handing the lead back once again to the Frenchman.

Sauvageon extended his lead in the championship in Scotland, winning once again - noting that the scottish gravel "felt like butter". The win would prove crucial, as in the RAC Rally, Sauvageon would suffer a puncture, eventually leading to a retirement after running on the rim for 9 miles. The RAC was dominated by the new Lancia Delta S4, leaving Antti Erola 4th, and giving Sauvageon the 1985 title.

#### '86

1986 would be considerably less successful for Sauvageon, the Peugeot now being outclassed by the new Delta S4. The season saw many retirements for Sauvageon, mostly mechanical. Despite this, he managed to win once again in Sweden and New Zealand, on the way to 5th in the championship, considerably behind the top 3.

### Sabbatical

Following the ban of Group B, and an injury suffered in 1987, Sauvageon would take a sabbatical from rallying, expanding his own rally team in preparation for it's eventual entries into the ERC and WRC.

### 1990-1995: SRT

#### '90-'92

1990 would see the end of Sauvageon's sabbatical, competing in a handful ERC rounds in a privately entered Lancia Delta HF Integrale "8V", before handing the keys to Loïc Rapallino to kickstart his career.

For 1991 and 1992, Sauvageon competed in predominantly Tarmac rounds in the outdated '88 Lancia Delta. A top 5 finish in the 1992 Monte Carlo Rallye saw Sauvageon return to a bigger schedule for 1993.

#### '93

Sauvageon returned to the WRC proper in 1993, with a fleet of new Ford RS Cosworths to his name at SRT. Sebastien brought in ERC veteran Toño Del Rosario. The team would contest 4 rallies as a - Monte, Sweden, Germany and the RAC. Sauvageon further competing in Greece, as well as Del Rosario in Spain. Sauvageon also employed a new team manager, in the form of another driver, Nicky Pond, who had taken his own shoestring team to two rally wins in the British Open Championship in 1992. Pond continued to drive in regional rallies when time allowed, though the appointment was criticised due to Pond's age.

Sauvageon burst back onto the WRC scene, winning in Monte Carlo, for the first time since 1985, followed closely behind by David Probert in the Subaru Legacy. However, Sweden would see a huge accident for the Frenchman, recovering back to an excellent 3rd, having led the rally to begin with.

The accident did nothing to slow the Frenchman who took victory in Germany, another of his preferred tarmac rallies. In Greece, P6 was all he could manage, after rolling the car on stage 14. He would take P4 in Wales, and, mathematically would have won the championship had his 5 rallies been the entirety of the season.

#### '94

1994 was largely similar for Sauvageon, though he went winless in the season, the team performed admirably, and continued to develop the Escort Cosworths, which were bringing the fight back to the other manufacturers. Rapallino would leave the team prior to '95, moving to Peugeot to develop their kit car. Sauvageon would return to full-time competition in 1995.

#### '95

SRT signed young Finnish driver Viljo Vettenranta for 1995 and a veteran of the sport in Andrew McDougall, as Del Rosario left for Toyota. Aside from Sauvageon, the team suffered throughout the season, Sauvageon managing to stitch up a title fight against Sami Pekkanen with a string of early victories. The team would go through a number of drivers in the season, eventually settling with ex-F1 driver Bruce Kerrigan. A number of accidents and mistakes saw Sebastién falter in the second half of the season, Sami Pekkanen winning his first title by 19 points.

#### '96

SRT would refresh the lineup in 1996, signing Toyota man Juri Kalda and fielding a car for Bruce Kerrigan full-time. Sami Pekkanen moved to Subaru, a move that proved ill-fated, and was largely absent from the podium steps in the season. Sauvageon continued to excel in his own car and won three of the first five rounds on the way to the championship. His main competition came from Thomas McHugh, who had replaced Pekkanen at Mitsubishi, and proved no slouch, getting two wins of his own. In the end, two retirements from McHugh to Sauvageon's one left Sauvageon in the lead of the championship at the end of the year. Juri Kalda and Bruce Kerrigan proved invaluable in taking the team to it's first Constructors championship, with both drivers collecting a number of podiums to finish 3rd and 5th respectively.

Sauvageon would retire from the sport following his second title, returning for one-off drives now and then.

## Other Racing

### 1992 World Sportscar

Sebastien would compete in the Coupes de Spa (480km) and 24 hours of Le Mans for Peugeot in 1992, the prior race serving as practice. Despite a lack of experience comparatively to his teammates, Sauvageon performed admirably in the 905, taking 3rd overall in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with co-drivers Buonfiglio Genovesi and Andrej Zupan.

## Personal Life

### Car History

Sebastién Sauvageon, with support from his father Rémy and brothers, managed to keep a lot cars from his Rally career. To begin with, this was easy, as Sebastién fielded his own cars, before moving to Opel in 1982. Sebastíen would later fund his collection and team with a successful real estate business run by his brother Solange Sauvageon and from 1993 partnered with Ford.

Personal Cars

* 1978-1979: '77 Renault 5 Alpine (Sold)
* 1980-1981: '80 Renault 5 Turbo (Chassis 36, Destroyed)
* 1981-1986: '81 Renault 5 Turbo (Chassis 192, sold to Ezequiel Zarco)
* 1983-**Present**: '82 Opel Ascona 400
* 1985-**Present**: '85 Peugeot 205 T16 E2 (Chassis 4, Restored)
* 1989-**Present**: '88 Delta HF Integrale "8V"
* 1993-**Present**: '86 Ford RS200 (Chassis 38)

after SRT's surprising performances in 1993, Ford sold Sebastién an old RS200 from Group B. Sauvageon dressed the car in the modern SRT colours & sponsors, and, with a few personal modifications, would take the car to regional rallies & classic events.

Cars run for SRT

* 1978-1979 '77 Renault 5 Alpine (Personal Car) (Sold)
* 1980-1981: '80 Renault 5 Turbo (Chassis 36, Personal Car)
* 1990-1992: '89 Delta HF Integrale "8V" (Personal Car) (Driven by Loïc Rapallino)
* 1993: '93 Ford RS Cosworth (Chassis 5, Destroyed)
* 1993-1996 '93 Ford RS Cosworth (Chassis 32)
* 1993-1996: '93 Ford RS Cosworth (Chassis 6)
* 1993-1996: '93 Ford RS Cosworth (Chassis 7) (Driven by Toño Del Rosario, Viljo Vettenranta)
* 1994-1995: '93 Ford RS Cosworth (Chassis 16)