SCHLESSER Jean-louis - FRA - 12/09/1948

Jean-Louis Schlesser: “I will be on the lookout” He is a double winner of the Dakar, the first driver to triumph with a two-wheel drive vehicle and five-time winner of the FIA World Cup of Cross Country Rallies: so what makes Jean-Louis Schlesser keep racing? This 58-year-old former racetrack driver has practically won it all in the world of rallies. But the overwhelming domination of Mitsubishi on the Dakar frustrates him. A competitor to the core, a man of challenges, this former Williams F1 driver is not the type to concede defeat. And although this manufacturing craftsman is not necessarily able to compete on a level playing field with the official teams, he still manages to ruffle the feathers of top-drivers such as Peterhansel, Alphand or Sainz. Since 2001, “Jean-Louis the menace” has been battling to compete with Mitsubishi since the emergence of the manufacturer in 2001. For instance, in the 2001 edition, although he was issued a penalty after some people helped him push his car in a neutral zone, “Schless” fought like a tiger to lead his two-wheel-drive buggy to the third position in the overall standing. In 2002, Jean-Louis Schlesser had to withdraw from the race in Morocco, but he still managed to round up the season with his fourth consecutive World Rally Raid Championship title! For Schlesser, the last editions of the rally have ended with a withdrawal, except for his 3rd position in the overall standing in 2004. His more or less extended appearances on the rally have unfortunately given him a reputation of a “car-wrecker”, but have also served to leave no doubt about the potential of his buggies. Schlesser finally managed to reverse the trend in 2006 by taking three cars to the rally. With Thierry Magnaldi and Josep-Maria Servia behind the wheel of his two other machines, the leader of the pack reached Dakar with all his team mates and with a 6th position in the overall standing and even three special stage wins (Schlesser in Er Rachidia, Magnaldi in Zouerat and Nouakchott). Jena-Louis had not enjoyed such excitement since 2001. Even if Peterhansel and Alphand are not loosing their sleep over this series, Schlesser’s ultimate goal is still to thumb his nose at the factory drivers this year, although his team can only afford to line up one car this year. Accompanied by Arnaud Debron as his co-driver, Jean-Louis believes “This has been a good season. We arrived 3rd at the Rally of Tunisia, 2nd in Morocco and 3rd in Dubai. Our results are getting better and better so I will play all my cars. Last year we proved the cars were competitive by winning three African stages. So I can clearly aim at victory in the overall standing this year. Anyway, I will be on the lookout”.