Friday, November 14, 2008

Dani Sordo - Citroen

Fast facts:

Nationality:Spanish
Date of birth:02/05/1983
Team:Citroen Total World Rally Team
Co-driver:Marc Marti
World Titles:FIA Junior World Rally Champion 2005
WRC debut:Catalunya 2003
WRC wins:0
WRC points at end of 2007:114
First WRC win:n/a
Website:www.danielsordo.com

Career highlights:

2007: Second driver in full Citroen Total works team.
2006: First outing in a World Rally Car with Kronos. Three podiums and fifth in drivers' points.
2005: Takes J-WRC title in Citroen C2 with four class wins. Also takes Spanish title.
2004: P-WRC outings in Group N Mitsubishi Lancer. Wins Spanish Junior title.
2003: Spanish Junior Rally Champion.
Career summary:
Dani Sordo is one of Spain's emerging rally talents looking to follow the lead of double champion Carlos Sainz. The Citroen-backed driver is closer than many to the 26-times rally winner, though... he's backed by the man himself. Sainz has been instrumental in helping Sordo's career - to the extent that his former co-driver Marc Marti now partners the youngster on the stages. Sordo has demonstrated skill that justifies such endorsement, however, winning the Junior WRC title in 2005 in a Kronos Racing-run Citroen C2.
Sordo started off his competitive career like so many future rally drivers - in motocross. After success on off-road bikes, karting and touring cars, he turned his attention to the stages in 2001 contesting mostly national events. His World Rally Championship debut came in 2003 in a Group N Mitsubishi Lancer on home soil, but he focussed on winning the Spanish national title's Junior class in 2004, before stepping up to the international stage to take the Junior WRC title and overall Spanish title in 2005.
As well as being groomed by Sainz, the works Citroen team kept a close eye on Sordo as he made the step up to rallying's highest level in 2006 with a Kronos Total Citroen's third Xsara WRC. The Spaniard impressed with three podiums in Corsica, Spain and Germany as well as with some solid results on gravel events. As a reward Citroen gave him the second seat alongside triple champion Sebastien Loeb in the team's all-new C4 WRC for 2007, a spot many drivers in the championship would give all to have. Sordo has demonstrated that he has the skill to dominate tarmac rallies and may even give his team-mate a run for his money on the season's pavement rounds, especially in his home round in Spain.
Sordo is still relatively young, and though a first WRC victory eluded him in 2006, this season may prove to be the year where the young Spaniard gets his first win.

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