Khaleej Times

Citroën Total Abu Dhabi eye history

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dubai — Reaching the historic figure of one hundred World Rally Championsh­ip wins is one of the objectives that Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT has set itself for 2018, a press release said.

To secure the two victories needed to break this record, or indeed even surpass it, the team will once again be putting its faith in Kris Meeke, now capable of winning on any surface, as demonstrat­ed by the five WRC rallies he has won since starting to compete for Citroën at world level in 2013.

On the return of Citroën to the WRC as a works team this year, the 38 year-old Briton bagged the Citroën C3 WRC’s maiden victory in only its third race, on the Mexican gravel, before also excelling on the tarmac in Corsica. The second part of the season confirmed his ability to take on the responsibi­lities of team leader.

The highlight being a second, resounding win on the gravel and tarmac of Rally Catalunya, and a determined attitude, befitting that of a leader.

After retiring from full-time involvemen­t in the WRC at the end of 2012, and having contested only four rallies in 2013 and made a one-off appearance at the 2015 Rallye Monte-Carlo, Sébastien Loeb will be looking to find the feeling specific to rallying when he drives the second works Citroën C3 WRC in Mexico, Corsica and Spain. The team’s loyalty is also reflected in the continuing involvemen­t of Khalid Al Qassimi, who will drive a third Citroën C3 WRC on a few occasions, whilst Stéphane Lefebvre will be given the task of promoting the new Citroën C3 R5 in the highly competitiv­e WRC2 class.

 ?? — Supplied photo ?? The team’s loyalty is also reflected in the involvemen­t of UAE’s Khalid Al Qassimi.
— Supplied photo The team’s loyalty is also reflected in the involvemen­t of UAE’s Khalid Al Qassimi.

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