Citroen team boss raises concern over single tyre rule

Total-Citroen team principal Olivier Quesnel says the number of punctures seen on the second day of the Acropolis raises questions about the suitability of a control tyre in such harsh conditions.

With one day of the Rally of Greece remaining, Citroen C4 driver Sebastien Loeb leads by 28.7sec, thanks largely to his cautious approach through the roughest parts of the day.

But the day was a disaster for Loeb’s team-mate Dani Sordo, who was on course for first or second place for much of the morning but dropped to seventh after a succession of punctures and damaged tyres in the afternoon.

After running out of spares, the Spaniard was forced to drive the final stage with a puncture, and only made it back to the service park by swapping the punctured tyres around ‘five or six’ times on the road section.

“Both our C4s are running perfectly and I think a one-two finish was on the cards, said Quesnel. “Yet working out the best way of making sure Dani made it back to service turned out to be a real brainteaser.

“Our instructions and the best efforts of our crews to manage their tyres didn't suffice. This raises the question of the suitability of having just one type of tyre for such a specific and punishing event as the Acropolis."