In Conversation with Belgium’s Anouck Preda

Anouck Preda is a Belgian Rally Co-Driver who got into the world of motorsport thanks to her father, when he was active in organizing the Ypres Rally.

The fascination clearly stuck as she first became a mechanic for a rally team and through observing their co-driver, discovered that this was something that she simply had to try for herself.

Fast forward and Anouck has had some triumphant moments in racing as well as some tough experiences, both on and off track which when blended together, have made for a super interesting conversation which you can read in full below.

I hope you enjoy our conversation.

What first got you interested in the World of Motorsport?

I grew up in the Rally World, mainly because of my Father. Back then, he was active in the organization of the Ypres rally.

Tell me a bit about yourself.

I am a feisty, unpredictable woman, but because of my muscle disease I have been held back a little for what I would like to do in a day. That doesn’t stop me from enjoying life and doing what I love to do. Life is too short to stand still and do nothing. Enjoy it, because one day it will be too late.

What is the muscle disease you have and how does it impact you from day to day?

As of now, I know it is not Fibromyalgia. This is a great relief but other than that, I don’t know anything yet. The impact this muscle disease gives me varies from day to day. There are days where I’m in a lot of pain, my body screams for rest but there is so much stuff to do. So, I just keep going but it takes a lot of energy to do these tasks. There are also days where the pain is bearable and my energy level is good and these days are important to me because I need to learn how to control my own body so that the next days won’t be a hell for me.

You also love horses – is riding a passion of yours that you do professionally or something you do for the sake of enjoyment?

Horseback riding is mainly something I do to relax. For me, horses can take away my stress and convert it into positive energy. Unfortunately, my horse retired this year. Her name was Baya and she was a literal reflection of my character. A very feisty mare, who went through fire to save her owner after a small tantrum. I called her little Porsche for a reason because she could sometimes get an energy burst out of nowhere! She stole a piece of my heart, and took it with her into retirement.

Why did you want to become a Co-Driver specifically? What is it about this role you love so much?

Before I got the chance to become a copilot, I worked as a mechanic in a rally team. The team manager was a well-known co driver and I saw him as a kind of example that showed what you can achieve, especially when you’re a bit of a lost soul like me who wants to show drivers their way into an adventure of invisible turns and sharp hairpins. The adrenaline of not knowing what’s next is crazy sometimes!

Where and when was your first racing experience? Tell me about it.

The first rally I ever rode was in Kasterlee, a little rally with some really tricky points and a mixed asphalt. I was so happy to finally be there, but also extremely nervous for what was coming. The night before I learned to read notes with the onboards of the stages, but that didn’t take the upcoming stress away! My first ever rally I survived ( but I don’t know the results anymore!) and I was crazy happy, and ready for more. After a while I learned myself to make my own note system. And nowadays it has become a normal thing to just hop in the car, write notes with my pilot, change them if it’s necessary into less or more and then guide my driver to the end podium.

How did 2022 go for you? A couple of second places after some tricky races if my research is correct.

The 2022 season was a special season for me. I was still looking at myself as a co-pilot and was mainly working on what I wanted to be. I got great opportunities and grabbed them with both hands. My gratitude is super big to these pilots that I drove with because they gave me a chance to grow in the sport I grew up in.

How did it feel to get those second place finishes on the podium in 2022?

The first time was a big achievement by both me and my pilot. It was our first rally together so there were a little more nerves involved. As a new team, we had never thought we would end our first rally with a second place in division 1 and 2. I set my goals to make my aunt, who was dying at that time, happy and proud. I look back at season 2022 with a big smile on my face. I did what I could do to make everyone and of course myself happy.

How has 2023 compared for you so far and how were the results?

This season was mainly dominated by my muscle disease and the adjustments that I make towards this disease. Listening to what my body wants, but still giving everything I have.

The first part of 2023 wasn’t going as planned, with a lot of technical failures. But we never gave up and everything went back up after I finished in East Belgium. I called it a little curse in the beginning, and it needed to break so I could finish again and so I did. My last rally of this year was Hemicuda where I still think about how my pilot has changed in a positive way with the lancer Evo 10. I can end my season with a positive note and a great feeling to begin the next season again.

What’s been the most challenging part of your racing career so far and how have you overcome it?

As I said in my previous answers, I have a muscle disease. So it means to me that I am limited in some things, especially in terms of heavy physical work. I am mentally very strong, sometimes too strong. This means that there are days when I blame myself for the pain I’m in.
I know I can’t help it, but it still haunts me and I ask myself…What if I stopped rallying? What am I doing here? Why am I doing this?

But there is still that connection I have with this world, ever since I was little.

If I give up rallying, then I give up everything – and giving up is not in my dictionary. Someone who has taught me the tricks of codriving has often told me that giving up is not an option. It took me blood, sweat and a lot of tears to get where I am. I didn’t know myself anymore at one point. until a voice said: “Get up! Crying doesn’t help, start over. I’m here.”

So I got up, started again and found myself.

You’re not just a Co-Driver as you like to get involved as much as you can to help the rest of the team wherever you can. Why is this important to you and what new skills have you learned as a result?

I may be a very powerful person, but I am also ready to help people where I can. Rallying isn’t only a car, a driver and a co driver. There are more people involved than some may think, and because I was raised in an organization, I know the little things behind every word we can read in our roadbook or see on the stages. I´m just a very thankful person towards the different organizations because without them…We won’t be able to drive, we won’t be able to enjoy the adrenaline of this sport. I learned to see further then only a start sign and a written time on my card.

What do you like to do to relax away from work and motorsport?

It’s maybe a little crazy, but I don’t do much interesting stuff! I started school again, I’m studying interior design. I love to play on my piano, I also work a lot, not for myself but to help others. I can enjoy rainy days, watching the rain from behind my window while I’m reading a book, or doing stuff for school. Since my horse left, I hid myself inside the safe walls of my house. Maybe it’s time to look for something new, but I don’t really know what and most of the time, I´m searching for rally´s to go to on the weekends if I don’t drive myself.

Do you have a favourite film, favourite song and favourite book?

I have a lot of favorite movies! I’m a big Harry Potter fan, and also movies with horses and other animals like War Horse, Secretariat, A Dog’s Purpose… (This list goes on)

I´m a big Hans Zimmer lover, and piano enthusiast, but there is my little crazy side again who loves hardcore and Retro music.

My favorite books are Goosebumps and in general books that make you jump inside the story. And of course my pacenotes!!

Do you have a favourite piece of Hans Zimmer?

My favourite piece of Hans Zimmer’s music is definitely ´Time´. It begins slow and picks up speed over time, the song lets me think about how less time we have in this small world.

How good are you at playing the piano?

Not so good. I learned it all by myself with a little help from YouTube of course! I can lose myself when I have a difficult day and playing on my piano can ease my emotions.

Thanks again to Anouck for taking the time to chat and best of luck for 2024.

Author: Thiemo Albers-Daly