Citroen Total World Rally Team
Name:Citroen Total World Rally Team
Based:Versailles, France
Established:1989
Team principal:Olivier Quesnel
Current car:Citroen C4
WRCManufacturers' titles:2003, 2004, 2005
Current drivers:Sebastien Loeb, Dani Sordo
WRC wins at end of 2007:47
Team website:www.citroen-wrc.com
The results speak for themselves: Manufacturers' champions in 2003, 2004 and 2005, and the power behind Sebastian Loeb's championship victories in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. Over the last five years, Citroen has been the team all the others want to beat. In 2008 the reigning world champion will be joined by Dani Sordo who will drive the second C4 WRC for the marque.
Prior to 1996, Citroen could boast little success at rallying's top level, preferring to focus on off-road endurance events with its ZX Rally Raid. By the mid-1990s, though, Citroen was turning its focus back to pure rallying. Early development in 1996 and 1997 focused on the ZX hatchback, which claimed the Spanish national title in 1997 at the hands of asphalt ace Jesus Puras. In 1998, though, the focus switched to the new Xsara and work started on a World Rally Car in 1999.
After a lengthy gestation the Xsara made its WRC debut proper on the 2001 Rally Catalunya. It was an impressive start, with Puras and Bugalski running one-two until they retired with mechanical problems. Bugalski took sixth on the gravel of Greece, but the car showed its real forte on asphalt, with Puras leading Sanremo and winning in France. Sebastian Loeb won the Super 1600 title with Citroen's Saxo and joined the team to score second in Sanremo.
In 2002, Citroen competed in just eight rounds of the WRC, focusing on development of the car away from the stages ahead of its first full-time assault in 2003. Early results were mixed before the benefits of testing were felt with a strong performance in the Safari, but it was again on asphalt that Loeb and Citroen made their presence felt, with the Frenchman winning in Germany.
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