Citroën Racing in the WTCC, what does that change for the WRC?

It had been in the air for months. And it has just been confirmed. Citroën is tackling a major new challenge: the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) from 2014. An adventure in which the French manufacturer embarks its favorite driver, Sébastien Loeb. After dominating the WRC For almost 10 years, during which the Citroën-Loeb association won the record of 9 consecutive Drivers' titles and 8 Teams' titles, the chevron brand launched for the first time in its history in a world championship on the circuit. “Discovering a discipline and starting from scratch constitutes a superb challenge for our entity”, judge in this capacity Yves Matton, Director of Citroën Racing.

However, a question arises. What will happen to Citroën?s entry into the World Rally Championship? Since Sébastien Loeb moved to a partial program (he only has one left rally to race, at home in Alsace, before definitively turning the page on the WRC, Editor's note), the French team is experiencing the most complicated season in its history at the highest level of rallying. In addition to suffering the relentless domination of the Volkswagens, neither Mikko Hirvonen nor Dani Sordo seem able to take over from the illustrious nine-time world champion. “We obviously remain committed to the rally and we will continue our efforts to achieve the best possible result in 2013”, assures the Belgian leader. “Thanks to the intensification of our partnership with Abu Dhabi (with whom the team has a contract for another two years, with an option until 2017, Editor's note), we will maintain a presence in the WRC with a different system and new objectives. » This could therefore be done in the form of a semi-official team. It is difficult in these conditions, however, to imagine that a new car would be developed. In fact, the DS3 WRC, which should normally have experienced its final season this year before moving on to a new generation, seems to still have a few years ahead of it.