Citroën World Rally Team

Sébastien Ogier France

France Julien Ingrassia

The Citroën Total World Rally Team (the " Total" stands for the French oil company ) is the work team of the motor sports department Citroën Racing the French car manufacturer Citroën, which is named after company founder André Citroën, and since the 2003 season in the FIA ​​World Rally Championship involved.

With his 78th WRC rally victory Citroën was in August 2011, the most successful carmaker in the rally 's history. So far, went 70 wins by a Citroen in the World Rally Championship on the account of the Citroën Total World Rally Team.

The nine -time World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb was built by Citroën Racing, started his career as a works driver in this team and will also start in the 2013 season for the Citroën Total World Rally Team.

• 2.1 First year 2003 and the first title 2.1.1 History of the Manufacturer 's World Cup 2003

• 2.2.1 History of the Manufacturer World Championship 2004

• 2.3.1 History of the Manufacturer World Championship 2005

• 2.4.1 History of the Manufacturer World Cup 2006

• 2.5.1 History of the Manufacturer World Cup 2007

• 2.6.1 History of the Manufacturer World Championship 2008

• 2.7.1 Establishment of the Citroën Junior Team
• 2.7.2 History of the Manufacturer World Championship 2009

• 2.8.1 Loeb wins his seventh world title
• Wobbles 2.8.2 Sordos position as Citroën works driver
• 2.8.3 The year of many multiple wins for Citroen
• 2.8.4 The former Formula 1 World Champion in the C4 WRC
• 2.8.5 History of the Manufacturer World Cup 2010

• 2.9.1 New regulations bring new vehicles
• 2.9.2 The Junior team will be replaced by customer teams
• 2.9.3 Two title despite internal rivalries in the work team
• 2.9.4 History of the Manufacturer 's World Cup 2011

• 2.10.1 Loeb remains, Ogier and Hirvonen is coming

Prehistory

Already in the 50s and 60s of the 20th century, the brand has been active in motorsports. For example, Paul won Coltelloni in a Citroën ID 19, the prestigious Monte Carlo Rally in 1959 and Pauli Toivonen in DS 21 Monte 1966.

Citroën Sport rose in 1986 for the first time with a Group B Citroën BX 4TC in the World Rally Championship in. The newly developed vehicle could however only be used for three runs of the Group B championship. The group B was after a few tragic accidents already in the criticism and was finally banned in the course of this season, after the fatal accident of Henri Toivonen at the Lancia Delta S4 at the Tour de Corse. Thereupon the Citroën team withdrew from the World Rally Championship.

With the launch of the Citroën ZX 1991, Citroën Sport in a different kind of rallying began to operate. After Citroën had won with the ZX Rally Raid Rally Raid Constructors' Championship in 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997, in this period, the Paris-Dakar Rally won four times, it withdrew from this motor sport and began preparations to build a new rally car.

Introduced as a successor Citroën Xsara ZX- should be used as a front drive kit-car in the up -2000 -cc displacement class (then Kl -A7 ) in the French Rally Championship.

1998-2000: Partly World Cup participations with the Kitcar

In the French championship, the vehicle proved to be successful and competitive structure. Since the Xsara same from the first missions to the French rallies went from victory to victory, three of which also were part of the European Rally Championship, it was decided to extend the commitment.

First, the team launched from the World Rally Championship in 1998 with the two-wheel drive Citroen Xsara Kitcars at asphalt rallies in the world championship without being registered in the Constructors' World Championship.

The first time in the World Cup at the Rally Catalunya Philippe Bugalski labeled with the approximately 280 hp payable with 2 liter naturally aspirated engine and front-wheel drive equipped Xsara class victory and fifth overall behind four turbo - wheel drive vehicles of advertised since the 1997 season WRC class. He was eliminated in Corsica after a collision with a broken suspension and at the Rallye San Remo after an accident. His team-mate Jesús Puras in 1998 took part in two World Championship rallies without the goal to reach.

In the 1999 season, Philippe Bugalski and Jesús Puras again took part in three World Cup asphalt rallies in the Xsara Kitcar. At the Rally of Catalonia Philippe Bugalski won this time the overall victory in front of the more powerful World Rally Cars. In the Corsica Rally Bugalski and Puras scored a double victory. It began to make wide dissatisfaction with the situation in established work teams. The voices of the A - rule change - demanding grew louder. So said the former Ford factory driver, Colin McRae:

" Even my grandmother would have good chances of winning the Tour de Corse in a Xsara Kitcar. "

At the San Remo Rally resigned from both Bugalski and Puras. Nevertheless, the Class A7 air restrictors have been made ​​mandatory for the vehicles. Citroën Sport retired with the Xsara Kitcar then from participation in the World Rally Championship races of the season 2000.

As mentioned above, the team took in parallel with the Xsara Kitcar on the French Rally Championship in part, there won Philippe Bugalski 1998 and 1999 the championship. Under the name Citroën Hispania sat Citroën Xsara Kitcar also sports the three years in the Spanish Rally Championship in. Jesús Puras won the title with this vehicle in 1998, 1999 and 2000.

