Hirvonen: The future was elsewhere

Arrived with great fanfare for the 2012 season within a multiple world champion Citroën Racing team and alongside Sébastien Loeb just crowned with his eighth world title, Mikko Hirvonen was expected around the corner. Bombarded favorite for the world title in 2013, Mikko could do nothing against the Polo R WRC an Sébastien Ogier in a state of grace. Despite this disappointment, the Finn, back with the Ford Fiesta RS of M-Sport for 2014 believes that the two years spent with the French team were not wasted time.

“The first year was fantastic, I finished second in the championship and the team won the Drivers' and Manufacturers' championship. In addition, on many rallies we achieved the double. » explains the 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012 world vice-champion. “On top of that, it was the first time I was at another official team outside of Ford and it gave me a lot of experience of how another team thinks about the car…”

“The only thing not so good last year was that when we were no longer fighting for the championship we stopped testing and development of the car. I don't know if things were bad with the team. Volkswagen arrived very well prepared, and one step ahead of us. Then I made a few small mistakes. Then I had the feeling that the rally was no longer Citroën's priority. I said to myself, “It was a great two years, but maybe the future isn’t here.” » concludes Hirvonen, who will be found at the start of Monte-Carlo on January 14 at the wheel of one of the Fiesta RS WRCs entered by M-Sport alongside Robert Kubica and Elfyn Evans, the two other drivers of the American cars for 2014.