To bide time until next month’s visit to China for the 1000km of Zhuhai, Sébastien Bourdais was in action recently driving a Ford Falcon, while Stéphane Sarrazin and Romain Dumas were battling together in France’s Criterium des Cévennes Rally.

Romain Dumas during the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours

The Critérium des Cévennes is the most popular fixture of the French Rally Championship. Both Stéphane Sarrazin and Romain Dumas hail from the region in the south of the country, and both are big rally fans, so it was no surprise to see them jousting on some of the sport’s most famous French stages.

Stéphane Sarrazin finished second in Class R3 and eighth overall in a Citroën DS3, while Romain Dumas was making his debut in his new Porsche 997 RS. After posting a third quickest time on SS1, mechanical trouble brought his run to a premature halt.

During this time, Sébastien Bourdais was contesting the 11th round of Australia’s V8 Supercars series at Surfers Paradise, Australia. Other endurance stars taking part in the Armor All Gold Coast 600 were David Brabham, Andy Priaulx and Pat Long.

Driving the Dick Johnsson Racing-run Ford Falcon, Bourdais came eighth in the first race and 16th in the second, despite a few tangles and a number of poorly coordinated pit stops.

Bourdais, Romain Dumas, Sarrazin, Zhuhai