You saw him here first: Lucas Darmezin, Junior winner of the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup France

The 21-year-old from Savoie, southeast France, between the Swiss and Italian borders, has all the tools at his disposal to follow in the footsteps of previous champions that have come up through the ranks of French rallying, most notably Sebastien Loeb and Sebastien Ogier.

Stellantis Motorsport: the automotive giant, famous for brands with a strong history in rallying such as Citroën Racing and Peugeot Sport, fosters at the heart of its promotional series the space for young talents to make a name of themselves. His win in the Junior category drives Darmezin to climb the ladder towards the next level in rallying due to his talent and the multifaceted support from Stellantis Motorsport.

Co-driven by Valentin Augé and Meryl Giraldo, the young driver claimed three rally wins in the Junior category and four podiums overall this year, en route to victory in the Junior Under 25 championship at the wheel of PEUGEOT 208 Rally4. The Frenchman’s stellar achievement came thanks to his pure speed and consistency: not one DNF this season. As a result, he now graduates to the Master Under 29 category for a full season in the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup with Lycée Saint Vallier – Section Compéition team and the support of Stellantis Motorsport. 2024 will be a year for him to grow, learn and perfect his driving skills in the best environment for the chance to win the Master category and a programme in the French Rally Championship with Citroën C3 Rally2 in 2025.

Who is this latest rising star to emerge from the competitive ranks of the Cup?

Son to an amateur rally driver, the young Lucas quickly followed in his father’s footsteps, having started his motorsport career in karting at the age of 13. He then continued in rallycross three years later and as soon as he passed his license, his eyes were set on rallying with Loeb as his hero and role model.

This year, at the wheel of PEUGEOT 208 Rally 4 he rapidly became one to watch. “We were confident and motivated to give it our all from the beginning. Every round on gravel or asphalt was an opportunity to learn and grow. The highlight was the final round at the Rallye du Var right: the stakes were high as the Junior title was within our grasp. We didn’t want to get carried away or make any mistakes, and it paid off, we got the result we wanted after battling with the other Junior crews all season.”

“My dream is to become French Rally Champion, and I would love to compete in Rallye Monte-Carlo” said Darmezin. “So, I’d really like to thank Stellantis Motorsport for all the opportunities they have given me up to now and the ones to come: the experience gained over the years and above all the step-by-step progression they make possible. There’s still plenty of room for improvement.

Outside of the world of rallying, Darmezin remains completely grounded – and this is undoubtedly a key to his success. “My family and I have a small PEUGEOT garage, so I’m very family oriented. As for my hobbies I do a bit of sport, otherwise it’s really my family and the garage.”

Both on and off the stages, Stellantis plays a huge part in the progress of Lucas Darmezin. Remember that name. You heard it here first.

CONTACTS

• Didier CLEMENT: Customer Racing Manager

+33 6 87 71 71 85 – didier.clement@stellantis.com

• Jean Marc Vinatier : Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup Sports Director

+33 6 73 48 43 39 – jeanmarc.vinatier@stellantis.com

• Emilie Korczynski: Communication/Marketing

+33 7 64 47 88 06 – emilie.korczynski@external.stellantis.com

• Peugeot – Citroën Racing Shop

+33(0)9 68 40 99 95 – racingshop@stellantis.com