Also built Citroën Sport in the next lower class Citroën Saxo Kitcars on as customers' vehicles. A young rookies began in, created to promote youth team, Equipe de France FFSA " to sniff World Cup air " in 1999 three World Championship races. The even then caring through impressive special stage times for sensation Sébastien Loeb should do in the future talked about.

2000-2001: Xsara T4 and Saxo Super 1600

In 2000, the team responded to the restrictions on the Kitcars. As the Group brother Peugeot starting this year with the Peugeot 206 WRC in the World Championship for the drivers 'and manufacturers' titles went, it ultimately with Marcus Gronholm also both won, they wanted to Peugeot not compete and put the, according to the rules of the class -A8 newly developed Xsara T4 only in the French Rally Championship.

Bugalski won so every rally he attended, including the discharged as a rally Championship run rally Germany and the French third successive title. Alongside he also drove three world rallies in the privately entered Saxo. Loeb started, also with a Saxo privately entered in two World Championship races and was used by the Citroën team, training in the Xsara Kitcar in a single EM- rally which he also won.

From the World Rally Championship 2001 Citroën Sport reinforced its commitment to the World Rally Championship. The team decided to continue on the full participation and also did not participate in the Manufacturers World Championship. It sat for the first time, all-wheel drive and turbocharging, Citroën Xsara T4 WRC class cars (A8 ) one. At the first appearance of this vehicle in Catalonia Puras and Bugalski already showed to the future competitiveness of the Xsara before they were eliminated lying in first and second place. Jesús Puras scored his first overall victory in the World Rally Championship later in the Rally of Corsica.

The Citroën Saxo VTS Super 1600, the team competed in the, in the framework of the World Rally Championship, once discharged World Cup for Super 1600 cars. As hopefully most Citroen Junior driver Loeb played most of the season in this series, from the 2002 emerged the Rally World Youth Championship. The Citroën Saxo S1600 he won his class in all five driven rallies, including the Rally of Catalonia, the Rally Greece, the Rally Finland, the Tour de Corse and the Rally of Great Britain. At the San Remo Rally, however, he did not go in the Super 1600 class at the start. His team boss and mentor Guy Fréquelin allowed him a reward for his outstanding achievements, instead, its first use in the Citroën Xsara T4 at the San Remo rally. Loeb immediately secured four special stage bests and had to be at the end of the rally only a few seconds the absolute asphalt specialists and Gilles Panizzi favorites in the Peugeot 206 WRC beaten. Nevertheless, he achieved the second place his best result in the World Championship as well as his first WRC points. At the end of the season was marked with points clear of title in the Super 1600 World Cup to book.

Loeb was next to his S1600 - WM- use 2001 for the Citroën team still active in the still used in national competitions, Citroën Xsara Kit Car in the French Rally Championship on asphalt. There Loeb won all six rallies in which he reached the goal, and was with great points ahead of French champion.

2002 The Citroën Xsara WRC

As before, the team did not rise fully into the World Rally Championship. It started in eight of the fourteen rallies, to test the 2002s version of the Xsara that the addition of World Rally Car (WRC ) contributed from now, possibly for the full World Cup finals in 2003. The young Loeb his talent at the first rally in Monte Carlo showed up again. In its first use in the Xsara WRC Loeb graduated from the rally while the fastest pilot, but he was subsequently banned for a tire change, a time penalty and thus fell back to second place behind Tommi Mäkinen. Bugalski was third overall in the Rally of Catalonia. Even her this season for the first time inserted team mate Thomas Rådström scored third overall in the Safari Rally. After Loeb had in the meantime been run only average results, he celebrated in August in the Rally of Germany its first WRC victory.

In the meantime Rally World Youth Championship called Super 1600 class achieved the Spaniard Daniel Solà, with three wins in five races, the junior title in 2002 in a format supported by Citroën Saxo S1600.

Citroën Total WRT balance of

2003 First year and first title

In the 2003 season, the brand took - from now on as the Citroën Total World Rally Team - for the first time to all rounds of the World Rally Championship in part. At that time there were typical factory team the World Rally Championship three vehicles. In addition to the experienced factory drivers Carlos Sainz and Colin McRae including a third vehicle for the " homemade " Sébastien Loeb was made. The first use of the Citroën Total World Rally Team in Monte Carlo equal succeeded a Citroën triple victory. Loeb was able to secure second overall win of his career before his team-mate McRae and Sainz. In Rally Sweden no Citroën driver reached the podium. There, won the Finnish Peugeot works driver and reigning world champion Marcus Grönholm.

At the following Rally of Turkey Carlos Sainz won the victory and was at the Rally Argentina and also in Greece and Corsica Second. Colin McRae reached in the course of the season as the best results four times in fourth place and finished the season in seventh place overall.

