Chris Ingram (rally driver)

Chris Ingram
Personal information
Nationality United Kingdom British
Born (1994-07-07) 7 July 1994
World Rally Championship record
Active years 2014 –
Teams Renault Sport, Peugeot UK, Currently Opel

Chris Ingram (born 7 July 1994 in Manchester) is a British Rally driver.

He won the 2012 Motor Sports Association Young Driver of the Year Award and the European Rally Championship Colin McRae Flat Out Award on the Circuit of Ireland Rally 2014 and Rallye Açores 2015. Ingram signed with Peugeot UK in August 2014 for the European Rally Championship driving a Peugeot 208 R2, which saw him become the youngest works rally driver since Richard Burns. After almost two years with Peugeot, in January 2016 Ingram signed with German factory team Opel Motorsport and won the FIA ERC 3 title scoring five-consecutive podiums.

Career

Rallying

Early career

Ingram began rallying aged 15 in the F1000 British Junior Rally Championship. In his debut season 2010, he finished second, and went on to take the championship in 2011 winning 6 from 7 rounds. When Ingram turned 17 he gained his road driving licence and competed in his first forest rally a few weeks later, finishing 1st in the RF 1400 class in the same Junior Championship winning 1000cc Citroën Sport C1

2012

Age 17 Ingram made his debut in the British Rally Championship in a Renault Sport Twingo R2. He won the Renault Sport R2 Twingo Trophy. He piloted the official Renault Sport Clio R3 on Rallye du Var, finishing 5th in the Renault Challenge. Shortly after the event Ingram was nominated to take part in the Motor Sports Association Young Driver Shootout, against four young racing drivers. After a day of varied tests Ingram was crowned the MSA Young Driver of the Year and has become the only rally driver to win the award, judged by Robert Reid and David Brabham amongst others.

2013

In 2013 after his debut French Rally, he competed in the European Rally Championship Ypres Rally. He was part of the Renault JB Malherbe Racing Spirit team with Max Vatanen, the son of Rally legend Ari Vatanen. In the French Rally Championship, Ingram finished on the Renault podium on Rallye Mont-Blanc and Rallye du Touquet. Towards the end of the year Ingram made his World Rally Championship debut finishing 1st place in the R2 category, alongside Patrick Walsh.

2014

Ingram entered the European Rally Championship Junior series and won the Colin McRae Flat Out Award after crashing out from the lead of the ERC Juniors in the Circuit of Ireland Rally. On Rallye Açores, Ingram finished 2nd Junior. In August, Ingram joined with Peugeot UK driving a Peugeot 208 R2. [1] Ingram and his French co-driver Gabin Moreau scored their first class win for Peugeot at the WRC Wales Rally GB taking victory in the RC4 class by a convincing 2 minutes and 22 seconds. [2]

2015

Chris Ingram and Gabin Moreau signed up for a full season in the European Rally Championship Junior series, which consisted of rounds in Latvia, Northern Ireland, The Azores, Belgium, Estonia and Czech Republic. After a podium in ERC Junior on the Circuit of Ireland Rally, on Rallye Açores, Ingram took his first ERC Junior victory and won the Colin McRae 'Flat Out Award' for the second time in his career. [3]

Ingram and Moreau entered the WRC Wales GB rally with the Autosport Technology team, making their debut in WRC3 and JuniorWRC, driving a Citroen DS3. Running 2nd in both classes, after completing 17 of the 19 stage event, they retired in a watersplash whilst in transit to the penultimate stage.[4]

2016

Ingram signed with Opel Motorsport in January to remain competing in the European Junior series. Moreau left Ingram to compete in the 2016 World Rally Championship with Stéphane Lefebvre.[5] Ingram scored five-consecutive podiums in the ERC Junior and ERC 3 categories including a victory at the Barum Czech Rally Zlin to secure his first FIA title - the FIA European Rally Championship two wheel drive category (ERC3).

References

  1. ↑ "Peugeot Backs British Rally Star's Dream". peugeot.co.uk. 22 August 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  2. ↑ "Peugeot's Young Lion Roars in Wales". peugeot.co.uk. 17 November 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  3. ↑ "Chris Ingram scores magnificent maiden FIA European Rally Championship victory on Rally Azores in 208 R2". peugeot.co.uk. 8 June 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  4. ↑ http://www.wrc.com/en/jwrc/news/2015/november/crushing-junior-wrc-win-for-veiby/page/3000--52-52-.html
  5. ↑ "Meeke, Lefebvre and Breen join DS 3 squad". WRC.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
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