Citroen aims
for the
top with
new class

Run on six rounds of next year’s FIA World Rally Championship, the Citroen Top Driver class will be for drivers using the firm’s DS3 R3 model, which will make them eligible for the new WRC 3 category.

The winner gets the opportunity to contest six rounds of the 2014 WRC 2 division in a four-wheel-drive Citroen run by the winning Citroen Top Driver team.

Citroen has forged a strong reputation for unearthing future talents with Kris Meeke, Thierry Neuville, Sebastien Ogier, Dani Sordo and Loeb all getting their breaks at world level with the French manufacturer.

“Our aim is to make it easier for drivers to compete in the World Rally Championship by creating a racing formula that is accessible and affordable, and which rewards the best drivers and teams,” said Citroen Racing’s Marek Nawarecki. “The very essence of this challenge is to create a stepping stone between the national championships and the world championship by putting in place a major programme which is within the reach of the crews.”

He continued: “Each team must enter at least two DS3 R3s in the Citroen Top Driver series. We would also like the teams to compete with each other in a transparent and fair manner, so each of them must publish their season costs so that potential customers are able to compare the various options available to them.”

The 2013 Citroen Top Driver series will be contested on the WRC rounds in Portugal, Italy, Finland, Germany, France and Great Britain.