The precipitated in Turkey, Argentina and Greece, Loeb finished third overall on Cyprus. At the Rally Germany Loeb won his second rally of the season. With a second place in the Rally Australia and another win in the Rally of San Remo he sat down across from his more experienced team-mates through on victories. But Sainz, who constantly points accumulated during the season, still had a good chance at the title. After another second place Loeb in the Rally of Catalonia Sainz and Loeb traveled with equal points for the Rally of Great Britain as a leader in the World Cup standings.

In the Manufacturers' Championship, it was the Peugeot team, which had the greatest pressure on the Citroën team during the season. With only five points behind before the last rally had the opportunity Citroën to make the only team the Manufacturers' World Championship titles in dispute.

In the drivers' championship was only the Subaru driver Petter Solberg, one point behind, within striking distance of Sainz and Loeb.

UK McRae As already lagged far and Sainz retired, was an explicit instruction to the driving for the win Loeb. He should drive more defensively in order not to lose the Manufacturers' World Championship title at Peugeot. Loeb obeyed, went from gas and ended the rally thus place behind Solberg and missed the world title by just one point.

After this team orders fell in the course of the rally from the Peugeot driver Gronholm and Rovanpera and Freddy Loix finished only sixth place. Thus, the Citroën Total World Rally Team won its first World Rally Championship in the Manufacturers' Championship, at the price of Loeb's world title with a 15 point lead.

Course of the manufacturer 's World Cup 2003

2004 Second year and two world titles

As of the 2004 season, only two vehicles per factory team were allowed. The comparatively successful looser Colin McRae, the contract for this season was not extended. Loeb and Sainz were committed as the two factory riders in 2004.

The first two rallies in Monte Carlo and the Rally Sweden - where Loeb became the first non-Scandinavian - Loeb decided for themselves. In Mexico and in, discharged the penultimate race of the season, Rally Catalunya, he left, but with six second places and an additional four victories of the rallies of Cyprus, Turkey, Germany and Australia, he won his first Drivers' Championship title ahead of schedule. He was the first driver since Didier Auriol, who won six world rallies in a year and thus equaled the record of his compatriot, who also won the 1992 six WRC rallies in one season.

Carlos Sainz in 2004 was eight podiums, including a win in the Rally of Argentina. In the discharged as a season finale Rally Australia was only the Xsara WRC Loeb at the start. Because the team this year won the Manufacturer World Championship with 51 points advantage, superior and also prematurely before the Ford factory team.

Course of the Manufacturer World Championship 2004

2005 The year of records

In 2005, the Belgian François Duval became the new teammate of reigning world champion Loeb. At the season opener in Monte Carlo Loeb won for the third consecutive time this prestigious event, while his new teammate in second position had an accident and was eliminated. Because Duval twice self-inflicted eliminated even in the next five rallies twice in the top ten not reached and only came in the Rally of New Zealand with a fourth place finish in the points, he was awarded the next two World Cup races forced leave. At the rallies in Turkey and Greece was reinstated Carlos Sainz. Sainz posted a fourth place in Turkey and was third in Greece. After Duval started the last eight rallies for Citroën again, he left once, and reached seven times the target in the points. He finished second in Germany, Wales and Catalonia second place and won the discharged as a season ending Rally Australia. He finished the season with 47 points as sixth overall and without a contract extension at Citroën.

Loeb retired after his Monte victory in the Rally of Sweden and was in Mexico in fourth. From the Rally New Zealand, he set a new record by winning six rallies in a row and another record, because he was the first rider to win seven rallies in a season. In the Tour de Corse, he managed to decide the first driver to all stages of a WRC rally for itself. In Finland, he finished second, Rally Germany, he won for the fourth time in a row - also a record. In the Rally of Great Britain, he finished second and Japan third. The next two World Cup races, he won again and asked for two more records: he was the first rally driver who successively finished twelve WRC rallies on the podium and the first ten -time winner of the World Cup season. With 127 points Loeb was ahead of Solberg and Gronholm (both 71 points ) world champion again. 56 championship points lead was another record breaking, some of which are not listed here.

With eleven victories Citroën introduced the team to a record and won for the third time in a row the Manufacturer World Championship.

The FIA ​​Rally World Junior Championship in 2004 won the 22 year old Spaniard Daniel Sordo in one, built by Citroën Racing and supported, Citroën C2 Super 1600's. Five podiums, including four wins in seven appearances, the door for a future career as a works driver opened to him at Citroën.

Course of the Manufacturer World Championship 2005

2006 Kronos Racing takes on the Xsara WRCs

Since Citroën Sport 2006 retired for one year from the World Rally Championship in order to fully concentrate on the development and preparation of the follow - C4 WRC, Citroën Kronos Racing chose to represent the brand this season. The Citroën fully supported team supervised under the name Kronos Total Citroën WRT. three Citroën Xsara WRC, one of which was provided for the reigning World Champion Sébastien Loeb. The other two were controlled by Xavier Pons and the Junior World Championships last year Daniel Sordo.

