Zoom Hard work pays off for Vouilloz

Recently-crowned IRC drivers' champion Nicolas Vouilloz says that it is "an honour" for him to finally clinch the IRC drivers' title.

The Frenchman claimed the title by finishing second on the Rallye du Valais in Switzerland last week, and he added that winning the 2008 IRC drivers' championship was one of the greatest achievements of his career to date.

The Rallye du Valais was the penultimate round of the IRC series, meaning that Vouilloz guaranteed his title with one rally to spare.

"It's a fantastic honour, and for sure it is one of the best achievements of my career," he said. "To have done it against such strong opposition this year makes it all the better for us. We tried to be consistent and not make any mistakes, but it wasn't easy. "

"All the time we had to stay focussed on the bigger picture and actually it took a lot of concentration. We could take nothing at all for granted. At the beginning of the season, it took a little while for us to put our deal together to compete, so to be here now as champion is amazing and it certainly makes all the hard work worthwhile."

Having won the manufacturers' title in Sanremo as well, the Peugeot Belgium team has confirmed that it will not be going to China for the final round of the IRC from December 5-7.

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