Meeke: “I chose to withdraw”

Kris Meeke returned to the Irish media on his lackluster 2017 season with Citroën Racing. If the Northern Irishman won two victories in Mexico and Catalonia, his lack of consistency relegated him to seventh place in the Championship even if he finished first driver within the Reds.

“The Monte Carlo was horrible. We were in great difficulty with landings on the asphalt events because there was a problem with the suspensions. It was a little better on gravel but the car was still very nervous to drive”, he explained.

Andreas Mikkelsen semblait constituer une menace pour Kris Meeke avant que le Norvégien n’aille signer chez Hyundai Motorsport. Ce dernier avait notamment remplacé le Nord-Irlandais au Rally from Poland.

“I was on the sidelines in Poland. Andreas Mikkelsen was called up and Sébastien Loeb tested the car. Everyone gave the same feeling. It took a while to really understand the problems we were having. Mistakes can happen when trying to drive a car that can be nervous. This was becoming a difficult situation. To be honest, I was the one who took the initiative to step back, to let someone else do it. Because I thought it was the right way to have a real opinion”, assured Kris Meeke.

The 2009 IRC champion will continue to be Citroën Racing's leading driver alongside Craig Breen who will be entered in ten events, while Sébastien Loeb will replace him in the other three rounds.