To the beginning of the season it initially looked as if the team would get this year a serious competitor in the battle for the world championship. Loeb had each beaten the Finns Marcus Grönholm at the first two rallies in Monte Carlo and Sweden. While Grönholm's services but then subsided, proved Loeb Constance. In the rest of the season he won the Rally Mexico, Rally Catalunya, the Tour de Corse, the Rally Argentina, Rally Sardinia Rally Germany and the Rally Japan. Today, with 27 World Cup victories, he set a new record and repressed Carlos Sainz from the tip of the eternal table of the most successful rally driver .. Then Loeb won the Rally of Cyprus. It is also noteworthy that he always reached the goal in all twelve driven rallies and placed no lower than second place.

In September, however, Loeb retired from a fall on a mountain bike an upper arm fracture to and therefore could no longer compete for the last four World Cup races of the season. Then denied Loeb's former team-mate Colin McRae Rally Turkey for the team when he represented the injured Sébastien Loeb.

After Kronos Total Citroën led the team standings before the season ends up four runs, Loeb failed due to an injury and Xavier Pons and Daniel Sordo were relatively unsuccessful, Kronos Racing Ford finally had to admit defeat in the team standings. Nevertheless, Sébastien Loeb won thanks to its large projection points before his injury break in the end of the season by one point, the drivers' world championship. Pons was with four fourth places and 32 points WM- seventh. Sordo took two second places in Catalonia and Germany, two third places in Corsica and Sardinia and was awarded 49 points fifth in the World Rally Championship.

Course of the Manufacturer World Cup 2006

2007 new start with the C4 World Rally Car

The Citroën Total WRT sat for the 2007 season, the WRC version of the Citroën C4 one. With Loeb and Sordo as a works driver, the team started the first rally with this vehicle in Monte Carlo. Neither Loeb nor the team expected a title this season, as it is always difficult to try a new vehicle in the first rally season.

The expectation that the Citroën - typically - would be on asphalt quickly confirmed in the Monte Carlo Rally by the double victory of Loeb and Sordo. In Sweden, Loeb managed a second place and Sordo was twelfth. In the inaugural Rally Norway Loeb took place, however, only 14 and Sordo was 25 The subsequent World Championship races in Mexico, Portugal and Argentina won Loeb. Sordo was there fourth, third and sixth. While Sordo finished third in Sardinia, Loeb retired from there. In Greece, Loeb reached the finish in second, Sordo did not come with 24th place in the vicinity of championship points and was eliminated in the next two rallies from. Loeb took a second place in Finland and struck with his fifth consecutive victory in the Rally of Germany his own record. After number two in New Zealand and two wins on Spanish and Corsican asphalt he achieved six podiums, before it failed in Japan. Sordo secured the double win at his home event and was third in Corsica. In the Rally Japan and the inaugural Rally Ireland, he was runner-up, where he won with Loeb third double win of the season. With a fifth place in the UK Sordo was fourth with WM- 65 championship points. Loeb gave there a third place to secure his fourth world title in a row. This year, his lead was on Gronholm in the final four points.

In the Manufacturers' World Championship, the Citroën Total team had this year, with 183 to 212 championship points, beaten by the Ford factory team. However, Loeb could be described as the most successful rally driver of all time from the Rally Portugal. With 31 victories, he was, after Marcus Grönholm had given him that honor meantime dispute moved to the top of the "Eternal - best list " of rally drivers. After Loeb had reached four drivers' world championship titles, equaling the record set by Tommi Makinen also from the season 1999.

Course of the Manufacturer World Cup 2007

2008 Loeb C4 hunts in his own records

From 2008 Pirelli was the sole WRC tire supplier. At the same mousse was just like any other run-flat systems which virtually unlimited Continue at race pace enabled in tire damage, banned from this season. This took on the results and the individual driving style of each rally drivers big impact.

After minor teething problems were parked at the Citroën C4 WRC and in the course of the previous season, especially when gravel setup been a valuable experience, you went with a much more competitive car at the start of the 15 world championship races in 2008.

Factory rider for this season were back Sébastien Loeb and Dani Sordo. Sordo established himself this season, with two third places in Argentina and the United Kingdom and two second places in Jordan and New Zealand, also known as platform- efficient ballast driver. When asphalt rallies he reached twice in 2008 to second place and finished his second season at the Citroën Total World Rally Team as the "No. 2 Driver " with the most points at the third overall in the Drivers' World Championship.

Loeb shocked - in short - the competition of remaining on Ford, Subaru, and Suzuki factory team with thirteen podium finishes - including eleven wins - at fifteen races. This represented a new record, as his fifth victory in the Rally Monte Carlo, his seventh consecutive victory in the Rally of Germany, his fifth world title in a row and many more. Loeb won the World Rally Championship in 2008 with 19 points ahead of Mikko Hirvonen.

The Citroën Total World Rally Team won with two employed drivers the Manufacturer World Championship this year with 18 points ahead of the BP Ford World Rally Team, although BP Ford began two to three riders per rally and each of the top two in the manufacturer's rating were taken.

