Kris Meeke: “We had success”

With a lead of more than 37″ before the Power Stage of Rally from Mexico, it was hard to see Kris Meeke letting go of his first victory in 2017, and the premiere of the new Citroën C3 WRC, after two disappointments at the Monte-Carlo Rally and in Sweden.

However, it was a wave of panic that swept through the clan of the chevron brand when its leading driver made a mistake in the final meters of the special, after being trapped on a bump.

The #3 C7 went off the road, narrowly avoiding spectator cars, before the future winner took several seconds to find the right direction and finish despite a puncture. Meeke thus signs his fourth WRC success, the first since his triumph in Finland last year.

“I think I'm going to have to tell this story a few dozen times, confesses Meeke ... I regret having made this mistake, the car slipped after a big compression and we had success. I immediately looked to get back on the road because I knew we could still win. »

“At the time, the situation was confusing, between the on-board cameras suggesting that it was a big departure from the road and the “tracking” which indicated that the car was still moving. » admits Yves Matton, director of Citroën Racing.

In the lead since passing through one of the justices of the peace, the El Chocolate sector on the first day, Meeke had experienced a race without major problems until this mishap, on the first gravel rally of the season and where the reliability of the new WRC was put to the test between the altitude and the heat.

Many competitors encountered overheating problems during the first stage, keeping them away from the top places, notably Jari-Matti Latvala (Toyota), Or Ott Tänak (Ford).

“This first victory on gravel allows us to demonstrate that the C3 WRC is a good basis for work and that the Citroën Racing team has done a good job during its development, comments Yves Matton. We will be able to work peacefully to continue our progress. »

Find the full report of the Rally of Mexico, produced by our special correspondent, in issue 2105 of AUTOhebdo, available this evening in digital version and this Wednesday on newsstands.