08 Sep 12

Citroen
on the
brink of
makes’
title

The factory Citroen team starts Wales Rally GB next week knowing that if it outscores rival Ford by six points then it will win an eighth FIA World Rally Championship manufacturers' title, subject to final ratification.

Citroen has enjoyed a strong run of success this season, claiming five one-two finishes courtesy of works drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Sebastien Loeb. A one-three finish, the same result achieved on last month’s ADAC Rallye Deutschland, would be enough for an eighth makes’ crown.

Hirvonen helped Ford to back-to-back manufacturers’ titles in 2006 and 2007, clinching the honours on the rallies in New Zealand and Ireland respectively. Helping Citroen to more silverware in Great Britain would be particularly satisfying during his first season with the French squad.

“I would really love it if we can secure the world title for Citroen in Great Britain,” said Finn Hirvonen. “It would be a real team effort and it would take some of the pressure off me for the final few rallies.”

If Citroen did succeed in Wales, then Hirvonen said it could help his efforts to land his maiden victory with the make before the end of the current campaign. “If we secure the manufacturers’ title for Citroen in Great Britain, I will no longer need to think about points. That will allow me to relax a bit more, especially on Tarmac. We saw in Germany that I really need to make progress on this surface. To do that, I need to take a few more risks so I can drive closer to the limit.”