View from the top: Olivier Quesnel

In the second of our EXCLUSIVE interviews with the heads of the two manufacturer teams contesting this year's WRC, wrc.com spoke to Olivier Quesnel of the Citroen Total World Rally Team.

Having collected all four of the manufacturers' and drivers' crowns since taking over at Citroen in 2008, the Frenchman is after another double haul of silverware this year, too.

But as he targets a seventh drivers' title for Loeb, and a sixth for Citroen, Quesnel also predicts this will be the year that Dani Sordo takes his first WRC rally win and new boy Kimi Raikkonen bags a podium:

It's been almost four months since Rally GB. What have you been up to since the end of the 2009 season?
"We've been busy working on budgets, on regulations and I've been in the office making sure everything is going well as we prepare for the season. We are developing the new car, the DS3, and of course we had a lot of events to commemorate last years' results. So it was very busy. I'm pleased now that we're getting ready to start the season again."

Have you made any significant changes to the team structure or personnel?
"No, it’s the same. We are family, you know? Everybody is pleased to be there. Sometimes it's going not so good but, like a family, the next day it's okay. I don't like change for the sake of it. When I started at the team I didn't make any changes, and I 'm not going to start now just for the pleasure."

Have you made any changes to the C4 WRC since Rally GB?
"The economic crisis means we don't have a lot of budget to do this as well as build a new car. But the C4 is now at the top, even against the Ford, and there is no more homologation permitted. We agreed with Malcolm [Wilson] to say we stop on the WRC cars and put the money into the new car instead."

How is the development of the C4 World Rally Car's replacement, the DS3, going?
"It’s going well, now we know it will have a 1.6 litre turbo direct injection engine. And with the final regulations we can work to be ready for the 2011 season. We have tested the car, but so far only in a prototype form. The car we have tested was not exactly according to the regulations because it had the same two-litre turbo engine as the C4 WRC."

How close to do you expect the championship battle with Ford to be this year?
"Anything can happen. What I will say about last year is that Ford, in a regular way, won one rally - Finland. In Greece Seb went off. In Poland we had a problem. In Australia we got a penalty. In Finland we lost - that is correct. That doesn't mean that this year it will be easy. On the contrary. At the beginning we won five rallies, and the only one which was relatively easy was Ireland. After that it was a big battle. We won but Ford could have won. Honestly, this year everything can happen."

What have you asked your drivers to do this year?
"No instructions. At least nothing at the beginning. They just have to race, but they must not forget that we need the manufacturers' championship. So they can have the big battle as they like, but they have to stay on the road. The main objective is the manufacturers' title. We need it. It’s very important for Citroen. But as in 2009 we would like to be world champions for manufacturers and drivers, too. That means we need at least seven wins for Seb. That's the objective."

Excluding its cars and drivers, is there an element of Ford's WRC operation that you admire?
"I've never worked with them, but somebody I admire is Malcolm [Wilson] because he's really strong. He's his own boss, and even though he gets a lot of problems, he always remains positive. For me, Malcolm is a big gun."

Give me a prediction about the year ahead.
"Dani will win his first rally, Kimi will be on the podium once at least and Seb will be world champion for the seventh time."