The French driver Sébastien Ogier offspring followed this season a career path of his idol whose Loeb was very similar. As Loeb nine years earlier, he won the 2008 in a - by Citroën Racing provided and supported and the Equipe de France FFSA used - Citroën the Super 1600 class, the Rally World Youth Championship. Immediately upon its first use in the JWRC, in Mexico, he reached with his class win, the first -class A6 driver at all, the eighth overall and thus his first placing in the championship points ranks. After his class victories in Jordan and Germany, he had moved out a significant lead over his rivals. At the Rally Catalunya, he retired though, on the last special stage of the second stage, in the lead. The reason was a technical defect. Still, it gave him, with a second place in Corsica, to win the championship. After his title in the JWRC he received the opportunity to participate with a C4 WRC on the Rally of Great Britain. Immediately on his first special stage (WP ) in a World Rally Car, he took the lead. In WP6 he had this but, due to gearbox problems, and give additional time until he lost the rally on the 26th place overall finished. A place for the next year in the C4 WRC, he had, nevertheless fought for this season.

Course of the Manufacturer World Championship 2008

2009 Two more world title and the Junior Team

Sordo and Loeb were seen in 2009, the work team, which played only twelve more WRC rallies. Loeb won the first five events of the season, while Sordo with his second places in Ireland and Argentina secured the double victories at the Rally Portugal Sordo finished third. Then Loeb and Sordo were not used in the rallies in Poland, Finland and Australia ranked second out before it reached the next one-two victory in the Rally of Catalonia. When organized as a season finale in Wales Rally Loeb won and Sordo in third.

Loeb and Citroën team secured the the next World Cup title and Sordo was again to be a consistent points scorer without a win, best " second driver " this season and third in the World Championship.

Establishment of the Citroën Junior Team

This season, there were only two working teams at the start. As the only manufacturer that World Rally Cars began, there were only more Citroën and Ford Of the former rival for the World Rally Championship title since 2003, retired from Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Skoda and now Suzuki and Subaru.

For several years, these automakers were dissatisfied with the performance of their own World Rally Team. Pressure on the FIA was behind the scenes, from different sides, exerted to introduce changes to the regulations and the mode of the World Rally Championship. This was yielded by the FIA ​​also partially. Thus was introduced from the World Rally Championship in 2008 that always Championship leader contaminated first on the, usually with loose ground or snow, must start lines and the respective rally Leading then takes over this position from the next day and the next stages. This Regularie was known in the trade press as "anti - Loeb - rule".

The above-mentioned, introduced from 2007, the prohibition of the run-flat systems with the tires used primarily to generate " random winner ".

In addition, the asphalt rallies were - where Loeb was unbeaten since 2004 and which often led to Citroën double victories - still further reduced. For example, who, in 2004, moved in force a crowd puller, Italian round of the championship of " the tarmac rally " - San Remo on the gravel roads of the harder to reach island - event - Sardinia and other asphalt rallies have been removed from the calendar. In the 2009 season were only three more rallies, which were held on asphalt, advertised as the World Championship events. The number of rally runs also fell from sixteen, in the four years from 2004 to 2007 to twelve in 2009 to the teams to cut costs.

The FIA ​​responded often a step too slow, so they lost manufacturer to manufacturer. Ultimately, also attracted Subaru and Suzuki, under the reference to the global economic crisis 2008. In order not to make the manufacturers' championship to a two - team championship, factory-supported " satellite teams " have been in recent years established, as exemplified OMV Kronos or Stobart Ford This semi-works teams gave either hopeful young drivers or financially strong Paydrivern the possibility in the World Rally Championship in a World Rally Car to go to the start.

Thus, it was also founded by Citroën Citroën Junior Team Racing from this season. This provided the young French driver Sébastien Ogier junior and former Citroën privateer Conrad Rautenbach of Zimbabwe a C4 WRC for all races this year are available. The former arch-rival Loeb - - With eight World Championship races, the Russian Evgeny Novikov and at any single run of the German Aaron Burkart, Australian Chris Atkinson and Petter Solberg started for the junior team.

As the strikingly successful junior rider to Ogier turned out. For participation in twelve rallies, he retired from in though four runs, but reached six times the points. His best result was a second place overall in the Rally of Greece. His 13 special stage bests pointed to a successful future in rally racing. In addition, Ogier had welcome news during his first guest appearance in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge ( IRC). He had won this season for the first time, part of the IRC Monte Carlo Rally in a Peugeot 207 S2000.

The performances of his teammates, however, were rather average, so the junior team finished its first season in the manufacturer's championship with 47 points in fourth place.

Course of the Manufacturer World Championship 2009

2010 achievements and changes in Citroën

As of the 2010 season, a new points system was introduced in the World Rally Championship.

So it was in the 13 World Championship races in 2010, more riders and teams allows to collect championship points.

