CITROEN AXE PROMPTS WRC ALARM BELLS
French firm exits rallying as star Sebastien Ogier joins Toyota
Senior figures in the World Rally Championship have insisted the series needs to look to its own shortcomings for the real reason why Citroen has departed.
The French firm announced its decision to leave the WRC last week, citing Sebastien Ogier’s move to Toyota as the reason for its exit.
Citroen team principal Pierre Budar told MN: “When you want to be involved in the championship and the fight for the title you need one of the big three drivers.”
Citroen team principal
Pierre Budar says delays in introducing hybrid power and a lack of return on investment in the World Rally Championship are contributing factors in the French firm quitting the series.
As outlined in Motorsport
News last week, the French firm announced its decision to leave the WRC with immediate effect. Citroen’s communication was not exactly news, but pointing to Sebastien Ogier’s move to Toyota as a key reason for the departure certainly caught the attention
(see page 12).
Citroen team principal Pierre Budar admitted to MN, however, there were other contributing factors regarding both the governance and promotion of the WRC.
Asked if the series’ inability to embrace hybrid or alternative technologies quicker and the lack of presence in key markets like India and Russia was an issue for Citroen, Budar said: “For sure, it’s part of the problem. It’s very important for a brand like Citroen to make sure the situation [in the championship] is in line with its marketing expectation.
“What you have mentioned [hybrid and key markets] is not available today on WRC, so it gives WRC some lack compared with some other disciplines.
“When you see how much we need to push for the electrification of our brand and products and the marketing we need to push these cars on sales, it’s really difficult for a brand like Citroen not to focus on this. If the sporting discipline cannot help, it’s a real problem.
“One of our main targets is to develop in international markets; India is a major project for the brand and there is nothing on this side possible for the motorsport: this is not very good. China is the same situation.
“We are not very strong when we go to the CEO to explain what we could do for the marketing of the brand when we cannot give any answers on these items – which are major items today for our marketing department. It’s part of the lack of our proposal.”
The WRC will deliver a hybrid solution for 2022 – a timeframe which FIA president Jean Todt has admitted is coming too late. The FIA insisted the teams had been part of the problem in slowing down that initial hybrid timetable, when they were unable to agree on the regulations and requirements.
FIA rally director Yves
Matton told MN the remaining manufacturers are offering positive feedback on the current cars and the incoming 2022 regulations.
“The manufacturers request this kind of car we have for the moment,” said Matton. “I have some quite positive feedback for 2022. It’s what they request from the car at the top level. We ask this question on all of our meetings: how do we reduce the cost involved? We are working together to keep this at the best level possible, while maintaining the technologies they request. The feedback is that we need this kind of car and we need to do the best we can to keep them as cost-effective as possible, but this high-level of technology comes at the cost.”
Matton confirmed there would be no cost-saving on the horizon with 2022’s new regulations.
“We never say we will cut the cost,” said Matton. “What we have to do is work to maintain the cost to the same level – it’s not possible to bring hybrid and reduce the cost. The only way to reduce the cost would be to go to an R5-based championship, but it’s not what the manufacturers want for the top-level car.”
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