Yohan and Léo Rossel: brothers driving the same road to success

Yohan Rossel has established himself as a frontrunner in perhaps the most competitive class in rallying, WRC2. Driving the Citroën C3 Rally2, he just won the 2024 Rallye Monte-Carlo, he finished third in the 2023 championship with two victories. That, after he already became a world champion with the C3 Rally2 in the WRC3 category in 2021.

Just like many of the special stages he now drives around the world, it has been a long and winding road for Yohan to reach this point. The same is true for his younger brother Léo, who won the Stellantis Motorsport Cup in 2022 and is now making his mark in the C3 Rally2, following in Yohan’s footsteps.

While they both started on the kart circuit, it was rallying that provided the best opportunity for the brothers to progress their careers. “I think it's become part of our DNA now: these days, when you come back to the circuit, it's difficult to enjoy it as much as rallying,” Yohan says. “I think it's hard to take that away from us now.”

The Stellantis Motorsport brands have been a constant in the Rossels’ careers. Yohan started his first rally in a Peugeot 106, and then driving with Citroën he worked his way up to WRC2. In 2018, the Stellantis group’s one-make cup provided him the chance to reset, just as it would for Léo a few years later, as Yohan explains:

“At the end of 2017, I had virtually nothing left, and I was a bit like you [after 2021], so I think it was a springboard for our career, and it was really that championship that propelled us in the right way, with a manufacturer behind it and people who know a lot about the sport. I think they have faith in us and that's great for us, so of course we will try and go all the way with the Stellantis group.”

Will Léo follow the same path? “I think it's pretty clear now! Today, we're in the same group, Stellantis Motorsport, so there's a good chance I'll follow. I didn't win the French Championship like you did, but I’ve come third and hope to join you in the world championship very soon.”

The younger Rossel still had an impressive first season with the C3 Rally2. “I think winning the French Cup with the whole family team was a huge emotional moment. It will stay with me forever. It was also a great opportunity to have support for future years.”

As is often the case for siblings, the Rossels have always been competitive with each other.

“We've always wanted to compete, ever since we were little I think,” says Léo. “Whether it's go-karting or any other sport: tennis, table tennis, when we go skiing... there's always a stopwatch involved. Generally, we only stopped when one of us went off... and I don't think that's likely to change in the future!”

Léo has learned from Yohan, but have the lessons also gone the other way, he asks?

“Yes, because you’re more relaxed and I think that it’s important to know how to handle every situation as well as possible,” Yohan replies. “Of course, I'm trying to pass on as much as I can too, but your cool attitude is really positive. I think that sometimes I lack that a bit.”

But who would be fastest across an unknown stage in identical but unfamiliar cars? Léo says: “I think it would be you because you’ve always got used to things very quickly. I think I've improved over time, but sometimes it might take me a good practice session, whereas you might be able to get the best out of the car pretty quickly. But it wouldn't be by much anyway!”

“Do you think that one day we could be team-mates?” asks Yohan. “I hope it happens very soon so that I can continue to learn a lot,” Léo says. “I've never really been lucky enough to have a team-mate to lean on, so if one day it's you, I think that's where I'll learn the most.”

Finally, Léo asks his older brother for some advice for the coming season. “Do the best you can, push yourself as hard as you can, get to know yourself better, and have the chance to discover the world: that's what I hope for you!” Yohan says. “To have a long career too, but without the support of a manufacturer it's impossible! But I think the priority is to enjoy yourself, without getting carried away.”