Loeb wins his seventh world title

At the start of the season Rally Sweden 2010 Loeb first reached the second place. This was followed by victories in the gravel rallies in Mexico, Jordan and Turkey. This Loeb had clearly separated from its competitors back in the driver standings. In the rest of the season no one could seriously put Loeb under pressure. He had, however, the Citroën triple victory of the Rally Portugal, where he finished second, beaten by a fellow first time since 2005. After Loeb won the Rally Bulgaria at the first mark quadruple victory in the Safari Rally in the World Rally Championship in 1993, he won again in the Rally of Germany. Now he had since it was first held in 2002 not only won the German WRC- run eight times in a row without interruption, but was also the first driver ever to eight times could decide a particular WRC Rally for themselves. Incidentally, it was the 32th win for the Citroën C4 WRC, the same number of rallies had the previous model Xsara WRC won. In October, he won at his home event, the Rallye de France in Alsace, and secured there, at the last special stage in his hometown of Haguenau discharged prematurely his seventh world title. The last two rallies in Catalonia and the UK, he ended victorious. Overall saw Loeb 2010 for all 13 WRC rallies the goal and placed himself on the podium 12 times.

Wobbles Sordos position as Citroën works driver

The Citroën - dominance, which was generally attributed to the outstanding performances of " Super Seb " was from this season in a different light. The young compatriot and namesake Loeb, Sebastien Ogier, who had succeeded in the previous car of the junior teams to place in the Rally of Mexico third ahead of Sordo. With his second place in New Zealand and his victory in the Rally of Portugal, he reached the destination even immediately before Loeb. Sordo was in his career never managed to win a rally. Ogier was after his win in Portugal with 88 points in the second place of the drivers' championship. Sordo had 49 points after the rally and was championship sixth. Citroën decided, for the last three gravel rallies to pick up in 2010 Ogier in the work team and Sordo use in the Junior Team.

The three asphalt rallies and his discharged on mixed surface rally home Sordo was still used as a works driver. He finished - as usual from him - second places in Bulgaria, Germany and France. In Spain he finished third. The three gravel rallies in the Junior team, he was fourth in Japan and finished fifth in Finland and the UK.

The launching on asphalt and mixed road surface in the Junior Team Ogier finished fourth in Bulgaria, third in Germany, sixth in France and tenth in Spain. On the three gravel rallies in the factory team, he was again twice before Loeb, second in Finland and won the Rally Japan, the second World Rally Championship in his career. Still lying second in the championship standings, he started at the last rally of the season in the UK. There he dropped out and slipped in the standings, just before Sordo, to fourth place.

The Year of the many multiple wins for Citroen

For the 2010 season the private Petter Solberg World Rally Team by Citroën Racing received two Citroën C4 WRC in the 2009 specification. Petter Solberg wanted to ride again for the top spots in the championship, giving him despite his low budgets succeeded. He achieved second place in the Rally of Mexico and therefore his best result since 2008. Also in the Jordan Rally, he was able to keep the pace in second place as the top third party and at the Rally of Turkey. In Bulgaria, Solberg finished third. At the end of the season went Solberg four times in a row on the podium. First, he reached only narrowly beaten second place in Japan. He then finished third in France before he finished the last two rallies in Catalonia and Wales respectively in second. Overall Solberg managed in 8 out of 13 rallies to the podium, a hoped-for victory remained, however, denied. He reached third place in the championship and thus its best finish since 2005.

With the competitiveness of Solberg and Citroen pilot Loeb, Ogier and Sordo newfound reach 2010, in addition to three double victories, five Citroën triple victories in Mexico, Portugal, Germany, France, and Spain. In addition, the above-mentioned fourfold victory in Bulgaria has been reached. The Citroën World Rally Team finished the season, 119 points ahead of the BP Ford World Rally Team, with the sixth Manufacturers' World Championship titles. The Citroën Junior Team was third in the manufacturer standings.

The former Formula 1 World Champion in the C4 WRC

After Kimi Raikkonen had given in 2009 at the Rally Finland as a guest with a Fiat Grande Punto S2000 made ​​its debut in the World Rally Championship, he was awarded as the " best-known rookies this season," a place in the Junior Team. He started with his co-pilot Kaj Lindström now regularly in the World Rally Championship. In his first full season he drove the Citroën C4 WRC of the Citroën Junior Team with various degrees of success and commitment. At the first event in Sweden, he came in 29th place. In Mexico, he did not reach the target. In Jordan, he finished in eighth place points finish for the first time. His best season result was a fifth place in the Rally of Turkey. In New Zealand he did not go to the start and in Portugal he was tenth. The next two World Cup races not succeed in the top 10. At the Rally Germany he first won a special stage and finished seventh in the final standings. In Japan and France, he fell out and in Spain he went, despite naming, not at the start. In the World Cup final in Wales he was eighth. In total he graduated in 2010 eleven rallies and drove it five times in the points. At the end of the season, he finished very public appeal for Citroën, with 25 points in tenth place in the drivers' standings.

Course of the Manufacturer World Cup 2010

2011 Loeb and Ogier DS3 WRC in

New regulations bring new vehicles

After the withdrawal of many manufacturers from the rally Manufacturers World Cup last left only the "Blue " and " Red ", surrounded by her satellite teams, and more or less independent privateers .. To counteract a noticeable decline in the public interest, looked the FIA forced to act. The FIA ​​took a long time efforts to move new car manufacturers for entry into the WRC. These were, however, answered negatively mainly for cost reasons.

