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It may be a shock for you, as a Citroen hater, but nowadays the difference between having Citroen or Peugeot in the WRC is mainly changing a badge as both brands sport divisons are totally connected and depend on PSA board decisions. No extended budget would miraculously arrive and most of the staff would certainly continue if Peugeot took Citroen place.Quote:
Originally Posted by deephouse
Watching the last videos from Catalunya testing, showing the significant aero updates, I mainly focused to the strangely shaped headlights.
It seems that either they put something like plastic-elastic cover on the regular headlights, or they actually moved them a little bit more to the inside and reduced their size.
Could it be a partial change-implementation due to the rush of the test, or they intend to actually apply a change to the shape of the headlights?
The new aero is nice and aggressive but these modified headlights are so ugly...
Esapekka Lappi on the new aero package and increased downforce on C3 WRC for 2020 season:
- Other drivers must hurry to keep up next year.
Lappi admitted the new aero reminded him of the Toyota years.
For @yleurheilu.
https://twitter.com/hartusvuoriwrc/s...689814017?s=21
I’ll take that with a pinch of salt. He was also praising the Citroen before this season.
... and he was also sounding entirely hopeless before Finland this year and ended 2nd
So, no Mads / Torstein in Australia.
I think if Citroën used 3 teams all year, title could be possible. Hope new aero brings back Ogier to top field.
https://www.autosport.com/wrc/featur...out-goes-ahead
Hey, can anyone who has access to the article show it to us please?
No new information.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eli
Correct.Evans writing an article with old information so he doesn't appear to be behind the curve.Quote:
Originally Posted by AnttiL
Official: Citroën out
https://fr-media.citroen.com/fr/default-title-32
English version https://int-media.citroen.com/en/default-title-326
Because of Ogier then. Meh
Yea sure...Quote:
Originally Posted by EstWRC
Of course this isn’t the only reason but I believe it’s one part of it for sure.Quote:
Originally Posted by AL14
I guess Mads is ,,very happy,, about these news.. :D struggling the whole season with the C3R5 crap, hoping to get in the WRC.. but now nothing.
Lappi is the biggest loser here. His career could end straight away
I wonder if anyone can come up with a budget to run a couple of the Citroen’s next year as Hansen did with the Peugeot’s in WRX?
Ostberg/Mikkelsen Norwegian consortium maybe! Ha ha
Basically, Citroen is unwilling to give some trust to Lappi & decided to bailout instead..
Sent from my Redmi 6 using Tapatalk
What a massive shame. So many potential ramifications.Quote:
Originally Posted by Andre Oliveira
Between this statement blaming Ogier and their statement blaming Meeke last year this all smells of a team who couldn't hold their hands up and say they've made mistakes.
In their pomp they were the benchmark but the last few years have left a bitter taste in the mouth. Still very sorry to see them go however as it leaves 2 less seats available in a driver market that is already crying out for more opportunities.
Will be a huge pity to see (potentially) Latvala, Meeke, Breen, Mikkelesen, Paddon, Ostberg and more on the sidelines in 2020. Makes the Championship less exciting and competitive
If they would all join R5, then this would be much more interesting campaign than WRC...Quote:
Originally Posted by Jewy46
I see a few people saying they are blaming Ogier, I’m not sure that’s the case really, they are just telling the truth, that without him and they almost certainly don’t have a chance to win, so why spend the €Xmillion when they are set to leave anyway.
Doesn’t mean I agree, or want them to go but I understand their position.
Really sad to lose this stalwart manufacturer from WRC. They were there (with Ford) through many tough years.
I was a fan for some years from when Loeb drove a Saxo (like me) and I loved the Xsara from it's kit-car birth to its WRC glory.
A sad day, but it was only going to be in WRC one more year anyway. They didnt really have the budget and their road cars had no connection to the high performace C3.
thanks god im not the only one thinking this way.Quote:
Originally Posted by doubled1978
Reale shame and a sad day for motorsport.
the real question is what was first - Citroen deciding to stop so Ogier goes to Toyota then or Ogier decides to leave and then Citroen decides to stop...?
They weren't serious from beginning. I mean from 2017.
I guess Ogier will never reach Loeb-status at home now, final nail to the coffin for that
True reason or not, but Citroen announcement really admires Lappi. Must be very nice to be referred meaningless driver in eyes of your own team.
