Meeke and Lefebvre have divergent opinions on the shakedown

The Citroën Racing drivers were more than discreet during the shakedown of the Rally Monte-Carlo since the C3 WRC finished outside the top 15. The Chevron manufacturer did not seek performance, preferring to keep the tires most suited to the conditions for the competition.

“It wasn't a very interesting session for us because we kept our winter tires for the rally”, said Kris Meeke. We took the slicks in very difficult conditions. There was nothing to be gained from all this. We just made sure the car was working well, but we weren't looking for performance this afternoon. It's going to be a difficult start to the rally tomorrow evening and the weekend promises to be long. »

However, his teammate Stéphane Lefebvre is more enthusiastic after the shakedown.

“I learned new things again, assured the Frenchman. We discovered new conditions that we had not encountered in testing. There was quite a bit of ice on the shakedown course. It was tricky with varied sectors. The road got dirtier as we went along and it got really greasy towards the end. This session was interesting because we learned new things for the rally and it was very useful in finding the right settings and tires. »

As for Craig Breen, the Irishman remained cautious during testing with his old DS 3 WRC which should struggle against the competition's new machines.

“The session was quite complicated. The drivers complained of having difficulty choosing their tires. The times don't mean much, but we've already been able to ride on ice and snow and get a glimpse of what awaits us.", summarized the Citroën driver.

The start of the Monte-Carlo Rally will be given this Thursday, January 19 at 20:14 p.m. with two special stages on the program. SS1, the 21,25km Entrevaux – Ubraye special, will be broadcast live on L'Équipe 21. The event will also be followed in live text on our site.