The FIA ​​introduced for the 2011 season a new WRC regulations in order to reduce costs and to make the entry of new brands more attractive, because all participants alike had to develop new vehicles. Since 2011, the World Rally Car based on the Super 2000 regulations, but with 1600 cc engines with direct fuel injection and turbocharging. These vehicles are much closer to the standard models than its predecessors.

Citroën Racing Citroen DS3 WRC decided that to construct under the direction of Citroen technical director Xavier Mestelan - Pinon during 2010, based on the Citroën DS3.

Main rival Ford equipped the 2010 already proven in the SWRC and also used in the SWRC 2011 Ford Fiesta S2000 Ford Fiesta RS WRC for.

The involved in the development of the DS3 WRC Daniel Sordo switched to Mini. The building on the Mini Countryman Mini WRC was used from the Rally Sardinia in collaboration with Prodrive.

Volkswagen Motorsport presented in the course of the 2011 season the VW Polo R WRC before and took off the Rally Finland with two, on the same floor assembly constructed, Škoda Fabia S2000 in part. The VW World Rally Thus wanted to prepare team for their future entry into the WRC, scout driver and get to know the routes.

The Junior team will be replaced by customer teams

After Ogier had received a two-year contract as a works driver in the Citroën World Rally Team and Sordo lost his longtime job at Citroën, it was decided to dissolve the Junior Team.

The boss of Citroen Racing and Peugeot Sport Olivier Quesnel announced in January that Kimi Raikkonen had signed a sales contract with Citroen. Raikkonen had planned to attend the time being ten WRC events. Citroën presented his newly created team Ice 1 Racing vehicle, infrastructure and mechanics. Räikkönen started the season not only to driver points, his team was also entered in the Manufacturer World Championship.

Petter Solberg was in 2011 with a Citroën at the start. First, at the Rally Sweden enrolled in 2011 as a private team, his team wrote on sponsors wish also to manufacturer points. Team manager Ken Rees said: " We are still a self- established private team but at the same time very professional. The prestige to compete as a manufacturer team has our sponsors very important. We played two years with the big boys and now it is time to take the next step. "That Petter Solberg World Rally Team had, under similar conditions to support Ice 1 Racing Citroën enrolled in all 13 World Championship races in 2011.

Also the Dutch team Van Merksteijn Motorsport Citroën DS3 WRCs was equipped with. While team owner Peter van Merksteijn senior planned only a few starts in the World Rally Championship, eleven appearances were planned for his son Peter van Merksteijn junior. Since, however, were not enough vehicles available, he renounced in favor Solberg at the start of the season opener in Sweden.

Two title despite internal rivalries in the work team

Before the 2011 season, Loeb was initially announced its intention to terminate the end of 2011 his career. He signed last in the team only one-year contracts in order to keep all options open can. After his impressive performances last year Ogier now changed as a regular driver in the Citroën Total World Rally Team. Ford, too, had noticed him and tried to win. Ogier nonetheless chose to stay with his " training masters and employers ." In July 2010, he acted with his team of a valid contract until 2013, which ensured him to be on an equal footing with the seven-time world champion. In Rally Sweden 2011, which was characterized by heavy snowfall and many punctures, he achieved the fastest Citroën driver, in front of the former World Rally Champion Petter Solberg, his own team-mate Loeb and the final in eighth place Kimi Raikkonen, fourth, the target. In this rally, he secured, the first driver in World Cup history, the three bonus points of the Power Stage. This placed it after the first rally five points ahead of his teammate.

In the second rally of the season in Mexico, there was a duel for victory between Loeb and Ogier. Multiple changed the overall lead between them. Ultimately, different from Ogier at the 20th of 22 stages, when he collided with a big stone and thereby the suspension heavily damaged. Loeb won and established the conditions restored. On March 27, won Ogier, at the third round in 2011, the Rally of Portugal for the second time and overtook third overall win of his career. Loeb finished second. In the following Rally Jordan on April 16, 2011 Ogier won his fourth World Rally Championship and also the Power Stage, as he was the first driver the full number of 28 -to-reach points in a rally. Loeb finished the event in third place. Now lay Ogier, with two victories and his mistakes in Mexico, five points behind Loeb. In the Sardinia Rally Loeb won and Ogier was fourth. Another time it was exciting between the two in Argentina. Ogier attacked his teammates hard, was 43.7 seconds ahead of Loeb in the lead and rolled over with his car on the 16th of 19 special stages. With the heavily damaged vehicle, he continued the race and reached, after his second resulting from a stall duel accident, third behind a Ford the goal. It penetrated more and more tensions between the teammates to the public.

