Citroen WRT

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Citroen team principal Yves Matton says signing Sebastien Ogier is now his priority for the 2018 World Rally Championship.

Four-time WRC champion Ogier has been in discussion with his former employer over the last month and Matton can now see no major obstacles to a deal to bring Ogier back to the team he left in 2011.

"We are making it our priority in our plans to make him join our team," Matton told Autosport.

"We are step-by-step right now and it's difficult to say what will be his final answer - for sure, we are not the only ones who are trying to convince him!

"At the moment there is not a major obstacle.

"That's not to say there may not be an obstacle and it could be a major one, but at the moment we are going around the different points to find what are his expectations and our expectations and our targets."

Asked how confident he was of Ogier driving a C3 WRC next season, Matton replied: "It doesn't matter if it's 90% or 10%, if it's not 100%, it's not signed.

"It would be good to have him back, but the priority is to have the fastest driver - that he is French and we are a French team is, what you would say in English: the cherry on top of the cake."

https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/1...ority-for-2018

[mknight]

For all we know they could have already signed. I doubt there will be any official announcement before titles are decided.

[racerx1979]

Would be strange to say he has already signed a deal already. Has it ever happened in the past where a driver in the points lead switches teams and makes it public this early in the game?

[Simmi]

Would be strange to say he has already signed a deal already. Has it ever happened in the past where a driver in the points lead switches teams and makes it public this early in the game?

Burnsy to Peugeot was out before he won the title in 2001 and I seem to remember it all got quite acrimonious. But I don't think that was announced this early. I'm sure there have been others.

I think it's a moot point anyway as I highly doubt he's signed. IMO he owes it to M-Sport to give them at least a chance to put an offer together.

[noel157]

Burnsy to Peugeot was out before he won the title in 2001 and I seem to remember it all got quite acrimonious. But I don't think that was announced this early. I'm sure there have been others.

I think it's a moot point anyway as I highly doubt he's signed. IMO he owes it to M-Sport to give them at least a chance to put an offer together.

Ogier will be in a Fiesta next season.

[seb_sh]

Ogier will be in a Fiesta next season.

That would be devastating for Matton. The cherry on top of the mismanagement cake.

[EstWRC]

Ogier will be in a Fiesta next season.

My apologies if I'm mistaken but I remember you saying last year that neuville will definitely be in Citroen

[GigiGalliNo1]

And my mistake that Ogier was going to M-Sport... 3-4 years too early

[AL14]

So it seems they are not even close to a deal with Ogier for next year. Mikkelsen is gone now, they have only him... what if they don't hire him? I don't think this gamble is a good idea.

[Rally Power]

So it seems they are not even close to a deal with Ogier for next year. Mikkelsen is gone now, they have only him... what if they don't hire him? I don't think this gamble is a good idea.

Honestly, I agree with the other guys that believe Ogier has already signed with Citroen. Ogier is their only chance to become competitive again, so there should be no need for long talks or discussions, like Matton is saying; they just have to sign him and fulfill his requests. Hopefully, that’s what they’ve already done.