Rally Australia lures F1 veteran.

The field for November's Telstra Rally Australia has been boosted by the entry of former Formula One driver Erik Comas.

Speaking from his home in California this week, Comas said he was looking forward to competing in the second last leg of the FIA World Rally Championship, beginning in Perth on 9 November. The French-born driver has competed in Australia before, but isn't quite sure what to expect in Perth.

"Well, there's not much of a similarity between the Adelaide GP track - where I raced from 1991 to 1993 - and Perth's roads, I guess!" he said, "But I hear Telstra Rally Australia is a great rally - and I will be doubly careful of the slippery stones [gravel]."

Apart from his grand prix experience, Comas has impressive credentials in tarmac racing - successfully competing in touring cars, Formula 3, FIA Formula F3000, Le Mans and the Japanese GT circuit. But he has limited rally experience and realises he'll be moving up a level with regards to his WRC competitors.

"I know that it will be very hard to catch those guys who have been here before, the same way they would struggle to jump in a 500hp GT car and try to follow me on a road track they've never been on before!" he said, "Of course, I still have a lot to learn about rallying as I've only done three, and the world's best will be there in Perth, but I have the best car for Group N - a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 and you can be sure I will produce my best effort."

For the past four years, Comas has been a works driver for Nissan, competing at Le Mans and leading the Japanese GT circuit but, with the company winding down its Le Mans project, the Frenchman found time to take up rallying - and with quick results, winning rallies in the US and France.

"The next step was WRC event, and Australia is one of my favourite countries, so I suggested the idea to Loctite, my JGTC sponsor, and they gave me the green light," Comas reveals.

He says the recces are the hardest part of rallying for him, and he's still learning to listen as much as watch the road ahead.

"This is my handicap after so many years of road racing, to trust more than only my eyes," he explains, "Rallying is more emotional, while track racing is more rational. Doing both rallying and road racing will allow me to mix feelings and be an even faster driver."

Comas has an extensive background in tarmac racing, going back to 1985 when he was French karting champion (Blue class).
He went on to become French Touring Car and Formula 3 Champion, and FIA F3000 Champion.

In the early 1990s, he was a Formula One driver with Ligier Renault and Ligier Lamborghini, and Larrousse Lamborghini and Larrousse Ford, competing in the Adelaide GP from 1991 to 1993.

Since 1997, he has been a Nissan works driver, competing at Le Mans and the all-Japan GT series. In 1998 and 1999, he was the all-Japan GT Champion.

In April 2000, he won the Group N class in the Oregon Trail in the US in a Mitsubishi Evo 4 - his first ever rally. Last month, he won the GT class on his first tarmac rally in the Rallye du Mont Blanc in France.

After the Japanese GT race at Suzuka on 22 October, Comas will compete in Canada's Rally de Charlevoix, and then Telstra Rally Australia.