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Pierre Campana will bid to win the Clio R3 European Trophy when he contests Rallye du Var in France from 25-28 November. The 25-year-old rising star from Corsica, who is sponsored by French simulator company Ellip6, is two points adrift of Dutch driver Kevin Abbring heading into the asphalt event, the finale to the six-round, pan-European series.

Campana, whose Clio R3 is run by the Italian Munaretto team, is no stranger to the event's challenging mountainous terrain after finishing as the second-best Clio European Trophy driver when he made his debut on the rally last season. Indeed, he was leading his division until a puncture on the final stage dropped him back to the runner-up spot. He plans to use that disappointment to spur him onto success when he makes his return to the rally this year.

"When I was here for the first time last year the weather conditions were horrible but even though things were very complicated I managed to get a very good result," said Campana. "Winning the Clio R3 European Trophy for myself, my team and my sponsor Ellip6 is very important to me and after the disappointment of missing out on victory last year I am even more determined to win this year."

The battle for Clio glory on Rallye du Var is likely to be more intense than ever with leading runners from the French, Italian and Swiss Clio championships going head-to-head with their counterparts from the Clio R3 European Trophy.

But Campana, who claimed a podium finish on his Junior World Rally Championship debut in Corsica in 2008, is relishing the prospect of the increased competition.

"I want to win so badly and to do so by beating the best Clio R3 drivers in Europe will make it even more special," said Campana. "I know it's not going to be easy because the Clio series is very competitive. Also, Sebastien Ogier will be competing in a Citroen DS3 R3. It's a different level of car to my Clio but it's a great incentive to try and beat a driver who has won two world championship rallies."

Campana will also be in contention for the BFGoodrich Trophy on Rallye du Var. He took a podium finish in the category, which runs as part of the French Rally Championship, when he drove a Peugeot 207 Super 2000 on the Rallye Lyon-Charbonnieres earlier this season.

Rallye du Var, which is based near Ste Maxime in southern France, features a competitive distance of 231.49 kilometres over 11 all-asphalt special stages.

Q+A with Pierre Campana

How have you prepared for Rallye du Var?
"I did a one-day test in Italy recently close to where my Munaretto team is based. The test gave me a good opportunity to drive my Clio R3 and work on some set-ups but we had a lot of heavy rain during the test so it was not easy. I have also been doing my usual physical training."

Does competing here last year give you an advantage?
"I am up against several other very quick drivers who will be able to learn the stages quite quickly. I have the onboard camera footage from last year so I will watch that with my co-driver Sabrina de Castelli in case some of the stages are the same."

What would winning the Clio R3 European Trophy mean to you?
"My goal is to one day become world rally champion and winning this title is a very important step on the ladder. It would also be a great way to repay Ellip6 for their incredible support and the belief they have shown in me. I would not be here without them and I want to thank them for everything they have done for me by winning the Clio title."

Event timetable:

Friday 26 November:
13h41 – Start of leg one
14h01 – Service (Port Grimaud)
14h46 – SS1 Le Canadel
16h28 – SS2 Pignans
16h55 – SS3 Collobrières
17h45 – Service (Port Grimaud)
19h35 – End of leg one

Saturday 27 November:
07h40 – Start of leg two
08h00 – Service (Port Grimaud)
09h00 – SS4 Gonfaron
09h40 – SS5 Bormes les Mimosas
10h20 – SS6 La Canadel 2
10h50 – Service (Port Grimaud)
11h55 – SS7 Vidauban
14h50 – Service (Port Grimaud)
15h55 – SS8 Collobrières 2
16h45 – Service (Port Grimaud)
17h40 – End of leg two

Sunday 28 November:
06h00 – Start of leg three
06h20 – Service (Port Grimaud)
07h05 – SS9 La Garde Freinet
07h35 – SS10 Vidauban 2
08h50 – Service (Port Grimaud)
09h55 – SS11 Collobrières 3
10h46 – Service (Port Grimaud)
11h35 – Finish

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