By choosing to shift part of his focus to the RallyX championship and the Supercar Lites category, Julien Meunier is about to enter a whole new dimension, taking on the best rallycross specialists on their own turf. It’s a challenge that the French Super1600 champion is not afraid of.
As he prepares to head to Scandinavia for his first foray into RallyX championship, Julien Meunier is not asking himself any questions. The 17-year-old Frenchman, who is the youngest driver in history to win a French championship title, sees it as an opportunity to continue his progress.
“I’m going to be at the wheel of a four-wheel-drive car, but I’m not at all worried about getting the hang of it,” insists Julien.
“I’m generally able to adapt very quickly to new situations, but I’m aware that between getting to know the car and discovering the tracks, I’m going to have a season full of learning. I’ll have to develop in a completely new context, but this experience will undoubtedly help me to correct any bad habits I may have picked up at Super1600 level”.
One thing is for sure, Julien Meunier is clearly looking forward to taking on the likes of Simon Olofsson, Casper Jansson and Lukas Andersson.
“This is a year of exploration for me and we’ll see what happens as the championship progresses. My first goal is to prove that I can perform and at the same time show the OMSE team that I’m capable of moving in the right direction.”
As for the switch to four-wheel drive, Julien Meunier doesn’t seem too nervous about what awaits him this year.
“I already had the opportunity to do a few laps in the Skoda Fabia from ES Motorsport last year, but I also had the chance to do the same in the VW Polo Supercar that my brother drives in the French Championship. This has already given me an idea of how completely different the philosophies of these two cars are.”
“With the Skoda, you have to adopt a very clean driving style, which is a bit like the Super1600. With the Polo it’s different. You just have to push it hard to get it to perform. In Supercar Lites I’ll have to get used to the fact that the engine is positioned at the rear. The power will be lower than in a Supercar, so you’ll have to be perfect at the wheel while still being able to slide efficiently, but that’s an approach I like as well. I really think that the Supercar Lites will suit my driving style.”
On the technical side, Julien will be able to draw on the resources of OMSE as well as those of his elder Damien Meunier.
“I am lucky enough to have the support of my brother, who also has a little experience in Supercar Lites and who will be following me throughout the season. So I think that with his support and the expertise of OMSE, we’ll be able to work in excellent conditions. I’m also used to working as a mechanic on my cars since my first steps in rallycross, which gives me a great perspective on all the technical and theoretical aspects. This will help me to quickly understand how this Supercar Lites works.”
Julien can also count on the support of his engineer Krzysztof Skorupski, with whom he has worked since last season in the French Rallycross Championship. According to the former European Rallycross Vice-Champion, the Frenchman has made the right choice by deciding to compete in RallyX.
“Krzysztof is convinced that this programme will help me progress. He knows what good cars these Supercar Lites are and he also knows that I’m in good hands with OMSE. He also told me that in RallyX I’ll have to show all the good things I’ve learnt alongside him in the French championship. That doesn’t scare me and I’m obviously ready to take up the challenge.”
