BOSSARD Olivier

Nationality: French
Born: 19 July 1966
Lives: Cugnaux
Private car: BMW 330D

We saw you in Holjes in 2009 for the last time of the 2009 ERC season, you were excluded of the race by the technical commission, what was exactly the problem?

It was a very very hard week end, a motor with a big lack of performance since Austria, and in Sweden the motor was very used due to the yellow sand on the Melk's track. So the cylinders and the valves were reached, no horsepower, and I took big risks in each run but i acceded to the A final. I was looking the race in front of me, the 3 guys pushing hard, sometimes side by side, but with a good concentration and a good run i managed to finish at the third place.

But unluckily, after the race, the C2 has been checked by the technical staff, and they have detected something wrong on the dashboard, the indicator of the gearbox should be independant of the motor beam, but it wasn't. So i was excluded of the race.

I'm disappointed, when i know that some drivers went through this with the same problem.

Will you continue your ERC carrier this season? If not, were will your fans be able to see you
again?

I don't know, but no plans for me in ERC at this time. Steven will run in the French Rallycross Championship 2010, will participate to the Kerlabo ERC, and maybe in Portugal in May.

You are the leader of your company "BOS ENGINEERING". When did it start? For what kind of motorsports do you works for?

The factory has been created in 1999.

We are mainly working for Mitsubishi, Subaru, Citroën and in a lot of kind of motorsports like:
-Rallycross
-Autocross
-Rallye raid
-Andros trophy
-Sprint car
-Formule 3 (Nicolas Lapierre in Macau)

Have you got other projects?

Nowadays, it's difficult to have a future in motorsports, that's why i'm living from day to day.

BOSSARD Steven:

Nationality: French
Born: 7 June 1990
Lives: Cugnaux
Studies: Sciences and industrial techniques

Your father is a professional Rallycross driver, when did you entry for the first time in this world as a driver?

I started racing rallycross this summer, in July. It was in Kerlabo for the French Rallycross Championship. I have never driven before this race.

Which experience have you got in motorsports?

I practice motocross since 2001 and i continue. So i have a little experience of races. It's a good help to support the pressure on a race week end. I have done just 4 races in rallycross so it's a few.

You'll drive the same Citroën C2 as the last season, did you made evolutions on it this winter?

Nothing special. I will have the same body and engine. We have just checked the body. The car is good enough.

Where will you race this season?

Normally I will participate to the FRC or ERC, but nothing sure yet. I drove at Essay 1 (FRC) and I will in May Kerlabo (FRC-ERC). After those 2 races we will decide if it's interesting
to continue in ERC or better to race in FRC. It will depend on the results and if i'm too far from the best drivers of ERC.

What are your expectations?

I don't really have goals. Just try to do my best and see during the season what I can do. I don't want to start the season with pressure. I'm a beginner so i'm here to take pleasure and
experience as much as possible.

Who, do you think, are you hardest opponents?

There are so much good drivers that they are all hard opponents. There are the Russians Leganov, Rakhmatullin, Timerzyanov. There are also Larsson, Bakkerud, Cermak, Johansson
and so much other drivers. Sure it will be very hard to be in B final and harder to be in A final.

Who is your favourite driver and which is your favourite track?

My favourite driver is Kenneth Hansen of course. He is so simply and very nice. I was happy to meet him.
I've never driven on an European track but it seems to me Holjes in Sweden is very nice. There is another that should be a pleasure to drive is Nyirad in Hungary.

It's not so hard studying and racing at the same time?

Not easy but I'm not the first one to do that. I have to loose a couple of days for the race.

I'm really eager to be on tracks again and discover the European Championship.

 

Interview: Benoit Balaine / Rallycross.hu  All rights reserved!

Photos: Mark Szerenyi and Benoit Balaine / Rallycross.hu