Unveiling its future in motor sport, Citroën has announced that it will be taking part in the World Rally Championship from 2017.The team’s entry will be based on cars designed in line with the FIA’s new technical regulations.
In order to dedicate as many resources as possible to development of the new car, the Citroën Racing team will be putting its involvement in the WRC on hold next season.
In 2016, the Citroën Total team will defend its FIA WTCC world titles with two Citroën C-Elysée WTCCs, driven by José María López and Yvan Muller.
Citroën has won an incredible fifteen world titles over the last twenty-two years, between 1993 and 2015: five in the Cross Country Rally World Cup, eight in the WRC and two in the WTCC.
The brand’s success in the motor sport industry has become a key component in developing Citroën’s new brand image, while contributing to the growth of the company.
As the 2015 season draws to a close, Citroën outlined plans for its next challenge, focusing on the brand’s core values: team spirit, pushing yourself to the limit and creativity. In line with the strategy defined by Carlos Tavares, Chairman of the PSA Peugeot Citroën Management Board, the brand will concentrate its sporting commitments on a single worldwide programme.
After reviewing all of the current motor sport categories, Citroën has chosen to compete in the FIA World Rally Championship due to the brand's past success in the sport and future opportunities available that will reaffirm the brand’s position in the industry.
“With eight world titles and a record 94 wins, Citroën has certainly enjoyed unrivalled success in the WRC,” commented Linda Jackson, Chief Executive Officer of the Citroën brand. “Rallying is a fascinating sport, which tests the performance, reliability and solidity of the cars and drivers in some magnificent settings.
The category is taking off again, with increasingly widespread live television coverage and the arrival of China on the calendar in 2016. In 2017, the appearance of a new generation of cars will coincide with our renewed involvement.
Everything will therefore be in place for us to write a new chapter in the brand’s history. Given Citroën’s rich heritage, this challenge had to be ambitious with new objectives that will motivate the team and ensure continual success.”
The 2017 generation of World Rally Cars will be more impressive with more powerful engines and imposing aerodynamic features. This radical change in the regulations will enable Citroën Racing to compete on equal terms with its rivals, after devoting 2016 to the development of the new model.
“We have always been interested in the 2017 WRC regulations and the entire team is extremely motivated by this new challenge,” commented Yves Matton, Citroën Racing Team Principal.
“We’re excited by this new level of freedom to make the cars more spectacular, but also the possibility of reusing development work done on the Citroën C-Elysée WTCC’s engine.
With a view to managing our resources efficiently, we have decided to focus all our efforts on designing and developing our new World Rally Car. This is why Citroën will not be competing in the 2016 World Rally Championship as a works team.
We will obviously be keeping a close eye on the WRC, both with the organisation of the FIA Junior WRC and with the WRC2 programme for Quentin Gilbert, this year’s JWRC Champion*.”
A THIRD SEASON IN THE FIA WTCC
Citroën Racing does not intend to stay out of racing altogether next year.
After starting in 2014, the FIA WTCC programme will conclude at the end of a third season. As the category leader since it entered the WTCC, the Citroën Total team will be aiming to successfully defend its manufacturers’ and drivers’ titles.
Two Citroën C-Elysée WTCCs will be entrusted to two drivers who have claimed six of the category’s last eight world titles*: the Argentinian José María López and the Frenchman Yvan Muller.
“Still determined to make the most of our resources, we will de defending our titles with a team of two works cars,” said Yves Matton. “With the arrival of a new, ambitious manufacturer, we’re expecting the competition to be even tougher next year.
Pechito and Yvan are used to working together and making the success of the team their number one priority.
Next year, they will need to be even more together to enable Citroën to conclude its programme successfully. Other Citroën C-Elysée WTCCs may be entered by the Sébastien Loeb Racing team for private drivers.”
“The last two years have undoubtedly been the greatest of my career. I am therefore delighted to be able to continue competing with Citroën Racing in 2016,” commented Pechito López. “We are going to keep working, all together, so that the Citroën C-Elysée WTCC remains the category’s leading car. And our goal is to defend our titles!”
“I’m proud to have taken part in building what is currently the best team in the FIA WTCC. I’m also honoured to have been chosen to continue competing on behalf of Citroën,” added Yvan Muller.
“We have to adjust to the new shape of the team, but we can count on the talent and experience of the team to maintain the same level of excellence.”
THE START OF A NEW ADVENTURE FOR SÉBASTIEN LOEB
Nine-time World Rally Champion with Citroën, Sébastien Loeb is also one of the most versatile drivers ever seen in the history of motor sport. 24 Hours of Le Mans, F1, GT, Pikes Peak and, of course, the WTCC all feature among the experiences of this prodigiously talented racing driver.
For his next challenge, Sébastien Loeb has chosen to take on the Dakar Rally, alongside his long-time co-driver Daniel Elena as part of the Peugeot Sport team.
PSA Peugeot Citroën’s iconic ambassador, the Frenchman is switching from red to blue but with the change comes a new chapter that is about to begin.
“This marks the end of one chapter for me, but what I want to focus on today is my satisfaction at having participated in Citroën’s success in the WRC and WTCC,” said Sébastien Loeb.
“Apart from the figures and the records, we have shared some magnificent experiences together. It’s hard to believe that most of the members of this amazing team started fifteen years ago! I’ll miss their hunger for success and limitless motivation, but I won’t be far away.
I’m staying within the PSA Peugeot Citroën group to take on a new challenge.”
“In the last fifteen years, Sébastien Loeb and Citroën have made history together. It has been an absolutely incredible period that will leave a lasting mark in the world of motor sport.
We would like to thank him for all these wins, titles and records, which have helped to renew the brand and boost its international reputation,” emphasised Linda Jackson. “Sébastien is now about to embark on a new adventure with another brand in the group. We wish them lots of success together, starting with next year’s Dakar Rally.”
CITROËN AND CROSS COUNTRY RALLYING IN FIGURES
| 5 world titles 1993-1997 | 36 wins i.e. 86% of races | 4 Dakar Rally wins 1991, 1994, 1995 and 1996 |
CITROËN AND THE WRC IN FIGURES
| 8 world titles 2003-2005 and 2008-2012 | 94 wins (record) | 38 consecutive podiums (record) Mexico 2008 – GB 2010 |
| 29 one-two finishes (record) | 78 wins for Sébastien Loeb (record) | 9 world titles for Loeb/Elena (2004-2012) |
CITROËN AND THE WTCC IN FIGURES
| 2 world titles 2014-2015* | 36 wins i.e. 80% of races | 21 pole positions i.e. 91% of meetings |
* Subject to publication of the official results by the FIA.
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