For Claire, January was all about snow, ice and intensive rally work. Over the past two weeks, she has been involved in two legendary winter events: the Monte Carlo Rally and the Arctic Lapland Rally. This means that the start of the season could hardly have been more varied and instructive – two events that place the highest demands not only on driving skills, but also on organization and mental skills.

At the Monte Carlo Rally, Claire took on the role of route note crew, also known as “ice spy”, for the first time and was also a co-driver for the first time. Around 70 minutes before the first competition vehicle, all the special stages were driven in order to collect and supplement up-to-date information on ice, snow and changing route conditions. This detailed work paid off: The German team crossed the finish line without incident – a complete success for the entire driver pairing. The insights into the extensive preparation of a co-driver and the understanding of how quickly conditions can change were particularly valuable – experiences that will directly help Claire in future rallies.

Immediately afterwards, it was off to Finland for the Arctic Lapland Rally, where Claire was once again allowed to compete as a zero car. This assignment was made possible by the sponsor CapitalBox. After around a year without driving experience on snow and ice, this rally was an ideal opportunity to practice both recce and driving in winter conditions. All the special stages were successfully completed, making the event an all-round successful preparation. The big goal is clear: a start in the competition in 2027. Two intensive but wonderful weeks of rallying thus mark a perfect start to the new season – and the anticipation for the next outing in the car is already high.