In the discharged Next Rally Greece Ogier won ahead of his teammate Sébastien Loeb both the overall standings and the Power Stage and thus won the only driver for the second time 28 points of the Drivers' World Championship. But before he could be - actively supported by the team - fall for tactical reasons twice in order to have a more favorable starting position the next day. These events overshadowed the brilliance of the second DS3 dual victory greatly. The media then began to set up Prost- Senna comparisons. When discharged in Finland high-speed rally there was again a battle for fractions of seconds. Tactic has also been used several times by Loeb's competitors, which is why Loeb had on all three days first on the track. Multiple lead changes between the teammates. The victory went to Loeb, thus he was the only non- Finnish driver, who won this event twice. Ogier finished the rally after a puncture on the third overall five seconds behind Jari -Matti Latvala. A few days before the rally Germany Loeb extended his contract with his regular employer for a further two years. He let himself open to the option of being able to get out after the 2012 season. Since 2002 in Germany and unbeaten on asphalt since 2004, in Germany Loeb was the clear favorite. Ogier had, however, never won a tarmac rally. Thus, the team of Ogier required to drive to safety. When the team this time so intervened in favor Loeb, Ogier made ​​repeatedly in interviews during the rally his displeasure in an ugly way air. That was not in the team, well at Loeb still with the Group Executive Board at. Citroën made ​​publicly that Ogier will summoned to a meeting at headquarters. Loeb reached after 75 seconds of time loss due to a puncture only the second overall behind Ogier. Thus two of his winning streaks were interrupted by his own teammates. By Ogier's success Citroën became the most successful automobile manufacturer in the history of the World Rally Championship. They had retracted the next two victory, increases the eighth win in a row, and the lead to the Ford factory team to 91 points. The media had their attention but rather focused on the team-internal rivalry between the two drivers.

At the next discharged Rally Australia Loeb lying in the lead had a five-fold impact on the fourth special stage. The first vehicle on the track, with two seconds ahead of his teammate, Loeb compared his split times with those of its following drivers on the display and slowed down before a bend too little. The guide went on to Ogier. Ogier crashed on the sixth special stage on a tree. Both driver and passenger were unhurt. The overall lead went over to the Ford factory drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jari -Matti Latvala. Overnight, could the two DS3 WRCs repaired and made ​​ready to start. Under SupeRally Regulations Loeb started with 30 penalty minutes and Ogier 20 minute penalty in the next day. Latvala took over on the first special stage of the day the lead from his team-mates. Due to their penalty, Ogier launched on 16 and Loeb space of 21 to catch up to world championship points. It seemed as if Loeb 2009 would reach the first time since the rally Greece no championship points placement. Ogier had meanwhile been working up to ninth place overall and the chance to take over the eighth place from the slower PWRC vehicle in front of him was great. Loeb was now driven up to the twelfth grade. In this special stage team order was both Ford and Citroën one allowed in rallying issued. Latvala stopped short of the goal to give the win to 28 seconds and Hirvonen. Ogier conceded aware of a 50 -second time penalty when he started 5 minutes late at this special stage. He parked then off the track and lost deliberately additionally over nine minutes to allow Loeb one championship point. After this double win for Ford Ford, reducing the deficit in the manufacturers' world championship on 62 points. To his home rally Loeb traveled as a top favorite. He resigned, however, in the lead, on the third special stage from. The reason for Loeb's first failure due to technical defect since the Rally Sweden 2008 was a conditional by an assembly error engine problem. Ogier took over from him the lead and won, after several leadership changes with Dani Sordo and Petter Solberg, finally, the fifth World Cup race of the season. After this rally Ogier was in the championship standings three points behind his teammate. At the next discharged Rally Catalunya, Ogier dropped out. Loeb won there for the seventh time in a row. Thus Loeb had moved out a unaufholbaren points ahead of his teammate. Only Hirvonen was within striking distance. The team secured in Spain the seventh Manufacturers' World Championship titles since 2003. Having been on the first special stage had an accident and only after the seventh WP with Mikko Hirvonen Loeb still remaining competitor was excreted to the world title at the season finale in the UK Ogier won Loeb his eighth drivers' world championship titles before the end of the event. Loeb was involved on the link 18 to 19 special from a Spanish wrong-way driver in a traffic accident. There were all involved unharmed, but the cooler of the DS3 WRC was damaged and Loeb had to retire. The road to victory was now set for Jari -Matti Latvala at the front World Cup places changed by but nothing more. Ogier was third with 196 World Cup points.

Course of the Manufacturer World Cup 2011

2012, the second year with the DS3 WRC

Loeb remains, Ogier and Hirvonen is coming

Mid-2011 announced the abolition of the FIA - the championship leader discriminatory - Starting order regulations. Thereupon, Loeb decided to stay in the World Rally Championship and extended his contract in the team. Until then, as Loeb 's successor funded and partially preferred Ogier felt disadvantaged by the new situation and wanted in a team where he could go against Loeb to the World Cup title. In November 2011 it was announced that Ogier's contract was terminated. For the 2012 season the Citroën Total World Rally Team undertook the long-standing Ford works driver Mikko Hirvonen as the new No. 2 driver alongside Loeb.