Quote Originally Posted by Plan9
I am not sure that Mini would have lent Solberg a car at all. He seems to have an ability to get on the wrong side of people. He did something wrong at the end of 2008 and Richards has not forgiven him. I can only speculate that Richards wanted him to do the season with an upgraded 2008 Impreza (that eventually went to Gronholm) and was upset when he choose a 2003 Xsara. Does anyone have any suggestions why Prodrive might be pissed with Petter?
Richards may have been dissapionted for their own sake, but upset or pissed? I can't see where you got that from.

Petter did just the logical thing to go after a proven fast and reliable car. Testing the Xsara (it was 2006 spec) for 400 meters was all he needed to decide it was the right choice. And not only that, he had to manage his marketing image/value, where driving the Impreza would just maintain the question marks some had of him at the time. Using the older Xsara his project also had limited downside risk. And what he did with it and the C4 made people understand how poor the Impreza really was. I don't think Petter will ever regret what he did from 2009 on.