A terrain to rediscover for Citroën drivers in Australia

So in full preparation for his official return to WRC with the final adjustments to be made to its new C3, Citroën Racing did not make the long trip to Australia last year. The drivers of the chevron brand will therefore have a lot to do next weekend, with the discovery of new special stages that the rivals of Kris Meeke, Stéphane Lefebvre and Craig Breen were able to apprehend in 2016.

With the work carried out during the season to continue the development of the C3 WRC both on asphalt and on gravel, notably with the reinforcement of Sébastien Loeb, the French clan hopes to see real progress in Australia on this surface.

“For this last round of the season, we will have the ambition to confirm the level of performance of the C3 WRC on gravel, defines as objective Yves Matton, director of Citroën Racing.

The specials of Rally of Australia constitute a specific terrain, on which it is prohibited to carry out tests. In this context, the responsiveness and experience of the technical team will be paramount in defining the best settings between reconnaissance and the start of the race.

Considering the times set by Kris on gravel in Spain and the work carried out in recent months to widen the operating window of the car, I believe that we have assets to aim for a good result. Stéphane and Craig will also have to take advantage of this last round to demonstrate their peak speed and confirm their progress during this season. »

Finding the podium for Kris Meeke

During the 2015 edition, Kris Meeke had long played the leading roles, leading for two stages before seeing the Volkswagen Polo R of Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala overtook him at the end of the race.

Despite his absence last year on this field, the Briton does not hide his ambitions for this final of the season, where he will be free of all pressure. “This year, I will discover the few special stages that appeared last year, but it will not be a big problem because I feel good on this terrain, admits Meeke. There are certain features that are not found anywhere else.

For example, the trees are so tall in the jungle that light penetrates only intermittently. Changes in light make the road very difficult to read. I am delighted to return to the Nambucca special, one of the most beautiful of the season in my opinion. Considering our level of performance during the two gravel rallies, I think we will be in the running. »