Probably M-Sport closes next and then.. whole next season looks pointless now. Such a shame, just when everything started to look good with new cars.
while they were for years the reference team,last years we had,Meeke blaming,the way Loeb get away,and now ''because of Ogier''
I must say Ogier is quite smart. He could go in any team of three at the end of 2016 and choosing M-Sport (they are known for building the best car from start). When Fiesta are start to lack from others he chose Citroen (since they were only one interested in him), despite that was a risky move. He thought he could change it but he couldn't. When there was open spot at Toyota and their desperate of top driver he was only one and grabs it.Quote:
Originally Posted by BigWorm
I'm wondering even if he would win this year's title I think he would still go to Toyota, because that's a winning car everywhere. And I have a strong feeling he will change his mind over retiring except if he will not win next year.
I'm more worried about Neuville, if Tanak outpace him and is a high possibility he would do that he can't go anywhere.
The ethos of the Citroen brand has switched to totally 'comfort-orientated' road cars and only DS has anything remotely sporty.
And unless they are winning in WRC and getting that publicity then their presence did nothing for the brand at all.
We're probably lucky they lasted this long.
Kind of English anyway..Quote:
Originally Posted by EstWRC
So all the stuff about Ogier not being allowed to leave was bullshit or he had to pay an exit penalty?
Poor Lappi is just collateral in all of this.
Hopefully they will pay Lappi's contract for the final year.
He should get a drive with M-Sport as that wont cost them much.
Also this point is hard to understand from both Citroen and VW:
https://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/news/nove...9--12-12-.html
"The statement added that customer activities would be 'reinforced' next season.
"Building on the experience and the competencies of PSA Motorsport teams, Citroën customer competition activity will be reinforced in 2020, with a support and an amplified commitment towards C3 R5 customers throughout the world," it said."
What is the point of reinforcing the brands presence in R5? When on same time they most likely deny privateers using Citroen in WRC, just like the VW did (homologation just as an excuse).
This does not make sense in brand perspective, neither it will in sense that for many R5 clients, R5 is serving as a ladder to seek the WRC seats, the seats that Citroen has now self-destruct simultaneously. "Citroen, we provide solutions to reach your dreams that we have just demolished."
The vast majority of customer C3 R5's (like other R5's) are bought or hired for use in national or regional championships.Quote:
Originally Posted by Japé
Relatively few are bought for use in WRC2 and even fewer of those are used by private driver's hoping to attain a seat in WRC1.
Agree, even if he wins next he won't be loved in France.Quote:
Originally Posted by BigWorm
In reality the main reasons in the long term are
- half hearted commitment since at least 2016
- Matton for development and choice of drivers in 2016-2017
(only one experienced driver and supposedly not listened to, then not getting a single of the 3 free VW drivers)
Well, Tänak's move seems to have very serious consequences for the WRC... Very sad for Lappi.
Ogier couldn't do better with that car which had wrong developing driver - Kris Meeke who developed car for shunts not for titles
Lappi, JML, Ostberg, Meeke, maybe more drivers as collateral damage not to mention rally fans and the good of the sport. Now we lose many seats and have what t look forward to, 8 or 9 top flight WRC cars competing.Quote:
Originally Posted by BigWorm
This in my eyes is not a world championship, but an elitist championship where only a select few can compete.
In fact, now we have two of the top three drivers in one team, Hyundai may as well toss a coin between either one of them and we just have a championship of two.
As much as I don't like to see any manufacturer leave, good riddance shitroen. You handle Meeke poorly, you treated a 9 time champion who was a great ambassador for your brand with little respect in the end, and you have handled this badly by blaming your failure on pretty much the whole rally drivers competing in the sport, and now you run off with your tail between your legs having spat your dummy out and held the white flag aloft in the traditional cheese eating garlic smelling surrender monkey French tradition. Au revoir . . . and good riddance.
That car has six victories: three for Ogier, two for Meeke, one for Loeb.. not bad company:)Quote:
Originally Posted by Barreis
Well what then are other world championships if not elitist? They are the best ones of their field. However, in motorsport we must accept that pure sporting talent alone is not enough, you also need to have money to compete on high level. Someone pays the bills in order to get marketing in return, and they have the right to stop doing so, if they don't consider it viable.Quote:
Originally Posted by Norm75