Citroen could exit WRC amid PSA shake-up
Citroen’s future in the World Rally Championship is under review, with a departure from the series reckoned to be a strong possibility.
The French marque returned to the WRC in 2017 after a year away from the sport was spent developing the C3 WRC, but its latest car has been, by some distance, the least successful of the four World Rally Cars it has produced.
Motorsport.com contacted Citroen Racing and parent company PSA Motorsport, but neither was available for comment.
Motorsport.com understands Citroen Racing team principal Pierre Budar was engaged in high-level discussions with Citroen CEO Linda Jackson about the team’s future during and after a disappointing Rally Spain last month.
Jackson’s own position at Citroen has also come under scrutiny amid suggestions she will be replaced by Mitsubishi’s former head of production, Frenchman Vincent Cobee.
Speculation of Citroen’s third departure from the WRC in the series’ current era intensified with PSA’s announcement of a 2022/23 FIA World Endurance Championship return for Peugeot on Wednesday.
PSA’s other global motorsport commitment remains with DS competing in Formula E.
One Motorsport.com source said: “Citroen is out of rallying again, this is 99 percent sure.”
Citroen has run a two-car programme with the focus on Sebastien Ogier’s drivers’ title defence this season, but the power steering issue which ruled Ogier out of the lead in Spain last month also ended his hopes of a seventh world title.
An engine problem for teammate Esapekka Lappi compounded the squad’s Spanish misery by forcing the Finn into a terminal retirement form the Salou-based event.
In its three years of competition, the C3 WRC has garnered just six wins from 40 WRC starts.
At the height of its power, Citroen’s won 36 of 56 WRC rounds it contested in the C4 WRC. It also dominated both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ championships, winning 17 titles between 2003 and 2012.
Citroen’s departure from the WRC would leave Ogier clear to join Toyota for next season in place of Hyundai-bound Ott Tanak.
Lappi's options are more restricted. He departed Toyota for Citroen 12 months ago and M-Sport Ford would appear to be his only option for 2020.
Esapekka Lappi, Citroën World Rally Team
Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images
Previous article
WRC drivers donate $11,000 to fire victims
Next article
Ogier in frame to join Evans in revamped Toyota line-up
About this article
| Series | WRC |
| Drivers | Esapekka Lappi , Sébastien Ogier |
| Teams | Citroën World Rally Team |
| Author | David Evans |
Arctic Rally Finland: Wolf Power Stage highlights
Arctic Rally Finland: Highlights Stage 9
Arctic Rally Finland: Highlights Stages 6-8
Arctic Rally Finland: Highlights Stages 3-5
How Ott Tanak froze out the competition at the Arctic Rally
Ott Tanak made up for a disastrous Monte Carlo Rally by leading all the way on the snow-kissed stages of the Arctic Rally Finland and in the process hit back at an event Toyota had been expected to dominate…
What to look out for in the 2021 WRC
As the 2021 World Rally Championship prepares to launch amid tight COVID-19 restrictions in Monte Carlo, here are the eight things unrelated to the pandemic that you should keep an eye on this year
Evans on the talking points of WRC 2021
He came close to the title last year, and now Toyota's Elfyn Evans gives his verdict on what to expect from 2021 as the World Rally Championship prepares to reconvene for the Monte Carlo season opener.
Why Britain's continued WRC absence is a wake-up call
With Rally GB dropping off the World Rally Championship calendar for the second year in a row, one of Britain's best-attended sporting events faces an uncertain future. It's an unfortunate situation that points to troubling times ahead
The Top 10 WRC drivers of 2020
A drastically-shortened 2020 season gave the World Rally Championship protagonists precious little stage mileage to strut their stuff, but as ever the cream rose to the top across the seven events. We rank the year's best performers
The twists and turns of a turbulent 2020 WRC season
The 2020 World Rally Championship bestrode all 12 months of the Gregorian calendar, and in terms of the competition it was a cracker. Moreover, it was an inspiration in dark days for the world and our industry.
The early setbacks that shaped the WRC's greatest driver Loeb
A series of close calls in his formative years threatened to leave rallying's top echelon tantalisingly out of reach for the man who would go on to claim nine WRC titles. In an exclusive interview, Sebastien Loeb recalls the key steps on his road to dominance.
Why the WRC's unorthodox Monza ending was a necessary one
The Monza Rally was an unusual way to end an unusual WRC season, and while far from ideal, without it the series could have faced serious ramifications. To persuade stakeholders to commit to an uncertain future, Monza was an important showcase…
