As the final weeks of the offseason unfold, Alexandre Janot and Pascal Lambec have opted to get back to racing ahead of schedule. The two French drivers have chosen to line up in the Open 4WD category at the RallyX Euro League season opener, set to take place at Montalegre on March 29-30.
A specialist in Autocross before making his Rallycross debut in 2019 at the wheel of an Audi A1 T3F, Alexandre Janot finished fourth in the French Division 3 Cup in 2022 before stepping up to the Supercar category the following year.
Armed with a Peugeot 208, built and developed by multiple French champion Gaëtan Sérazin, Janot made a strong impression in a category dominated by former FIA World Rallycross Championship (World RX) cars.
Driving a handcrafted Peugeot 208, he secured eighth place in the overall standings, finishing as the top driver not driving an ex-World RX car.
In 2024, he came close to a breakthrough moment at Lohéac, claiming fifth place in a race won by seven-time world champion Johan Kristoffersson.
While Janot will be focusing on Autocross in 2025, he will return to the driver’s seat of his Peugeot 208 Supercar in just a few weeks for the RallyX round in Portugal.
The RallyX championship will now give him the opportunity to compete at the highest level alongside his compatriot Pascal Lambec, who will be driving a Renault Clio, formerly used by GCK.
“Pascal and I have been talking about competing in European races for quite some time,” says Alexandre.
“During our discussions, Pascal kept telling me how incredible Montalegre is and that I absolutely had to race there. My mechanic Mathys, who was part of the Euro RX adventure with Pascal last year, also kept insisting. Naturally, I couldn’t resist the temptation, so I decided to enter this race alongside Pascal.”
For the first time in his career, Janot will be competing outside France in the RallyX championship.
“So far, I’ve only seen the Montalegre circuit on TV. I’ve never even been there as a spectator, but it looks like a fantastic track. Initially, I had planned to enter this event with a Division 3 car, which is much easier to handle in terms of driving. It would have made managing big slides on dirt much simpler. However, I’m taking on the challenge with the 208. It won’t be easy. Beyond the weight, I’ll also have to get used to left-foot braking. Honestly, I don’t know how it’s going to go, but we’ll see. One thing is for sure—this will be excellent preparation for my Autocross season.”
While the sporting challenge is very real, the goal is also to enjoy the experience and share a great weekend with Pascal Lambec.
“The idea is also to have a good time together before our respective championships start. It’s always fun to experience this kind of adventure with people you appreciate,” Alexandre explains.
As for the rest of his RallyX season, Janot remains cautious about making any firm commitments.
“First, we’ll head to Portugal, and then we’ll see. Depending on how the weekend goes, it might give us ideas for the future. I’m not ruling out doing more races if I feel like it’s worth it from a driver’s perspective.”